Where to begin
These are the places worth planning a trip around: the museums, cathedrals and palaces, the ancient sites and the landscapes that make Italy what it is, from the Uffizi and the Colosseum to the Dolomites and the temples of Agrigento. Each has its own guide, with the story behind it, what to look for once inside, how to plan the visit and the tours worth booking. Begin with the best known, or choose a region.
391 monuments
Basilica della Santa Casa
LoretoLoreto's basilica grew up around a small stone house that, by tradition, angels carried here from Nazareth in 1294, the childhood home of the Virgin Mary.
Certosa di San Martino
NaplesStart in the church and lift your eyes to Giovanni Lanfranco’s Ascension.
Frasassi Caves
GengaAbisso Ancona chasm, giant stalagmites, Valadier temple hermitage, guided cave tour
Genoa Cathedral
GenoaPope Gelasius II consecrated San Lorenzo in 1118, before its façade was complete.
Monza Cathedral
MonzaIron Crown of Lombardy, Zavattari fresco cycle, striped Gothic facade, royal coronations since Charlemagne
Parma Cathedral and Baptistery
ParmaParma's cathedral rises where an older church collapsed in the 1117 earthquake, rebuilt through the twelfth century in warm Romanesque stone.
Tempio Malatestiano
RiminiAlberti's Renaissance facade, Sigismondo's pagan church, Piero della Francesca fresco, Giotto crucifix
Vulci
Montalto di CastroFrom the basalt street to the Fiora Vulci begins as a walk across an open plateau.
Amalfi Cathedral
AmalfiStart in Piazza Duomo and look at the staircase before climbing it.
Ducal Palace of Urbino
UrbinoFederico da Montefeltro's court, twin-turret facade, studiolo intarsia, Piero's Flagellation
Estense Castle
FerraraMoated castle in the city centre, Este dynasty seat, dungeon of Ugo and Parisina, hanging orange garden
Syracuse Cathedral
OrtigiaBegin on Via Minerva From Piazza Duomo, turn down Via Minerva before entering the cathedral.
Catania Cathedral
CataniaOne church on several levels Begin in Piazza Duomo, far enough back to see the whole front of Sant’Agata.
Malatestiana Library
CesenaEurope's first public civic library, intact 1454 reading room, chained codices, UNESCO Memory of the World
Trento Cathedral
TrentoCouncil of Trent, Wheel of Fortune rose window, early Christian basilica beneath, Neptune fountain
Villa Farnese
CaprarolaA fortress on the outside, a circle within The long climb through Caprarola sets up the first surprise.
Tofane
Cortina d'AmpezzoThree mountains above Cortina Look west from Cortina d’Ampezzo to find the Tofane.
Necropolis of Monterozzi
TarquiniaThe view from the bottom of the stairs From the path on the Calvario ridge, Tarquinia’s necropolis looks like a field dotted with small shelters.
Royal Palace of Venaria
Venaria RealeJuvarra's Great Gallery, Sant'Uberto chapel, restored Savoy gardens, UNESCO Savoy residence
Sansevero Chapel
NaplesAt the centre of the nave, the cloth over Christ’s face seems to tighten where it touches his features.
- Bobbio AbbeyBobbioHidden GemSaint Columbanus, medieval scriptorium, crypt mosaic, Renaissance basilica, Abbey Museum
- Cremona Cathedral and TorrazzoCremonaTorrazzo (112.5 m), astronomical clock, Romanesque facade, nave fresco cycles, baptistery
- Ear of DionysiusSyracuseThe Ear of Dionysius is a man-made limestone cave in the Latomia del Paradiso, one of the ancient quarries of Syracuse’s Neapolis.
- Piazza MaggioreBolognaPiazza Maggiore took shape as Bologna ’s civic centre when the municipality began acquiring houses and land around 1200.
