Skip to content
ENITSign in
Neapolitan nativity scene with terracotta and cloth figures, a low stable and miniature village food stalls

Culture in Italy

The art, buildings, music and traditions that make Italy worth the trip, and how to see them well.

Read: Italian Christmas Traditions, from the Presepe to the Befana

Choose a thread to follow

You do not need to fit every museum, church and concert into one trip. Pick something you are curious about and give it time. In Cremona, violin making connects specialist training, workshop skills and conversations with musicians. That is a different way into a city from ticking off its monuments. Use the places and stories below to choose your own thread: an artist, a building, a sound or a local tradition. Start with one visit, then leave room for what catches your attention.1

Culture is something people do

A tradition is more interesting when you notice the people keeping it alive. Cremonese violin makers pass on their knowledge through teaching and workshop practice; Italian opera singing brings musical and literary skills together in a shared performance. Neither is simply a souvenir of the past. If a workshop offers visits, check how to arrange one before arriving. Ask before taking photographs, respect working time and look for the small decisions behind the finished object. Curiosity works best as a conversation.1,2

A theatre visit or a night at the opera?

Decide which experience you want before buying a ticket. At Venice’s La Fenice, visits to the building have their own booking information and timetable, separate from the performance programme. A tour is a chance to look at the theatre; an opera ticket is for a particular production and date. For a first opera, read a short plot summary, check the running time and whether translated surtitles are available. Choose a seat for the view and comfort you need, rather than assuming every ticket offers the same experience.3,4

Leave time around the experience

Build the day around the visit that has a fixed start. Check the exact venue, entry instructions and journey home, then fit lunch or a walk around it. La Fenice recommends arriving at least half an hour before a performance, especially when collecting tickets. That is useful planning time, not another attraction to squeeze in. For a local festival or concert elsewhere, check the organiser’s current programme before travelling. Afterwards, sit down together and compare the moment you each remember; it may be different from the one you expected.4

Places to see

  1. The amphitheatre’s stone seating and grassy banks enclose the open arena.Pompeii Archaeological Site Walk Pompeii’s ancient streets with a ticket matched to the city, suburban villas or wider Great Pompeii sites, and a route planned around current openings.
  2. Ancient paving and umbrella pines along the Appian Way near Rome.Appian Way The Roman stretch of the Appian Way, where ancient paving leads past tombs, imperial villas and medieval fortifications.
  3. Castel del Monte on its hilltop in Puglia, an octagon of pale limestone with eight towersCastel del Monte Frederick II’s hilltop castle above the Murgia, where octagonal geometry meets an unresolved story of use.
  4. A Doric temple of Paestum under its umbrella pine at duskTemples of Paestum Three Doric temples of the 6th and 5th centuries BC, among the best preserved outside Greece.
  5. The quarter-kilometer front of the Reggia di Caserta at golden hourRoyal Palace of Caserta Vanvitelli's Bourbon answer to Versailles: four courtyards, a Royal Staircase and a park with a three-kilometer cascade.
  6. Terracotta gabled front and side of Santa Maria delle Grazie with the tribune rising behindSanta Maria delle Grazie Solari’s Lombard church and Bramante’s tribune are free to visit; Leonardo’s Last Supper occupies the separately ticketed former refectory.
  7. Upper round arcades and curved gallery parapet between two marble-faced piers inside San Vitale.Basilica of San Vitale A sixth-century octagonal basilica where layered galleries, imperial mosaics, marble and a later painted vault meet.
  8. The Maritime Theatre's circle at Hadrian's Villa, TivoliHadrian's Villa Emperor Hadrian's sprawling villa at Tivoli, a memory of his travels in marble and brick, with the Canopus and Maritime Theatre.
  9. Basilica of San Francesco, ItalyBasilica of San Francesco The double basilica over Saint Francis's tomb, its walls covered by Giotto and Cimabue's frescoes.
  10. Villa Romana del Casale, ItalyVilla Romana del Casale A Roman hunting villa whose mudslide-sealed floors preserve the richest Roman mosaics in existence.
  11. Palladio's Rotonda showing two of its four temple fronts at duskVilla La Rotonda Palladio's four-fronted domed villa outside Vicenza, the most imitated house design in the world.
  12. Modena Cathedral's Romanesque facade with the Ghirlandina behindModena Cathedral Europe's purest Romanesque cathedral, signed by its makers in 1099, beside the leaning Ghirlandina tower.
  13. The plain brick shell of the Scrovegni Chapel hiding Giotto's blueScrovegni Chapel Giotto’s 1303–1305 fresco cycle fills a compact Padua chapel with a starry vault, a sweeping sacred narrative and fourteen monochrome allegories.
  14. The basalt central tower of Su Nuraxi, Sardinia's great Bronze Age fortressSu Nuraxi di Barumini Sardinia's grandest Bronze Age nuraghe complex, excavated from beneath a hill in the 1950s.
  15. A haloed seated figure among six sheep, with an upright gold cross-staff and a blue-and-gold patterned barrel vault.Mausoleum of Galla Placidia A fifth-century Latin-cross mausoleum whose plain brick exterior gives way to a compact, star-filled mosaic interior.
  16. The arcaded facade and cylindrical brick bell tower of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo in RavennaBasilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo The sixth-century basilica whose mosaic processions of martyrs and virgins still walk toward Christ.
  17. Monreale Cathedral's towers and porch above its Sicilian piazzaMonreale Cathedral William II's golden mosaic cathedral above Palermo, its cloister ringed by two hundred carved twin columns.
  18. The central entrance and shuttered windows of the Royal Palace of TurinRoyal Palace of Turin The Savoy dynasty's palace, joined to Guarini's restored Chapel of the Holy Shroud and a Royal Armoury.
  19. The twin fortress towers of Cefalu Cathedral above its palm piazzaCefalu Cathedral Roger II's twin-towered Norman cathedral over Cefalù's beach, with one of Sicily's earliest Pantocrators.
  20. The central stage arch and perspective street at Teatro Olimpico in VicenzaTeatro Olimpico Palladio's last work: an indoor theatre with a 1585 forced-perspective stage set still standing.
  21. The Ghirlandina rising over Piazza Grande from the Duomo's portico, ModenaGhirlandina Tower Modena's 86-meter bell tower, keeper of a stolen-bucket legend.
  22. The loggia of Palazzo Te reflected in its fishponds, MantuaPalazzo Te Giulio Romano’s Gonzaga villa of leisure, where horse portraits and mythic frescoes animate a classical square court.
  23. The Gonzaga's Palazzo Ducale fronting Piazza Sordello, MantuaDucal Palace of Mantua The Gonzaga's 500-room palace city, home to Mantegna's illusionistic Camera degli Sposi.
  24. Juvarra's baroque front of Palazzo Madama on Piazza Castello, TurinPalazzo Madama Turin's layered palace, Roman gate and medieval castle behind Juvarra's Baroque facade.
  25. Amalfi Cathedral’s campanile among tiled roofs, with terraced slopes behind and the harbor at left.Amalfi Cathedral Amalfi’s cathedral rises above Piazza Duomo, where Constantinopolitan bronze doors, a mosaic façade and the linked cloister, crypt and museum tell distinct layers of the town’s history.
  26. The twin torricini of the Ducal Palace rising over UrbinoDucal Palace of Urbino The ideal Renaissance court of Federico da Montefeltro, home to Piero della Francesca's Flagellation.
  27. Estense Castle, ItalyEstense Castle Ferrara's moated fortress: Este court splendor above, the dungeon of Ugo and Parisina below.
  28. Syracuse Cathedral's baroque face on Ortigia's curving piazzaSyracuse Cathedral The cathedral built inside a Greek temple of Athena, its Doric columns still holding up the walls.
  29. Cippi scattered over the painted tombs of Monterozzi, TarquiniaNecropolis of Monterozzi Tarquinia's painted Etruscan tombs, antiquity's most vivid gallery of daily life.
  30. The long wing of the Reggia di Venaria in evening lightRoyal Palace of Venaria The Savoys' answer to Versailles, its Great Gallery and gardens restored outside Turin.
  31. The octagonal pond and pebble mosaic in the garden of Palazzo Reale in GenoaPalazzi dei Rolli Genoa’s historic system of palace hospitality, explored along Via Garibaldi, through the Strada Nuova Museums and on Via Balbi.
  32. The Basilica of Santa Chiara on Assisi's edge above the Umbrian plainBasilica of Santa Chiara Saint Clare's striped basilica in Assisi, home of the San Damiano crucifix.
  33. A carved tumulus along the streets of the dead at Banditaccia, CerveteriNecropolis of the Banditaccia The Etruscan city of the dead outside Cerveteri, its tombs cut street by street into the tufa and furnished like real houses.
  34. Noto Cathedral glowing honey-gold above its grand staircaseNoto Cathedral Noto's honey-stone cathedral, rebuilt after its dome fell in 1996, crowning a grand Baroque staircase.
  35. Chapels of the Sacro Monte di Varallo, the first New JerusalemSacro Monte di Varallo The original sacred mountain above Varallo, forty-five chapels and eight hundred painted figures.
  36. Poppaea's villa at Oplontis, colonnades open in their excavationVilla Oplontis The so-called Villa of Poppaea at Oplontis, known for its Roman wall painting, gardens and monumental pool.
  37. The terraced court of Genoa's Royal Palace above Via BalbiRoyal Palace of Genoa A Genoese patrician residence transformed by the Durazzo and Savoy families, with a celebrated Hall of Mirrors and historic state rooms.
  38. A frescoed chapel on the wooded Sacro Monte above Lake OrtaSacro Monte di Orta Orta's hillside sanctuary of twenty frescoed chapels retelling Saint Francis's life above the lake.
  39. Lombard Temple, ItalyLombard Temple An eighth-century Lombard oratory above the Natisone gorge with six stucco saints, a UNESCO site.
  40. Bergamo's Venetian ramparts carrying the upper town's edgeVenetian Walls of Bergamo Bergamo's untested Venetian ramparts, now a six-kilometer sunset promenade.
  41. The entrance to Santa Giulia, Brescia's monastery museumSanta Giulia Museum Brescia's monastery-museum, descending through Lombard cloisters to Roman houses beneath.
  42. Inside the portico of San Luca, 666 arches climbing above BolognaPortico of San Luca The world's longest covered walkway, 666 arches climbing to the Sanctuary of San Luca.
  43. Herculaneum's excavation pit below modern Ercolano, Vesuvius beyondHerculaneum Archaeological Park A Roman town buried by Vesuvius in 79 CE, its wood, food and fabric preserved by carbonization rather than ash.
  44. The surviving outer arcades of the Colosseum in RomeColosseum Rome’s Flavian Amphitheatre reveals how imperial spectacle worked, from the ordered seating to the machinery beneath the arena.
  45. The travertine facade of St. Peter’s Basilica with its colossal statues and a crowd in the squareSt. Peter's Basilica The Vatican’s great basilica, built from 1506 to 1626 and shaped by Michelangelo, Bernini and generations of artists.
  46. The Uffizi’s stone arcades frame the courtyard and its opening toward the Arno.Uffizi Gallery Florence’s great painting gallery, where Botticelli, Leonardo and Michelangelo reward a slower look.
  47. The striped marble facade and bell tower of Siena CathedralSiena Cathedral Siena’s Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, known for its 56-panel marble pavement and Nicola Pisano’s pulpit.
  48. The shell-shaped Piazza del Campo in Siena seen from above with the cathedral tower on the skylinePiazza del Campo Siena’s shell-shaped civic square, where Gothic Palazzo Pubblico, Fonte Gaia and the twice-yearly Palio meet.
  49. Brunelleschi’s dome above the terracotta rooftops of FlorenceFlorence Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore brings together Florence’s medieval cathedral, Brunelleschi’s dome and a richly layered interior.
  50. Rusticated stonework and arched windows across the long facade of Pitti Palace.Pitti Palace A Medici court palace in Florence’s Oltrarno, now home to several museums and historically linked to Boboli Gardens.
  51. The striped octagon of the Florence Baptistery before the DuomoFlorence Baptistery Florence’s octagonal Baptistery, consecrated in 1059, is known for medieval mosaics, marble inlay and bronze doors.
  52. Palazzo Vecchio and its tall tower rising over Piazza della Signoria in late lightPalazzo Vecchio Florence’s continuing civic palace, where a medieval council chamber and Roman-theatre remains sit beneath rooms reshaped for Medici rule.
  53. The neo-Gothic marble facade of Santa Croce and the statue of Dante on its plinth in the piazzaBasilica of Santa Croce Florence’s Franciscan basilica pairs Giotto-and-pupils frescoes and Renaissance chapels with the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli.
  54. Facciata e torre del Bargello, FirenzeBargello National Museum Florence’s medieval civic palace became Italy’s first National Museum in 1865. Explore Donatello and Michelangelo alongside ivories, enamels and maiolica.
  55. Giotto’s Campanile rising beside the marble flank of the cathedral in Piazza del DuomoGiotto's Campanile Florence’s marble-clad cathedral bell tower, begun under Giotto in 1334 and completed in 1359, with 414 steps to its summit balconies.
  56. The marble galleries and inner lawn of Pisa’s Camposanto Monumentale.Camposanto Monumentale Pisa’s medieval cemetery gathers Roman sarcophagi, layered frescoes and the story of their wartime rescue inside a marble cloister.
  57. The open oculus and coffered dome inside the Pantheon in RomePantheon A Roman portico opens into the Pantheon’s circular interior, where the open oculus lights an ancient dome and a living basilica.
  58. Duomo di Milano da Piazza del DuomoMilan Cathedral A Gothic cathedral in Candoglia marble, built across generations and crowned by 135 spires and the Madonnina.
  59. Torre del Mangia rising above Palazzo Pubblico and the brick-paved Piazza del Campo in SienaTorre del Mangia Siena's civic tower rises above Piazza del Campo, with a 400-step ascent and a broad view over the city.
  60. Brick bastion, tree-lined ramparts and the open lawn beneath Lucca’s walls.Walls of Lucca Lucca’s 4.2-kilometre wall circuit combines Renaissance earthworks with an older medieval stretch and now serves as a public promenade.
  61. The curved houses and open oval of Piazza dell’Anfiteatro in Lucca.Piazza dell'Anfiteatro Lucca’s oval piazza traces the site of a Roman amphitheatre, whose buried remains still shape the surrounding streets.
  62. The neoclassical facade of Teatro alla Scala in Milan on a winter afternoonTeatro alla Scala Milan’s 1778 opera house, shaped by Rossini and Verdi, the 1946 Toscanini reopening and its theatre museum.
  63. Florence at sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo, with the Arno, Palazzo Vecchio and DuomoPiazzale Michelangelo A broad terrace above Florence, where Poggi’s 19th-century city plan meets a bronze Michelangelo monument and a sweeping Arno view.
  64. The glazed skylight above the spiral staircase in the Vatican MuseumsVatican Museums Papal collections and palace rooms lead from ancient sculpture to Raphael and the Sistine Chapel, each with a different history.
  65. Brick remains and umbrella pines on Rome’s Palatine Hill.Palatine Hill Rome’s earliest settlement tradition meets a landscape of aristocratic houses, imperial palaces and Renaissance gardens on the Palatine Hill.
  66. Facciata di Santa Maria Maggiore, RomaBasilica di Santa Maria Maggiore A fifth-century papal basilica on Rome’s Esquiline Hill, where early Christian mosaics share the interior with medieval apse decoration, Baroque chapels and living Marian devotion.
  67. The Gothic arcades and quatrefoil tracery of the Doge’s Palace in VeniceDoge's Palace Venice’s palace of government leads from carved arcades to state chambers, then across the Bridge of Sighs to the prisons.
  68. Castel Sant’Angelo dal ponte, RomaCastel Sant'Angelo Hadrian’s second-century mausoleum became a fortress, papal residence, prison and national museum beside the Tiber.
  69. Monteriggioni from above, a ring of walls and towers around a small village among olive grovesWalls of Monteriggioni An inhabited Tuscan borgo enclosed by Siena’s circular walls, with two historic gates and a compact piazza.
  70. Grand Canal, ItalyGrand Canal Venice’s principal waterway, curving between the lagoon and St Mark’s Basin past palaces, museums and the Salute.
  71. St. Mark's Square, ItalySt. Mark's Square Venice's only piazza, ringed by arcades, cafes and the basilica since the republic's height.
  72. The Bridge of Sighs spanning its canal between palace and prison, VeniceBridge of Sighs An enclosed, two-corridor passage linking the Doge’s Palace courts with Venice’s New Prisons.
  73. Rialto Bridge’s sloping balustrades and green shutters above a gondola beside blue-green mooring polesRialto Bridge A late-sixteenth-century stone crossing over the Grand Canal, with a shop-lined central passage between two open canal-side walks.
  74. Columns and pines along the forum of Ostia AnticaOstia Antica Ancient Rome's harbor city, preserved street by street among pines: bakeries, baths, a theatre and mosaic shipping offices.
  75. Tufa ruins below the acropolis of Cumae, Italy's first Greek colonyCumae Archaeological Park The first Greek colony on the Italian mainland: acropolis temples, a sacred way and the tuff gallery called the Cave of the Sibyl.
  76. Sant’Agnese in Agone facing the cobbled square of Piazza NavonaPiazza Navona Three fountains and Sant'Agnese in Agone frame a Baroque square whose long outline preserves Domitian's Roman stadium.
  77. Palazzo dei Conservatori on Michelangelo's Capitoline piazzaCapitoline Museums The world's first public museum, on the star-paved piazza Michelangelo designed for Rome.
  78. Upper façade of Villa Borghese Pinciana with five windows, four statue niches and oval portrait medallionsGalleria Borghese A villa gallery in Villa Borghese park, with Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne, six Caravaggios in Room VIII, and Canova’s Pauline Bonaparte.
  79. Oblique aerial view of Santa Maria della Salute, with two domes, two bell towers, patterned forecourt, terracotta roofs and canal water.Santa Maria della Salute An octagonal Venetian church by Longhena, crowned by a great dome at the entrance to the Grand Canal.
  80. Rectangular reflecting pool between pale courtyard wings, facing a brick wall with an arched passage.Sforza Castle Milan’s Visconti and Sforza fortress, now an eight-museum complex with Michelangelo’s Pietà Rondanini and a reconstructed Filarete Tower.
  81. The neoclassical facade of Teatro di San Carlo in evening light, NaplesTeatro di San Carlo Naples’s royal opera house, opened in 1737 and rebuilt after the 1816 fire.
  82. La Fenice's porch on its Venetian campo, the thrice-reborn opera houseTeatro La Fenice At Campo San Fantin, La Fenice brings Venetian theatre architecture, landmark opera premieres and a Maria Callas exhibition into one visit. Take the audio-guided tour and check the date-specific calendar before you go.
  83. The Arena di Verona's pink arcades on Piazza BraArena di Verona Verona's first-century Roman amphitheatre on Piazza Bra, still one of the world's great open-air opera venues.
  84. The brick colossus of the Baths of Caracalla in evening lightBaths of Caracalla An imperial bathing complex built around a central sequence of heated, warm and cold rooms, with exercise, study and service spaces around it.
  85. Temple E of Selinunte against the African light of southern SicilySelinunte A Greek city sacked by Carthage in 409 BCE and never rebuilt: giant temples on a hill above the sea.
  86. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, ItalyGalleria Vittorio Emanuele II Milan’s iron-and-glass arcade joins Piazza del Duomo and Piazza della Scala beneath the central Octagon.
  87. The Gallerie dell'Accademia on its Venetian campo at duskGallerie dell'Accademia The full arc of Venetian painting, from Bellini to Veronese, in a former convent on the Grand Canal.
  88. A carved stone globe with a fleur-de-lis relief at the Spanish StepsSpanish Steps Rome’s travertine staircase links Piazza di Spagna with Trinità dei Monti.
  89. The domes and arcades of Saint Anthony's basilica, PaduaBasilica of Saint Anthony The domed pilgrimage basilica of Saint Anthony, with Donatello's bronzes at the altar and outside it.
  90. Sandstone wall with irregular block joints, small upper square holes and a narrow rectangular doorway opening into a darker stone space.Egyptian Museum Opened to the public in 1832 after a royal acquisition in 1824, Turin’s Museo Egizio brings together Kha and Merit’s burial goods, monumental Karnak statuary and the Nubian Temple of Ellesiya.
  91. The rose-red palazzo of the National Archaeological Museum, NaplesNaples National Archaeological Museum Two remarkable Roman collections meet here: Farnese antiquities and finds from Pompeii, Herculaneum and other Vesuvian sites.
  92. The Temple of Concordia on Agrigento's sacred ridge at golden hourValley of the Temples Agrigento's ridge of Greek temples, including the nearly intact Temple of Concordia.
  93. Miramare’s pale castle stands across the inlet, framed by the wooded park.Miramare Castle An Istrian-stone Habsburg residence on the Gulf of Trieste, set within a historic 22-hectare park.
  94. Five arch crowns above paired stone columns and a balustrade in Palazzo Brera’s courtyard.Pinacoteca di Brera Napoleonic-era picture gallery in Richini’s Brera Palace, with Mantegna, Raphael and Hayez at the heart of its story.
  95. The unfinished Doric temple of Segesta alone on its hillSegesta An unfinished Doric temple and a hilltop Greek theatre, alone above the Sicilian hills.
  96. Palermo Cathedral’s south porch with three pointed arches, an openwork gable and carved stonework.Palermo Cathedral The Arab-Norman cathedral where Frederick II and other medieval rulers rest in porphyry tombs.
  97. Pale Gothic palace with three stacked open loggias beside neighbouring palaces, canal boats and mooring poles.Ca' d'Oro A Venetian Gothic palace on the Grand Canal, reshaped as Giorgio Franchetti’s museum.
  98. Mole Antonelliana, ItalyMole Antonelliana Turin’s 19th-century Mole Antonelliana houses the National Museum of Cinema, with a separate panoramic lift to its 85-metre terrace.
  99. Turin Cathedral with the Shroud chapel dome rising behindTurin Cathedral Turin's Renaissance cathedral, home to the closely guarded Holy Shroud and Guarini's Baroque dome chapel.
  100. Castel Nuovo's dark towers framing the white Aragonese arch, NaplesCastel Nuovo An Angevin royal residence reshaped as an Aragonese fortress, now home to Naples’ Civic Museum.
  101. Juvarra's Basilica of Superga crowning its hill above TurinBasilica of Superga Juvarra’s hilltop basilica brings together Savoy royal tombs, a panoramic dome and the memory of Grande Torino.
  102. A pointed four-light window with a small rosette, flanked by relief panels and striped stone piers.Naples Cathedral An Angevin cathedral completed in 1313, with the older spaces of Santa Restituta and San Giovanni in Fonte and the devotional heritage of San Gennaro.
  103. The Royal Palace’s long red-and-gray façade, with its repeated windows and ground-floor arcade, seen from Piazza del Plebiscito.Royal Palace of Naples Naples' 1600 royal palace on Piazza del Plebiscito, its facade lined with statues of the city's rulers.
  104. Circular rose window in a decorated square surround, with carved stone niches and gold-background mosaic panels.Orvieto Cathedral A Gothic façade of mosaics and sculpture opens onto a striped nave, Signorelli’s Last Judgment and the Chapel of the Corporal.
  105. The white Romanesque facade of the Basilica di San Nicola, BariBasilica di San Nicola The Romanesque basilica built to hold Saint Nicholas's stolen relics, shared by two churches.
  106. The marble front of the Certosa di Pavia, the Visconti charterhouseCertosa di Pavia The Visconti's marble charterhouse mausoleum, still home to a community of Cistercian monks.
  107. Teatro Massimo's portico and dome at sunset, PalermoTeatro Massimo Italy's largest opera house, its grand staircase famous from The Godfather Part III.
  108. Tusculum — Frascati, Lazio, ItalyTusculum An unrestored Latin and Roman hilltop city above Frascati, with a theater, amphitheater, and forum.
  109. Castel dell’Ovo’s layered walls rise directly above the rocky edge of Megaride.Castel dell'Ovo Naples’ oldest castle rises from Megaride, where Greek and Roman landscapes meet the layered history of a Norman-era fortress on the bay.
  110. Palatine Chapel, ItalyPalatine Chapel Roger II’s royal chapel in Palermo’s Norman Palace, with a domed mosaic sanctuary and a carved wooden ceiling.
  111. The Sacra di San Michele on its pyramid above the Susa valleySacra di San Michele The thousand-year-old abbey on Mount Pirchiriano, symbol of Piedmont.
  112. Basilica della Santa Casa, ItalyBasilica della Santa Casa The hilltop basilica enclosing the Holy House tradition says angels carried from Nazareth.
  113. The Certosa di San Martino on its balcony above Naples and the bayCertosa di San Martino Naples' fourteenth-century Carthusian monastery turned museum, famous for its presepe collection and city views.
  114. Striped cathedral facade with a central rose window, three portals, a low left loggia and tall right bell tower.Genoa Cathedral Consecrated in 1118, San Lorenzo layers Romanesque side portals, an unfinished Gothic façade of coloured stone, and a separately ticketed Treasury Museum.
  115. The striped front and tall campanile of Monza CathedralMonza Cathedral The cathedral guarding the Iron Crown, used to crown kings from Charlemagne to Napoleon.
  116. Parma's cathedral and pink baptistery sharing their Romanesque piazzaParma Cathedral and Baptistery Parma's Romanesque duo: Correggio's swirling dome fresco and Antelami's carved pink-marble Baptistery.
  117. Alberti's marble temple front for the Malatesta, RiminiTempio Malatestiano Alberti's unfinished Renaissance temple for Rimini's magnificent, excommunicated tyrant Sigismondo Malatesta.
  118. Vulci — Montalto di Castro, Lazio, ItalyVulci A wild 15km natural-archaeological park along the Fiora, once one of Etruria's twelve great city-states.
  119. Catania Cathedral's lava-and-limestone front under Sant'Agata's domeCatania Cathedral The lava-and-limestone cathedral of Saint Agatha, rebuilt after 1693, with Bellini's tomb inside.
  120. Fluted stone columns and wooden reading desks along the central aisle of the Aula del Nuti at the Malatestiana Library in CesenaMalatestiana Library Europe's first civic library, its 1454 reading room, furniture, and chained codices all intact.
  121. Trento Cathedral, ItalyTrento Cathedral The Romanesque-Gothic cathedral where the Council of Trent met, on Trento's frescoed Piazza Duomo.
  122. An Ionic capital and the curved crown of a blind niche in Palazzo Farnese’s courtyard at CaprarolaVilla Farnese A pentagonal Renaissance-Mannerist villa by Vignola, with the spiral Scala Regia and Zuccari frescoes, owned by the state.
  123. Sansevero Chapel, ItalySansevero Chapel A di Sangro family burial chapel reshaped by Raimondo di Sangro, where Sanmartino’s Veiled Christ, Corradini’s Modesty and Queirolo’s Disillusion form part of a wider sculptural programme.
  124. Cremona's cathedral facade beside the Torrazzo, Italy's tallest brick towerCremona Cathedral and Torrazzo Cremona's cathedral beside the Torrazzo, Italy's tallest historic brick tower, with its astronomical clock.
  125. Upper brick façade of San Petronio, with a pointed central window, stepped roofline and slender iron cross.Piazza Maggiore Bologna’s civic square since the medieval commune, ringed by San Petronio, Palazzo d’Accursio and the Pavaglione arcades.
  126. Low-angle detail of pale stone columns and pedimented openings above a large entrance arch at Scuola Grande di San Rocco.Scuola Grande di San Rocco A Venetian confraternity’s surviving headquarters, with more than sixty paintings still in their original setting.
  127. Taormina's ancient theatre opening toward Etna through its broken scaenaAncient Theatre of Taormina Taormina's clifftop Greek theatre, rebuilt by the Romans, its stage open to Etna and the sea.
  128. The towered circuit of Melfi Castle on its Basilicata hillMelfi Castle A Norman-Swabian fortress with ten towers, where Frederick II issued the Constitutions of Melfi and now a national museum.
  129. The curving canal of Prato della Valle between statue-lined banks, with market stalls and Padua façades behindPrato della Valle Padua’s elliptical civic square, shaped around the green Isola Memmia, a ring canal, four bridges and 78 stone statues.
  130. The porch and octagonal tower of the Archangel's sanctuary, Monte Sant'AngeloSanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo The archangel's cave shrine on Monte Gargano, goal of fifteen centuries of pilgrims.
  131. The basalt streets of Tharros running into the Sinis seaTharros A Phoenician port city on the Sinis peninsula, its basalt streets, twin Corinthian columns and tophet running into the sea.
  132. Pale stone façade of Santa Croce seen obliquely, with three lower entrances, round windows, a figured balustrade and upper rose window.Basilica di Santa Croce A signature Lecce Baroque façade, with three portals, a central rose window and a richly carved upper order.
  133. Basilica of Aquileia, ItalyBasilica of Aquileia Aquileia's patriarchal basilica, with the largest early Christian mosaic floor in the West and a frescoed crypt.
  134. A red Ferrari Testarossa parked before the curved glass facade of the Museo Ferrari in Maranello at golden hourMuseo Ferrari Ferrari’s sporting history in Maranello, told through Formula 1, racing, prototype, GT and road cars.
  135. The cape of Nora with its tower and Roman ruins meeting the seaNora Archaeological Site A Phoenician, Punic and Roman port town on a cape south of Cagliari, with a seaside theatre and mosaic floors.
  136. The four curved facades of the Quattro Canti crossing, PalermoQuattro Canti Palermo’s octagonal Baroque crossroads, four facades of fountains, Spanish kings and patron saints.
  137. San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro — Pavia, Lombardy, ItalySan Pietro in Ciel d'Oro Pavia’s Romanesque basilica with the marble shrine of Saint Augustine and the crypt of Boethius.
  138. Round lava-stone towers and the pointed entrance of Castello Ursino, with a low railing around its base.Ursino Castle Frederick II’s round-towered fortress on Catania’s former coast, reshaped by lava and earthquake and chosen as the civic museum’s seat in the twentieth century.
  139. Original rendering of a harbor seal’s mottled gray head in blue-green waterAquarium of Genoa Aquatic habitats and the Blue Ship’s biodiversity displays in Genoa’s Porto Antico, with conservation work extending beyond the tanks.
  140. Interior courtyard at Castelvecchio, with pointed Gothic openings, an upper brick tower and a clipped hedge beside a gravel path.Castelvecchio A Scaliger fortress on the Adige, where Carlo Scarpa made the castle’s layered history part of the museum route.
  141. The turreted ring of Fenis Castle in the Aosta valleyFénis Castle A Challant residence inside double crenellated walls, with Gothic frescoes around a semicircular courtyard stair.
  142. Pienza Cathedral, ItalyPienza Cathedral Pope Pius II's 1459-62 co-cathedral, a German hall church transplanted to Tuscany.
  143. San Ciriaco cathedral on its harbor hill above AnconaAncona Cathedral On Guasco Hill, San Ciriaco layers an Aphrodite temple tradition, a Romanesque-Byzantine cathedral, sculpted portal lions and a Vanvitelli shrine above Ancona’s gulf.
  144. Trajan's slender arch on Ancona's harbor mole at duskArch of Trajan of Ancona Trajan’s slender white-marble arch of 115 AD, standing free on Ancona’s harbor mole.
  145. The round tower and battlements of Buonconsiglio Castle, TrentoBuonconsiglio Castle The prince-bishops’ castle in Trento, home to the medieval Cycle of the Months frescoes.
  146. Farfa Abbey — Guidonia Montecelio, Lazio, ItalyFarfa Abbey A Benedictine abbey reborn in 1920, once one of medieval Europe’s richest monasteries.
  147. The stacked tiers of Forte di Bard guarding the Aosta valley gateForte di Bard The Savoy fortress that once stopped Napoleon’s army, now home to the Museo delle Alpi.
  148. Fossanova Abbey — Terracina, Lazio, ItalyFossanova Abbey Italy’s first great Gothic abbey, a Cistercian church and cloister where Thomas Aquinas died in 1274.
  149. The rock-cut Greek theatre of Syracuse curving toward the sea lightGreek Theatre of Syracuse The rock-cut Greek theatre in Syracuse where Aeschylus premiered tragedies and INDA still stages Greek drama each spring.
  150. Piazza delle Erbe's towers and Baroque crown at Verona's heartPiazza delle Erbe A Roman forum’s broad plan, a medieval market and the civic landmarks that shaped Verona’s central square.
  151. Trani's pale cathedral standing at the edge of the AdriaticTrani Cathedral Trani's Romanesque cathedral, rising straight from the Adriatic on its own spit of rock.
  152. The brick facade, domes and bell tower of Santa Giustina in PaduaAbbey of Santa Giustina A 122-metre Benedictine basilica beside Prato della Valle, with a domed Renaissance interior, Veronese’s 1575 altarpiece and a late-antique shrine.
  153. The five brick domes of the Cattolica di Stilo on its Calabrian hillsideCattolica di Stilo A tenth-century Byzantine church of five small domes above Stilo, one of Italy’s best preserved.
  154. Pozzuoli's arena with its underground machinery open to the skyFlavian Amphitheatre of Pozzuoli Italy’s third-largest Roman amphitheater, known for its intact underground animal-lift system.
  155. Palazzo dei Priori's Gothic flank and fan staircase, PerugiaPalazzo dei Priori Perugia’s Gothic town hall since 1297, with the National Gallery of Umbria and Perugino upstairs.
  156. Piazza Unità d’Italia in Trieste opening toward the AdriaticPiazza Unita d'Italia Trieste’s waterfront civic square opens toward the Gulf, with the city’s changing history written into its names and monuments.
  157. Bagatti Valsecchi Museum — Milan, Lombardy, ItalyBagatti Valsecchi Museum A Renaissance-style palazzo museum near Montenapoleone, furnished with genuine 15th and 16th-century art.
  158. The arches of the Grotte di Catullo above Lake Garda's tipGrotte di Catullo The ruins of Italy’s largest known Roman villa, crowning Sirmione’s peninsula above Lake Garda.
  159. Matera Cathedral, ItalyMatera Cathedral Matera's thirteenth-century cathedral on the Civita, Romanesque outside and richly layered within.
  160. Otranto Cathedral's facade above its small Salento piazzaOtranto Cathedral The cathedral floored edge to edge by a single monk's twelfth-century mosaic world.
  161. The quiet front of San Maurizio, Milan's frescoed convent churchSan Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore Milan's fully frescoed convent church, split between a public hall and the nuns' hidden choir.
  162. Aosta Cathedral's neoclassical facade and twin medieval towers at duskAosta Cathedral A plain neoclassical facade hiding eleventh-century frescoes and centuries of mosaic floors.
  163. The brick Gothic bulk of Asti Cathedral at golden hourAsti Cathedral Piedmont's largest Gothic cathedral, plain brick outside and frescoed to the last vault within.
  164. Atri Cathedral's stone front and crowned campanile, AbruzzoAtri Cathedral The cathedral of De Litio's frescoes, Abruzzo's painted answer to Tuscany.
  165. Duino Castle — Gorizia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, ItalyDuino Castle A clifftop castle above Trieste where Rilke began his Duino Elegies in 1912.
  166. The Fontana Maggiore's carved basins before Palazzo dei Priori, PerugiaFontana Maggiore The Pisanos' carved fountain, medieval Perugia's marble encyclopedia.
  167. The Aragonese castle of Le Castella on its islet at duskLe Castella An Aragonese castle adrift on its own islet off Calabria's Ionian coast.
  168. The entrance corridor to Botta's MART rotunda, RoveretoMART Rovereto Rovereto's domed museum of Futurism and the Italian moderns.
  169. Palazzo Giustinian on its Murano canal, home of the Glass MuseumMurano Glass Museum Murano's treasury of seven centuries of Venetian glassmaking.
  170. Rocca Calascio's bare keep at 1400 meters on its Abruzzo ridgeRocca Calascio The Apennines' highest fortress, a limestone ruin at 1,460 meters above the Navelli plain.
  171. The Bolzano museum where Otzi the Iceman rests at glacier temperatureSouth Tyrol Museum of Archaeology Discover Ötzi, his original clothing and equipment, and the research behind the Copper Age story at Bolzano’s archaeology museum.
  172. Looking into St. Patrick's Well, Sangallo's double spiral at OrvietoSt. Patrick's Well A Renaissance water-supply project commissioned in 1527, with two separate spiral stairways of 248 steps each around a central well shaft.
  173. Torrechiara Castle — Langhirano, Emilia-Romagna, ItalyTorrechiara Castle A 15th-century fortress built by a count for his mistress, its Camera d'Oro frescoed with their entwined initials.
  174. The Madonna and Child in the facade mosaics of the Madonna del Ghisallo sanctuary in MagreglioMadonna del Ghisallo A hilltop sanctuary above Lake Como, declared patron shrine of cyclists in 1949, with a cycling museum next door.
  175. Palazzo Piacentini, home of the Riace Bronzes in Reggio CalabriaNational Museum of Magna Graecia Home to the Riace Bronzes, two Greek warrior statues pulled from the sea off Calabria in 1972.
  176. The neoclassical court of the Royal Villa of MonzaRoyal Villa of Monza A Habsburg summer palace by Piermarini, its 28 restored rooms opening onto one of Europe's largest parks.
  177. Spoleto Cathedral at the foot of its long sloping piazzaSpoleto Cathedral The cathedral at the foot of Spoleto's sloping festival piazza, home to Filippo Lippi's last frescoes.
  178. Surviving stone and brick columns around the paved Roman forum at Veleia in Emilia-RomagnaVeleia A quiet Roman town in the Apennines, famous for Trajan's bronze welfare tablet.
  179. Villa Contarini — Cittadella, Veneto, ItalyVilla Contarini A grand Baroque villa and 40 hectares of park at Piazzola sul Brenta.
  180. The Arch of Augustus at the entrance to Aosta, standing since 25 BCArch of Augustus The Roman triumphal arch that has marked Aosta's eastern entrance since 25 BC.
  181. The pink and white checkerboard facade of Collemaggio basilica, L'AquilaBasilica of Collemaggio The pink-and-white checkerboard basilica of Celestine V, the pope who resigned.
  182. Brick workshop facade with arched windows and the Officina Meccanica Alfredo Ferrari sign at Museo Enzo Ferrari in Modena.Museo Enzo Ferrari Enzo Ferrari’s birthplace and Alfredo’s workshop stand beside a yellow-roofed pavilion for changing exhibitions.
  183. Saepinum's Roman walls and farmhouses sharing the Molise countrysideSaepinum Archaeological Area The Roman country town still standing among Molise's wheat fields.
  184. Scaliger Castle of Sirmione, ItalyScaliger Castle of Sirmione The moated Scaliger fortress that guards Sirmione's only land entrance from Lake Garda.
  185. The white Christ of Maratea, arms open over the gulf of PolicastroChrist of Maratea Bruno Innocenti's 1965 Christ the Redeemer, watching inland over Maratea from the summit of Monte San Biagio.
  186. The keep and lower walls of the Fortress of San Leo above its limestone cliff in the ValmarecchiaFortress of San Leo The Renaissance fortress above San Leo, rebuilt in 1441, where the occultist Count Cagliostro died a prisoner.
  187. Oblique view of Ponte Coperto’s red tiled roof and stone-columned loggia above two partly framed brick arches.Ponte Coperto Pavia’s roofed crossing links the historic centre with Borgo Ticino, carrying the city’s river history into a walk beneath the tiles.
  188. An aurochs engraved into a rock at Grotta del Romito near PapasideroRomito Cave A Paleolithic cave above the Lao river with a 12,000-year-old aurochs engraving, in Pollino National Park.
  189. Santa Caterina del Sasso — Varese, Lombardy, ItalySanta Caterina del Sasso A hermitage clinging to a Lake Maggiore cliff since around 1170, reached by ferry, elevator or stairway, with frescoes spanning five centuries.
  190. Scolacium (Scylletium) — Catanzaro, Calabria, ItalyScolacium (Scylletium) A Roman and Greek colony on the Gulf of Squillace, with theatre and amphitheatre ruins, a museum and an unfinished Norman basilica.
  191. The hundred-meter wall and arena of Macerata's SferisterioSferisterio of Macerata Macerata's 1829 ball-game arena, reborn each summer as the open-air stage of the Sferisterio Opera Festival.
  192. The Asinelli and leaning Garisenda towers over Bologna's rooftopsTwo Towers of Bologna Bologna's leaning medieval pair, standing together since 1119.
  193. Vezio Castle — Varenna, Lombardy, ItalyVezio Castle A medieval fortress above Varenna, open since 1999, with botanical gardens and sweeping views of Lake Como.
  194. The Palazzo dell'Arte, home of Cremona's Stradivari violinsViolin Museum Cremona's temple to Stradivari and Amati violins, still played to keep their sound alive.
  195. Abbey of San Clemente a Casauria — Sulmona, Abruzzo, ItalyAbbey of San Clemente a Casauria A 9th-century Benedictine abbey above the Pescara river, famous for its 1191 bronze doors.
  196. Castello Caldora — Sulmona, Abruzzo, ItalyCastello Caldora A double-walled fortress with square and round towers above Pacentro, and a tower terrace over the Majella.
  197. The stone walls and round towers of Castello di Roccascalegna on its projecting rocky ridge in AbruzzoCastello di Roccascalegna A medieval castle fused to a limestone spur above the Sangro valley, tied to a grim local legend.
  198. Funtana Coberta — Barumini, Sardinia, ItalyFuntana Coberta A well-preserved Nuragic sacred well near Ballao, with a twelve-step staircase and a false-domed chamber.
  199. Ascoli's Piazza del Popolo glowing in travertine at duskPiazza del Popolo of Ascoli Ascoli's travertine main square, ringed by Renaissance loggias and the historic Caffe Meletti.
  200. Volterra's Roman theatre with its re-erected stage columnsRoman Theatre of Volterra Volterra's Augustan-era Roman theatre, buried for centuries and excavated in the 1950s.
  201. The Romanesque facade of Termoli Cathedral inside the old walled pointTermoli Cathedral The Apulian Romanesque cathedral on Termoli's walled sea promontory.
  202. The stone entrance and iron grille of the Ferraro tunnel in the Cunicoli di Claudio archaeological park near AvezzanoTunnels of Claudius The Roman drainage tunnel that emptied Lake Fucino, guided visits only.
  203. Wine Museum of Torgiano — Deruta, Umbria, ItalyWine Museum of Torgiano A private wine museum in a 17th-century palace, with Etruscan vessels and Picasso prints.
  204. The four round towers and pale façades of Aymavilles Castle in the Aosta ValleyAymavilles Castle A castle with four round towers at the mouth of the Cogne Valley, now a museum.
  205. The long walls of Castello di Lombardia at Sicily's navel, EnnaCastello di Lombardia The hilltop fortress at Sicily's centre, with Etna on its horizon.
  206. Cervara Abbey — Portofino, Liguria, ItalyCervara Abbey A 1361 seaside abbey between Portofino and Santa Margherita with the Riviera’s only Renaissance garden on the water.
  207. Cosenza Cathedral's gabled front above its fan of stepsCosenza Cathedral The cathedral consecrated before Emperor Frederick II in 1222, home to Isabella of Aragon’s tomb.
  208. Galleria d'Arte Moderna Ricci Oddi — Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna, ItalyGalleria d'Arte Moderna Ricci Oddi Piacenza’s modern art gallery, home to Klimt’s Portrait of a Lady, stolen in 1997 and found in 2019.
  209. Gerace Cathedral's Norman towers above the old town's roofsGerace Cathedral Calabria’s largest church, a Byzantine-Norman basilica built with columns from ancient Locri.
  210. Hypogeum of the Volumnii — Perugia, Umbria, ItalyHypogeum of the Volumnii A rock-cut Etruscan family tomb of the 3rd to 2nd century BC, laid out like a Roman house.
  211. Courtyard façade with a projecting stone balcony, pointed windows, upper wooden gallery and large pointed doorway.Juliet's House A medieval tower-house documented as an inn by 1351, later adopted as Juliet’s literary home and refashioned in 1939–1940; its famous balcony combines reused fourteenth-century stone with twentieth-century staging.
  212. Masino Castle — Ivrea, Piedmont, ItalyMasino Castle A hilltop castle near Ivrea with frescoed rooms, a large park and one of Italy’s biggest hornbeam labyrinths.
  213. Sant'Antonio di Ranverso Abbey — Sant'Ambrogio di Torino, Piedmont, ItalySant'Antonio di Ranverso Abbey A Gothic Antonite hospital-monastery on the Via Francigena, with Jaquerio frescoes and a terracotta facade.
  214. Sarre Castle and its square tower above stone terraces and autumn vineyardsSarre Castle The Savoy kings’ hunting lodge near Aosta, with a hall of ibex and chamois trophies.
  215. Suasa — Corinaldo, Marche, ItalySuasa A Roman city in the Marche with a mosaic-rich aristocratic house, the Domus dei Coiedii.
  216. Temple of Antas — Carloforte, Sardinia, ItalyTemple of Antas A Carthaginian-Roman temple rebuilt under Augustus in a remote valley near Fluminimaggiore, beside a Nuragic village and necropolis.
  217. The cross, tiled cap and arched openings of Vezzolano Abbey’s brick bell towerVezzolano Abbey Vezzolano's 1189 stone rood screen, one of Italy's most complete, still divides the abbey's Romanesque-Gothic nave.
  218. The Abbey of San Fruttuoso and its coastal watchtower above the bayAbbey of San Fruttuoso A Benedictine abbey in a Portofino cove, reached by boat or on foot along the park’s trails; the bronze Christ of the Abyss lies offshore.
  219. Augusta Bagiennorum — Cherasco, Piedmont, ItalyAugusta Bagiennorum The excavated Roman grid-town of Augusta Bagiennorum on the Roncaglia plain near Bene Vagienna.
  220. Bova Marina Synagogue — Reggio Calabria, Calabria, ItalyBova Marina Synagogue A 4th-century synagogue mosaic, Italy's second-oldest, uncovered by chance at Bova Marina in 1983.
  221. Capitolium of Brescia, ItalyCapitolium of Brescia Vespasian's 73 AD Capitoline temple in Brescia, rebuilt over a frescoed Republican-era sanctuary.
  222. Carsulae — Terni, Umbria, ItalyCarsulae Carsulae's abandoned Roman forum, twin temples and Via Flaminia arch near San Gemini.
  223. A painted rider’s profile and trees in the Fountain of Youth fresco at Castello della MantaCastello della Manta A Saluzzo family residence in the foothills near Saluzzo, with a 15th-century Baronial Hall fresco cycle and later Renaissance rooms.
  224. The round stone keep and separate ruined wall at Châtel-Argent above VilleneuveChâtel-Argent Châtel-Argent's 1275 keep on a rock spur above Villeneuve, reached by a stair carved into the cliff.
  225. Chiaravalle Abbey, Fiastra — Macerata, Marche, ItalyChiaravalle Abbey, Fiastra The Marche's most important monastery, an 1142 Cistercian abbey set inside its own nature reserve.
  226. The collegiate church of Sant'Orso with its priory, AostaCollegiate Church of Sant'Orso Aosta's Sant'Orso priory, famed for its Romanesque cloister capitals and hidden Ottonian frescoes.
  227. Late light raking the checkerboard wall of L'Aquila's fountain of ninety-nine spoutsFountain of the 99 Spouts L'Aquila's 1272 fountain of ninety-nine masks, fed by a spring no one has ever traced.
  228. The long palazzo of MArTA, treasury of Greek TarantoNational Archaeological Museum of Taranto MArTA's Gold of Taranto: Greek jewelry unmatched since, in a museum spanning Magna Graecia to Rome.
  229. Palazzo dei Consoli on Gubbio's piazza hung over the valleyPalazzo dei Consoli Gubbio's cliff-edge civic palace, home to the bronze Eugubine Tablets in ancient Umbrian.
  230. The damaged stone front and narrow entrance of Su Tempiesu set into a wooded slope near OruneSacred Spring of Su Tempiesu Sardinia's best-preserved Nuragic sacred spring, rediscovered by chance near Orune in 1953.
  231. San Giovanni in Venere Abbey — Fossacesia, Abruzzo, ItalySan Giovanni in Venere Abbey A 13th-century abbey over the Adriatic, built on the site of an earlier temple to Venus.
  232. San Vincenzo al Volturno — Isernia, Molise, ItalySan Vincenzo al Volturno San Vincenzo al Volturno's 9th-century frescoed crypt, a Benedictine centre far quieter than Monte Cassino.
  233. The hipped slate roof and upper donjon of Sarriod de La Tour at Saint-PierreSarriod de la Tour Castle Sarriod de la Tour's Hall of Heads, a 1430 ceiling carved with 171 figures near Aosta.
  234. Su Romanzesu — Nuoro, Sardinia, ItalySu Romanzesu Su Romanzesu's Nuragic sanctuary above Bitti, with a sacred well, temples and a mysterious labyrinth.
  235. The castle of Udine on its green hill above the townUdine Castle Udine Castle's civic museums and Tiepolo works, on a Bronze Age hill above the city's loggias.
  236. Villa Durazzo-Pallavicini — Genoa, Liguria, ItalyVilla Durazzo-Pallavicini Villa Durazzo-Pallavicini's theatrical romantic park in Genoa's Pegli district, voted Italy's most beautiful garden.
  237. The roofed lantern, curved iron balconies and clown-face ornament of Villa Grock in ImperiaVilla Grock The clown Grock's forty-seven-room villa above Imperia, now the eccentric Museo del Clown.
  238. Villa Imperiale of Pesaro — Pesaro, Marche, ItalyVilla Imperiale of Pesaro Villa Imperiale's Mannerist rooms above Pesaro, frescoed by Dosso Dossi and a young Bronzino.
  239. The pierced stone slab and short stone approach inside Aosta’s Megalithic AreaAosta Megalithic Area Aosta's MegaMuseo, built over a Neolithic ritual landscape of carved stelae used for six thousand years.
  240. Archaeological Park of Urbs Salvia — Macerata, Marche, ItalyArchaeological Park of Urbs Salvia The Marche's largest archaeological park, with a 23 AD theater and amphitheater near Urbisaglia.
  241. Baglioni Chapel, ItalyBaglioni Chapel Pinturicchio's jewel-toned 1500-1501 frescoes in Spello's Baglioni Chapel, with a Deruta maiolica floor.
  242. Castel Beseno’s low fortress walls and round bastions above Besenello.Castel Beseno Castel Beseno's 250-meter hilltop fortress, Trentino's largest, site of the 1487 Battle of Calliano.
  243. Castel Thun’s pale palace, square roofed towers and stone forewalls.Castel Thun Castel Thun's original furnishings, seat of the Thun-Hohenstein family for nearly seven centuries in Val di Non.
  244. Castello della Pietra between two conglomerate rock towers above a wooded slope in VobbiaCastello della Pietra Castello della Pietra, wedged between two rock towers above Vobbia, reachable only on foot.
  245. Castle of Santa Severina — Crotone, Calabria, ItalyCastle of Santa Severina Santa Severina's Norman castle over Byzantine foundations, with a museum of protohistoric bronzes.
  246. Crocifisso del Tufo Necropolis — Orvieto, Umbria, ItalyCrocifisso del Tufo Necropolis Orvieto's Etruscan necropolis of 200 inscribed tuff tombs, laid out like a city of the dead.
  247. A carved relief and low stone bench inside the natural cave of the Duino MithraeumDuino Mithraeum A rare Roman mithraeum in a Trieste-area cave, with a carved tauroctony and 400 votive coins.
  248. The half-kilometer fortress of Civitella del Tronto along its ridgeFortress of Civitella del Tronto Civitella del Tronto's half-kilometer fortress, the last Bourbon stronghold, holding out until 1861.
  249. Gradara's castle and double ring of walls above the Marche hillsGradara Castle Gradara's double-walled castle, setting for Dante's Paolo and Francesca, one of the Marche's most visited sites.
  250. The hermitage of Sant'Onofrio clinging to the Morrone cliff above SulmonaHermitage of Sant'Onofrio al Morrone The cliffside hermitage where Celestine V lived before becoming, and quickly abandoning, the papacy.
  251. International Museum of Ceramics, ItalyInternational Museum of Ceramics Faenza's ceramics museum, the world's deepest maiolica collection, with pieces donated by Picasso and Chagall.
  252. Libarna — Alessandria, Piedmont, ItalyLibarna Libarna's Roman ruins near Serravalle Scrivia, a trading town that thrived on the Via Postumia.
  253. The mountain-profile roofs of MUSE, Renzo Piano's science museum in TrentoMUSE Science Museum MUSE, Renzo Piano's mountain-shaped science museum in Trento, descending from glaciers to rainforest.
  254. Museum of Mediterranean Masks — Orgosolo, Sardinia, ItalyMuseum of Mediterranean Masks Mamoiada's mask museum, tracing the Mamuthones and Issohadores of Barbagia's carnival within a Mediterranean context.
  255. Villa Frigerj, neoclassical home of Abruzzo's archaeological museumNational Archaeological Museum of Abruzzo Chieti's museum of the Warrior of Capestrano, a 6th-century BC disk-hatted Picene funerary statue.
  256. Ocriculum — Terni, Umbria, ItalyOcriculum Ocriculum's 36-hectare Roman ruins on the Tiber, with a theater, amphitheater and grooved Via Flaminia paving.
  257. Plestia — Foligno, Umbria, ItalyPlestia Plestia's Umbrian-Roman ruins on the Colfiorito plateau, a forgotten town and diocese reclaimed by archaeology.
  258. Rocca di Mondavio — Corinaldo, Marche, ItalyRocca di Mondavio A 15th-century Della Rovere fortress by Francesco di Giorgio Martini, with rounded cannon-deflecting bastions.
  259. Rosazzo Abbey — Cividale del Friuli, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, ItalyRosazzo Abbey A 9th-century hilltop abbey in Friuli's wine country, with 1535 frescoes and its own vineyard.
  260. The tiled cupola and brick arcades of San Giovanni Theristis above its stone nave at BivongiSan Giovanni Theristis A Byzantine-Norman Basilian monastery in the Stilaro valley, home again to Orthodox monks.
  261. San Giusto's basilica and Roman remains crowning Trieste's hillSan Giusto Hill Trieste's summit of cathedral, Venetian castle and Roman ruins above the gulf.
  262. San Liberatore a Maiella — Chieti, Abruzzo, ItalySan Liberatore a Maiella A Romanesque Benedictine abbey at the foot of the Majella, with a rare geometric floor of about 1200.
  263. Trostburg’s plastered castle buildings and steep-roofed keep above Ponte Gardena.Trostburg A 12th-century Wolkenstein castle above Ponte Gardena, visitable only by guided tour.
  264. Venafrum (Roman theatre and amphitheatre) — Isernia, Molise, ItalyVenafrum (Roman theatre and amphitheatre) Roman Venafrum’s amphitheatre, preserved inside a ring of houses, and an Augustan theatre on the hillside.
  265. The ochre birthplace of Gabriele d'Annunzio in old PescaraBirthplace of Gabriele d'Annunzio The Pescara home where Gabriele d’Annunzio was born, with childhood rooms, literary keepsakes and later military memorabilia.
  266. Castle of Pianisi — Campobasso, Molise, ItalyCastle of Pianisi Medieval castle ruins above the Fortore valley, with a great round tower and a church uncovered by excavation.
  267. Larinum — Termoli, Molise, ItalyLarinum The Roman amphitheater and mosaic baths of Larinum, a near-empty site with real archaeological weight.
  268. The blunt crenellated front of Monforte Castle above CampobassoMonforte Castle The hilltop castle over Campobasso, repaired after the 1456 earthquake, with panoramas to the Matese.
  269. The round bastion of Murat's castle above Pizzo, scene of his last hourMurat Castle The seaside keep where Murat, king of Naples, was executed by firing squad in 1815.
  270. The pierced facade wall of Aosta's Roman theatre against the AlpsRoman Theatre of Aosta Aosta's Roman theatre, with its 22-meter stage wall still standing.
  271. The Devil's Bridge spanning the Natisone below Cividale's towersDevil's Bridge Cividale's legend-built bridge over the Natisone, rebuilt after being blown up in 1917.
  272. The pink Venetian Gothic loggia of the Lionello, Udine's town hallLoggia del Lionello Udine's 1448 Venetian Gothic loggia, the pink-and-white heart of Piazza Libertà.
  273. Brick vaults of Fermo's Roman cisterns, intact underground for 2000 yearsRoman Cisterns of Fermo A Roman water reservoir beneath Fermo: thirty communicating chambers, with later wine-cellar, aqueduct and refuge uses.
  274. The vaulted double gallery of Aosta's Roman cryptoporticusRoman Cryptoporticus The vaulted double-arcaded galleries that once leveled Aosta's Roman forum terrace.
  275. The Samnite sanctuary's stones on the upland at PietrabbondanteSamnite Sanctuary of Pietrabbondante The Samnites' mountain sanctuary at 966 meters, its stone theatre still hosting summer drama.
  276. The sanctuary of Santa Maria dell'Isola on its rock above Tropea's seaSanta Maria dell'Isola The sanctuary on its own sea rock between Tropea's two beaches, a Byzantine-then-Benedictine site.
  277. The re-erected forum columns of Roman Aquileia beneath its basilica campanileArchaeological Area of Aquileia The excavated remains, and vast unexcavated reserve, of the Roman trading city of Aquileia.
  278. Early medieval frescoes of saints and archangels cover the rock walls of the Crypt of the Original Sin near MateraCrypt of the Original Sin Matera's finest rock-cut fresco cycle, likely 9th-century, hidden in a ravine and strictly booked.
  279. The arcaded Fontana Fraterna, emblem of IserniaFraterna Fountain Isernia's arcaded public fountain, a patchwork of Roman stones rebuilt after the 1943 bombing.
  280. The keep and upper fortifications of Lerici CastleLerici Castle The Genoese fortress above the Gulf of Poets, with a Gothic chapel and a terrace over the bay.
  281. Sigmundskron's walls above Bolzano, Messner's mountain museumMessner Mountain Museum Firmian Messner's flagship castle museum of mountains, in the ruins of Sigmundskron above Bolzano.
  282. The fortress of Montalcino, last refuge of the Sienese RepublicMontalcino Fortress Siena's 1361 pentagon fortress in Montalcino, its last stronghold, now a Brunello wine bar.
  283. The excavation floor displayed inside Isernia's Paleolithic museumPaleolithic Museum of Isernia The roofed 600,000-year-old dig where Italy's earliest known humans left their butchering floor.
  284. The arcaded front of the Falletti castle, Barolo's wine museumWiMu Wine Museum Barolo's wine museum in the Falletti castle, where the modern wine itself was invented.
  285. Inside the Misteri Museum in Campobasso, the steel ingegni that carry costumed children above the Corpus Domini procession stand in rows beneath the timber roofMisteri Museum The hangar of Campobasso's 1748 flying-machine floats, used each June in the Misteri procession.
  286. The Gulf of Baratti and coastal hills seen above Populonia’s terracotta rooftopsArchaeological Park of Baratti and Populonia An Etruscan city by the sea, where tombs, ironworks and Roman temples remain legible in the landscape.
  287. Michelangelo’s David with the sling at his shoulder in the Accademia GalleryGalleria dell’Accademia Michelangelo’s David anchors a Florentine museum of unfinished sculpture, gold-ground painting and historic musical instruments.
Show fewer

Crafts

Clear and amber blown-glass vessels on a worktable, with a glowing furnace and iron tools in the background.

Glassblowing: From Gather to Form

Read more
Salvatore Ferragamo in a dark suit against a warm neutral background.

Salvatore Ferragamo

Read more

People

Latest from Culture

  1. An elderly bookbinder and a young apprentice rebinding an antique leather-bound book at a workbench in a Florence workshopThe Workshop Apprentices of FlorenceIn workshops around Santa Maria Novella and across the river in the Oltrarno, Florentine bookbinders still sew, round and cover old books by hand. The training takes years, the work is invisible when it is done well, and the city's libraries depend on it.

Every person, craft, place and work we cover

Sources and citations (4)
  1. UNESCO — Traditional violin craftsmanship in Cremona
  2. Commissione Nazionale Italiana per l’UNESCO — La pratica del canto lirico in Italia
  3. Teatro La Fenice — Visiting the opera house
  4. Teatro La Fenice — Tickets and general information

A letter from Italy, once a month.

The places, tables and makers we found worth your time. One email, no noise.

One letter a month. Unsubscribe at any time. We never share your address.