The Italy Travel Guide

Rome, Italy

• St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome
• Palatino, Rome
• Roman Forum, Rome
• Pantheon, Rome
• Ostia Antica ruins, Rome
• Hadrian’s Villa ruins Adriana, Rome
• Renaissance Villa ruins, Rome
• Colosseum, Rome
• Capitoline Museums, Rome
• Piazza Navona Square, Rome
• Roman National Museum, Rome
• Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, Rome
• San Pedro in Vincoli Basilica, Rome (Michelangelo’s colossal Moses sculpture)
• San Clemente Basilica, Rome
• Borghese Gallery Museum, Rome
• National Etrusco di Villa Giulia Museum, Rome
• Ostia Antica Ruins, Italy
• Trevi Fountain, Rome
• Pyramid of Cestius, Rome

 

Tivoli, Italy

• Villa Adriana Ruins , Tivoli (Emperor Hadrian’s former villa; UNESCO)
• D’Este Renaissance Villa, Tivoli (famous for elaborate gardens and fountains, UNESCO)

 

Venice, North Italy, Italy

• Venice International Film Festival (Last week of August through first week of September)
• Grand Canal, Venice
• San Marco Basilica, Venice
• Academia Gallery, Venice
• Peggy Guggenheim Collection Museum, Venice
• Santa Maria Basilica, Venice
• I Frari Bascilicia, Venice
• St Mark’s Campanile Bell Tower, Venice
• Murano Island, Venice (Venetian glass making since 13^th century)
• Burano Island, Venice (Pastel-colored houses, renowned for handmade lace; much of the lace in the shops is imported these days)
• Torcello Island, Venice (largely abandoned due to malaria, 10 permanent residences

• • Santa Maria Assunta Basilica, Torcello Island (Venice’s oldest church, mosaic clad Byzantine cathedral)

 

Milan, Northern Italy, Italy

• Duomo Cathedral, Milan
• Museum of 20^th century, Art, Milan (Housed where Mussolini rallied huge crowds)
• Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan (Impressive collection of the world’s old masters, much of it stolen by Napoleon originally during his conquests)
• Last Super Mural, Milan (Leonardo da Vinci’s ultra-famous mural)
• Science Museum, Milan
• Quadrilatero D’oro, Milan (world’s most famous shopping district)

 

Florence, Tuscany, Italy (1986 Europe Capital of Culture)

• Duomo, Florence
• Brunelleschi Cupola, Florence
• Uffizi Gallery, Florence
• Ponte Vecchio, Florence
• Campanile Bell Tower, Florence
• Vecchio Palace, Florence (fortress palace)
• Bargello Museum, Florence
• Cappelle Medicee Museum, Florence
• Academia Gallery, Florence
  • Michelangelo’s David, Florence
• Pitti Palace, Florence
• Giotto’s Bell Tower, Florence

 

Cinque Terre, Northern Italy, Italy

• Riomaggiore (unofficial HQ, eastern most village and largest, easiest to reach)
• Manarola (Busiest, steep pastel buildings tuble down to sea)
• Corniglia (No direct sea access, sits 300 feet above sea surround by vineyards)
• Vernazza (Most attractive village, overlooks small, picturesque harbor)
• Monterosso (Most developed village, coast’s only sandy beach)

 

Ravenna, Italy

 

Cagliari, Italy

 

Pula, Italy

• Ancient city ruins of Nora, Pula, Italy

 

Oristano, Italy

Porto Torres, Italy

 

Emilia Romagna Regions small towns, Italy

• Parma, Italy

 

Trieste, Italy (Last city before Slovenia border)

• Seafront Palazzi, Trieste
• Historic old town, Trieste
• Miramare Castle, Trieste
• Unita d’Italia Piazza, Trieste (Italy’s largest sea-facing piazza)

 

Pompeii Island, Southern Italy, Italy

 

Herculaneum, Southern Italy, Italy

 

Sicily Island, Southern Italy, Italy

• Palermo, Sicily Island

• • Palatine Chapel, Palermo
  • Normanni Piazza Market, Palermo
  • Palermo Cathedral

• Syracuse, Sicily Island, Italy

• • Neapolis Archaeological Park, Syracuse
  • Paolo Orsi Archeological Museum, Syracuse

• Agrigento, Sicily Island, Italy (small medieval core)

• • Valley of Temples, Agrigento, Sicily Island (Ruined city of Akrgas)
    • Concordia Temple, Valley of Temples

• Selinunte, Sicily Island, Italy
  • Selinunte Greek Ruins, Sicily Island

• Taormina, Sicily Island, Italy (clifftop town overlooking Ionian Sea and Mt Edna)
• Mt Etna, Catania, Sicily Island, Italy

 

Aeolian Islands, Italy (Seven volcanic outcrops south of Sicily)

 

Capri Island, Bay of Naples, Italy

• Azzurra Grotto, Capri Island (stunning sea cave illuminated by other-worldly light)
• Jovis Villa ruins, Capri Island
• Seggiovia del Monte Solaro, Capri Island (chairlift that whisks you to Capri’s top peak)

 

Sardinia Island, Italy

• Nuraghi fort ruins, Sardinia Island, (Thousands of circular forts dating to 1500 AD)
• Costa Smerada, Sardina Island

 

Siena, Italy

• Walled center, Siena
• Piazza del Campo, Siena
• Civics Museum, Siena
• Siena Museum (Duomo), Siena

 

Orvieto, Italy (popular stop from Florence or Rome)

• Orvieto Duomo (interior contains Signorelli’s awe inspiring Last Judgement fresco)

 

Pisa, Tuscany, Italy

• Leaning Tower of Pisa, Pisa
• Duomo, Pisa
• Bittistero, Pisa

 

Naples, Southern Italy, Italy

• Herculaneum Roman city ruins, Naples
• National Archaeological Museum, Naples
• Cappella Sansevero, Italy
• Naples Cathedral (Duomo), Naples
• San Martino Museum, Naples
• Capodimonte National Gallery, Naples (southern Italy’s best art collection)

 

Turin, Italy

• Tibetan Bridge, Claviere
• Egyptian Museum, Turin

 

Verona, Northern Italy, Italy (Shakespeare’s setting from Romeo and Juliet)

• Arena di Verona, Verona (Roman amphitheater, Unique in that you can see live opera performances)
• St Anastasia Basilica, Verona

 

Bologna, Italy (2000 European Capital of Culture; medieval center. University town since 1088, Europe’s oldest)

• San Petronio Basilica, Bologna  (world’s 15^th largest church)
• Santo Stefano Basilica, Bologna

 

Ravenna, Italy (UNESCO for the towns mosaics spread throughout 5 sites)

• Byzantines Churches, Ravenna, Italy (5^th to 7rh centuries, famous for stunning mosaics)

 

Amalfi Coast, Southern Italy, Italy

• Positano
• Amalfi
• Atrani

 

Ravello, Southern Italy, Italy

• Galla Placidia Mausoleum, Ravello (Tremendous mosaics)
• San Vitale Basilica, Ravello

 

Bari, Southern Italy, Italy

 

Genoa, Northern Italy, Italy (2004 European Capital of Culture)

• Real Palace, Northern Italy

 

The Riviera Di Levante, Italy (Lush green hills shelter beautiful seaside resorts)

 

Lake Maggiore, Northern Italy, Italy (shared with Swiss border)

• Isola Bella Island, Bella Islands, Lake Maggiore
  • Borromeo Plaza, Isola Bella Island
  • Palazzo Madre, Isola Bella Island

 

Lake Como, Northern Italy, Italy (Most spectacular and least visited of three lakes)

• Como Town, Lake Como (charming medieval core; prosperous town)
  • Como Cathedral, Lake Como

 

Lake Garda, Italy (Largest and most developed of the lakes.

• Sirmione, Lake Garda (picturesque village on southern shores of lake)

 

Viola Coast, Calabria, Italy

 

Matera, Italy (2019 European Capital of Culture)

 

Lecce, Italy

 

Chia, Italy (coast town)

 

Lucca, Tuscany, Italy (fortified city)

• City Wall, Lucca (Crowned with a tree lined footpath)
• San Martino Cathedral, Lucca

 

San Gimignano, Tuscan, Italy (hilltop medieval town)

 

Assisi, Italy (fortified city)

• San Francisco Basilica, Assisi (UNESCO)

 

Dolomites, Italy

• Santa Maddalena, Dolomites, Italy
• Castelmezzano, Dolomites, Italy

 

Bogliasco, Italy

 

Camogli, Italy

 

Cividale del Friuli, Italy

 

Positano, Italy

 

Sardegna Island, Italy

 

Portofino, Italy

 

Vieste, Italy

 

Capo Testa, Italy (rock formations in a scenic, secluded area of beaches and coves)

 

Pauda, Northern Italy, Italy (medieval center)

• Scrovegni Chapel, Pauda

 

Perugia, Italy (medieval center, university town)

• Umbria Jazz Festival, Perugia (July)
• Priori Plazza, Perugia

 

Sorrento, Southern Italy, Italy

Campania, Italy

• Temple of Neptune, Campania, Italy
• Pastum Greek ruins, Campagna, Italy

 

Urbino, Italy

• Palazzo Ducale, Urbino, Italy

 

Ponte Delle Torri, Italy

 

Palermo, Italy

 

Agrigento, Italy

 

Siracusa (Ancient City of Syracuse), Ortygia Island, Italy (city boasts some of the best Greek ruins in the world, with a strong baroque character to its Old Town, connected to mainland by a bridge)