Trastevere & Gianicolo
Explore monuments, fountains and gardens on the verdant hill of Gianicolo (or Janiculum).
Must-see attractions in Italy
San Gimignano
Parts of San Gimignano's Romanesque cathedral were built in the second half of the 11th century, but its remarkably vivid frescoes, depicting episodes…
Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute
Venice
Baldassare Longhena's magnificent basilica is prominently positioned near the entrance to the Grand Canal, its white stones, exuberant statuary and high…
Museo Archeologico Regionale Eoliano
Lipari
A must-see for Mediterranean history buffs, Lipari's archaeological museum has one of Europe's finest collections of ancient finds. Especially worthwhile…
Naples
It's in this Masonic-inspired baroque chapel that you'll find Giuseppe Sanmartino's incredible sculpture, Cristo velato (Veiled Christ), its marble veil…
Eastern Sardinia
Sardinia's most spectacular gorge is flanked by limestone walls towering up to 500m in height. The endemic (and endangered) Aquilegia nuragica plant grows…
°ä±ð´Ú²¹±ôù
°ä±ð´Ú²¹±ôù's cathedral is one of the jewels in Sicily's Arab-Norman crown, only equalled in magnificence by the Cattedrale di Monreale and Palermo's Cappella…
Centro Storico
Il Campo is a major focus of Roman life: by day it hosts one of the city's best-known markets; by night, people come for its lively bars and restaurants.
Western Sicily
Midway between the ancient ruins of Selinunte (38km south) and Segesta (45km north) lies this extraordinary modern marvel – a disconcerting, lunar-like…
Parco Archeologico della Neapolis
Syracuse
For the classicist, Syracuse's real attraction is this archaeological park, home to the pearly Teatro Greco. Constructed in the 5th century BC and rebuilt…
Caserta
Italy's swansong to the baroque, the colossal Reggia di Caserta began life in 1752 after Charles VII ordered a palace to rival Versailles. Not one to…
Venice
Baroque dreams come true at this Baldassare Longhena–designed Grand Canal palazzo (mansion), where a marble staircase leads to a vast gilded ballroom and…
Venice
After losing her father on the Titanic, heiress Peggy Guggenheim became one of the great collectors of the 20th century. Her palatial canalside home,…
Ancient Rome
You can't ignore the Vittoriano, built at the turn of the 20th century to honor Italy's first king, Vittorio Emanuele II.
Pisa
One of Italy's signature sights, the Torre Pendente truly lives up to its name, leaning a startling 3.9 degrees off the vertical. The 58m-high tower,…
Pisa
Pisa's magnificent duomo was begun in 1064 and consecrated in 1118. Its striking tiered exterior, with green-and-cream marble cladding, gives onto a…
Santuario & Basilica di Nostra Signora di Bonaria
Cagliari
Crowning the Bonaria hill, around 1km southeast of Via Roma, this religious complex is a hugely popular pilgrimage site. Devotees come from all over the…
Southwestern Sardinia
In the heart of the voluptuous green countryside near Barumini, the Nuraghe Su Nuraxi is Sardinia’s sole World Heritage Site and the island’s most visited…
Naples
Whether you go for Giovanni Lanfranco's fresco in the Cappella di San Gennaro (Chapel of St Janarius), the 4th-century mosaics in the baptistry, or the…
Assisi
Visible for miles around, the Basilica di San Francesco is the crowning glory of Assisi's Unesco-listed historic centre. The 13th-century complex is…
Complesso Monumentale di Santa Chiara
Naples
Vast, Gothic and cleverly deceptive, the mighty Basilica di Santa Chiara stands at the heart of this tranquil monastery complex. The church was severely…
Palermo
Designed by Roger II in 1130, this extraordinary chapel is Palermo's top tourist attraction. Located on the middle level of Palazzo dei Normanni's three…
Rome
No one can resist the lure of Rome's most celebrated park, full of wooded glades, gardens and grassy banks.
Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vittoria
Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale
This modest church is an unlikely setting for an extraordinary work of art – Bernini’s extravagant sculpture, the Ecstacy of St Teresa.
Milan
Originally a Visconti fortress, this iconic red-brick castle was later home to the mighty Sforza dynasty, who ruled Renaissance Milan. The castle's…
Mantua
For more than 300 years the enormous Palazzo Ducale was the seat of the Gonzaga – a family of wealthy horse breeders who rose to power in the 14th century…
Padua
Padua's version of the Sistine Chapel, the Cappella degli Scrovegni houses one of Italy's great Renaissance masterpieces – a striking cycle of Giotto…
Bay of Naples
Herculaneum harbours a wealth of archaeological finds, from ancient advertisements and stylish mosaics to carbonised furniture and terror-struck skeletons…
Naples
Built for a Spanish merchant in the 17th century and reconfigured in belle-époque style by architect Luigi Platania in the early 20th century, Palazzo…
Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli
Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo
This 5th-century basilica draws pilgrims and art lovers to marvel at its treasures.
Le Marche
Deep in the hill country near the remote village of Genga, the Grotte di Frasassi is one of Europe’s largest cave systems. This karst wonderland, gouged…
Pompeii
The ghostly ruins of ancient Pompeii (Pompei in Italian) make for one of the world's most engrossing archaeological experiences. Much of the site's value…
Centro Storico
Hidden behind the grimy grey exterior of Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, this wonderful gallery boasts one of Rome’s richest private art collections, with works…
Venice
Napoleon pulled down an ancient church to build his royal digs over Piazza San Marco, and then filled them with the riches of the doges while taking some…
San Polo & Santa Croce
Everyone wanted the commission to paint this building dedicated to St Roch, patron saint of the plague-stricken, so Tintoretto cheated: instead of…
Turin
Some 21km west of Turin, the Castello di Rivoli Museum of Contemporary Art is a giant of modern art in Piedmont. Its ambition and reach, not to mention…
Alghero
Alghero's golden sea walls, built around the centro storico by the Aragonese in the 16th century, are a highlight of the town's historic cityscape…
Tempietto di Bramante & Chiesa di San Pietro in Montorio
Trastevere & Gianicolo
Bramante’s sublime tempietto (Little Temple) is a perfect surprise in the courtyard of the Chiesa di San Pietro in Montorio.
Paestum
Very different to Pompeii, Paestum’s ruins are smaller, older, more Greek and – crucially – a lot less overrun. Consequently, it is possible to steal some…
Naples
Envisaged as a 16th-century monument to Spanish glory (Naples was under Spanish rule at the time), the magnificent Palazzo Reale is home to the Museo del…
