1473 Best Sights in Italy

Built between 1748 and 1772 by Giorgio Massari for a Bolognese family, this palace is one of the last of the great noble residences on the Grand Canal. Once owned by auto magnate Gianni Agnelli, it was bought by French businessman François Pinault in 2005 to showcase his highly esteemed collection of modern and contemporary art (which has now grown so large that Pinault rented the Punta della Dogana, at the entryway to the Grand Canal, for his newest acquisitions). Pinault brought in Japanese architect Tadao Ando to remodel the Grassi's interior. Check online for a schedule of temporary art exhibitions.

This is one of Florence's largest architectural set pieces. The original palazzo, built for the Pitti family around 1460, consisted of the main entrance and the sections extending as far as three windows on either side. In 1549, the property was sold to the Medici, and Bartolomeo Ammannati was called in to make substantial additions. Although he apparently operated on the principle that more is better, he succeeded only in producing proof that more is just that: more.

Today, the palace houses several museums. The Museo degli Argenti displays a vast collection of Medici treasures, including exquisite antique vases belonging to Lorenzo the Magnificent. The Galleria del Costume showcases fashions from the past 300 years. The Galleria d'Arte Moderna holds a collection of 19th- and 20th-century paintings, mostly Tuscan.

Most famous of the Pitti galleries is the Galleria Palatina, which contains a broad collection of paintings from the 15th to the 17th century. Its rooms remain much as the Lorena, the rulers who took over after the last Medici died in 1737, left them. Their floor-to-ceiling paintings are considered by some to be Italy's most egregious exercise in conspicuous consumption, aesthetic overkill, and trumpery. Still, the collection possesses high points, including a number of paintings by Titian and an unparalleled collection of paintings by Raphael.

A leading Naples showpiece created as an expression of Bourbon power and values, the Palazzo Reale dates from 1600. Renovated and redecorated by successive rulers and once lorded over by dim-witted Ferdinand IV who liked to shoot his hunting guns at the birds in his tapestries, it is filled with salons designed in the most lavish 18th-century Neapolitan style.

The Spanish viceroys originally commissioned the palace, ordering the Swiss architect Domenico Fontana to build a suitable new residence for King Philip III, should he ever visit Naples. He died in 1621 before ever doing so. The palace saw its greatest moment of splendor in the 18th century, when Charles III of Bourbon became the first permanent resident. The flamboyant Naples-born architect Luigi Vanvitelli redesigned the facade, and Ferdinando Fuga, under Ferdinand IV, created the Royal Apartments, sumptuously furnished and full of precious paintings, tapestries, porcelains, and other objets d'art.

To access these 30 rooms, climb the monumental Scalone d'Onore (Staircase). On the right is the Court Theater, built by Fuga for Charles III and his private opera company. Damaged during World War II, it was restored in the 1950s; note the resplendent royal box. Pass through three regal antechambers to Room VI, the Throne Room, the ponderous titular object dating to sometime after 1850.

In the Ambassadors’ Room, choice Gobelin tapestries grace the beige fabric walls and the ceiling honors Spanish military victories, painted by local artist Belisario Corenzio (1610–20). Room IX was bedroom to Charles's queen, Maria Cristina. The brilliantly gold private oratory has beautiful paintings by Francesco Liani (1760). The Great Captain's Room has ceiling frescoes by Battistello Caracciolo (1610–16); all velvet, fire, and smoke, they reveal the influence of Caravaggio’s visit to the city. A jolly wall-mounted series by Federico Zuccari depicts 12 proverbs.

Room XIII was Joachim Murat's writing room when he was king of Naples; brought with him from France, some of the furniture is courtesy of Adam Weisweiler, cabinetmaker to Marie Antoinette. The huge Room XXII, painted in green and gold with kitschy faux tapestries, is known as the Hercules Hall, because it once housed the Farnese Hercules, an epic sculpture of the mythological Greek hero. Pride of place now goes to the Sèvres porcelain.

The Palatine Chapel, also known as the Royal Chapel, redone by Gaetano Genovese in the 1830s, is gussied up with an excess of gold, although it has a stunning multicolor marble intarsia altar transported from a now-destroyed chapel in Capodimonte (Dionisio Lazzari, 1678). Also here is a Nativity scene with pieces sculpted by Giuseppe Sammartino and others. Another wing holds the Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele III. Starting out from Farnese bits and pieces, it was enriched with the papyri from Herculaneum found in 1752 and opened to the public in 1804. The sumptuous rooms can still be viewed, and there's a tasteful terrace that looks onto Castel Nuovo.

In the Bourbon stables, the Galleria del Tempo (open afternoons and evenings only) offers a multimedia trip through the history of Naples. The Museo Caruso (open mornings only) in the monumental Sala Dorica is dedicated to the great Neapolitan tenor Enrico Caruso.

This historic palace, also called Palazzo dei Normanni (Norman Palace), was the seat of Sicily's semiautonomous rulers for centuries; the building is a fascinating mesh of 10th-century Norman and 17th-century Spanish structures. Because it now houses the Sicilian Parliament, parts of the palace are closed to the public from Tuesday to Thursday when the regional assembly is in session. The must-see Cappella Palatina (Palatine Chapel) remains open. Built by Roger II in 1132, it's a dazzling example of the harmony of artistic elements produced under the Normans and the interweaving of cultures in the court. Here the skill of French and Sicilian masons was brought to bear on the decorative purity of Arab ornamentation and the splendor of 11th-century Greek Byzantine mosaics. The interior is covered with glittering mosaics and capped by a splendid 10th-century Arab honeycomb stalactite wooden ceiling. Biblical stories blend happily with scenes of Arab life—look for one showing a picnic in a harem—and Norman court pageantry.

Upstairs are the royal apartments, including the Sala di Re Ruggero (King Roger's Hall), decorated with ornate medieval mosaics of hunting scenes—an earlier (1120) secular counterpoint to the religious themes seen elsewhere. During the time of its construction, French, Latin, and Arabic were spoken here, and Arab astronomers and poets exchanged ideas with Latin and Greek scholars in one of the most interesting marriages of culture in the Western world. From Friday to Monday, the Sala is included with entry to the palace or chapel; it sometimes hosts special art exhibits.

This 17th-century palace, a former Savoy royal residence, is an imposing work of brick, stone, and marble that stands on the site of one of Turin's ancient Roman city gates. In contrast to its sober exterior, the two main floors of the palace's interior are swathed in luxurious rococo trappings, including tapestries and gilt ceilings. The gardens were laid out in the late 17th century by André Le Nôtre, landscape designer at Versailles, and the Armeria Reale (Royal Armory) wing holds a collection of arms and armor.

Elaborately decorated with painted ceilings and grand staircases, this former royal palace close to the Duomo is almost worth a visit in itself; however, it also functions as one of Milan's major art galleries, with a focus on modern artists. Exhibitions have highlighted works by Picasso, Chagall, Warhol, Pollock, and Kandinsky. Check the website before you visit to see what's on; purchase tickets online in advance to save time in the queues, which are often long and chaotic.

Lavish rococo rooms provide sumptuous display space for paintings, sculptures, tapestries, and Asian ceramics. The 17th-century palace—also known as Palazzo Balbi Durazzo—was built by the Balbi family, enormously wealthy Genovese merchants. Its regal pretensions were not lost on the Savoy, who bought the palace and turned it into a royal residence in the early 19th century. The gallery of mirrors and the ballroom on the upper floor are particularly decadent.  The formal gardens provide a welcome respite from the bustle of the city, as well as great views of the harbor.

The oldest, most characteristic area of Ferrara is south of the Duomo, stretching between the Corso Giovecca and the city's ramparts. Here various members of the Este family built pleasure palaces, the best known of which is the Palazzo Schifanoia (schifanoia means "carefree" or, literally, "fleeing boredom"). Begun in the late 14th century, the palace was remodeled between 1464 and 1469. Inside is Museo Schifanoia, with its lavish interior—particularly the Salone dei Mesi, which contains an extravagant series of frescoes showing the months of the year and their mythological attributes.

One of the greatest of all Renaissance palaces, built between 1525 and 1535 by Federico II Gonzaga, is the Mannerist masterpiece of artist-architect Giulio Romano. Two highlights are the Camera di Amore e Psiche (Room of Cupid and Psyche), which depicts a wedding set among lounging nymphs, and the gasp-inducing Camera dei Giganti (Room of the Giants) that shows Jupiter expelling the Titans from Mount Olympus. The scale of the latter is overwhelming; the floor-to-ceiling work completely envelops the viewer. Note the etched graffiti from as far back as the 17th century to the left as you enter the room.

 Segesta's imposing temple was actually started in the 5th century BC by the Elymians, who may have been refugees from Troy—or at least non-Greeks, since it seems they often sided with Carthage. In any case, the style of the temple is in many ways Greek, but it was never finished; the walls and roof never materialized, and the columns were never fluted.

Wear comfortable shoes; even if you drive, you'll need to park your car in the lot at the bottom of the hill and walk about five minutes up to the temple. If you're up for a longer hike, a little more than 1 km (½ mile) away near the top of the hill are the remains of a fine theater with impressive views, especially at sunset, of the plains and the Bay of Castellammare (there's also a shuttle bus to the theater for €2.50 round-trip that leaves every 15–30 minutes). Concerts and plays are staged here in summer.

In antiquity this whole area was the Palatium Baianum (the Palace of Baia), dedicated to otium (leisure) and the residence of emperors from Augustus to as late as Septimius Severus in the 3rd century AD. At the park's ticket office, you should receive a small site map, and information panels in English are posted at strategic intervals. The first terrace, the Villa dell'Ambulatio, is one of the best levels from which to appreciate the site's topography: the whole hillside down to the level of the modern road near the waterfront has been modeled into flat terraces, each sporting different architectural features.

While up on the first terrace look for the depictions of dolphins, swans, and cupids in the balneum (thermal bathing, Room 13), and admire the theatrical motifs in the floor mosaic in Room 14. Below the balneum and inviting further exploration is a nymphaeum shrine, which can be reached from the western side. Make sure you get down to the so-called Temple of Mercury, on the lowest level, which has held much fascination for travelers from the 18th century onward. It has been variously interpreted as a frigidarium and as a natatio (swimming pool) and is the oldest example of a large dome (50 BC–27 BC), predating the cupola of the Pantheon in Rome. (Test the rich, haunting echo in the interior.) In summer the site often provides an unusual backdrop for evening concerts and opera performances.

This massive park, technically part of the Parco dell'Appia Antica, was named for the six remaining aqueducts that formed part of the famously elaborate system that carried water to ancient Rome. The park has some serious film cred: it was featured in the opening scene of La Dolce Vita and in a rather memorable scene depicting some avant-garde performance art in La Grande Bellezza. On weekends, it's a popular place for locals to picnic, exercise, and generally enjoy a day out with their kids or dogs.

One of Sicily's most stunning national parks is filled with mountain landscapes, charming lakes, and vivid evergreen forests. The area is easy to navigate thanks to well-kept roads, multiple picnic areas, and the 24 picturesque towns that are found within the park itself. Outdoor experiences throughout the park abound, and you can drive up to Floresta, the park's highest point (and the highest town in Sicily), to see some impressive views of Mount Etna.

Castelbuono is located just outside this 80,000-acre regional park of the Madonie Mountains, which means it is a perfect spot to explore the splendid natural reserve. There are walking paths, camping areas, horse riding, mountain biking, and caving activities to experience. You can even simply take a scenic drive out into the park for a picnic.

Cogne, 27 km (17 miles) south of Aosta, is the gateway to this huge park, which was once the domain of King Vittorio Emanuele II (1820–78). Bequeathed to the nation after World War I, it is one of Europe's most rugged and unspoiled wilderness areas, with wildlife and many plant species protected by law. The park is one of the few places in Europe where you can see the ibex (a mountain goat with horns up to 3 feet long) and the chamois (a small antelope). The park, which is 703 square km (271 square miles), is open free of charge throughout the year; there's an information office in Cogne. Try to visit in May, when spring flowers are in bloom and most of the meadows are clear of snow.

Calabria's granite plateau of Sila National Park is a wonderful place for lovers of the wild outdoors. Rising to nearly 7,000 feet at its highest peak, Botte Donato, the park was inaugurated in 2002, with forests, valleys, and rivers home to 175 species of vertebrates, including the park's now protected symbol, il lupo, the wolf. The forestry commission office in nearby Cupone can provide tourist information, maps, and assistance, such as arranging guides.

On nice days, the citizens of Lucca cycle, jog, stroll, or kick a soccer ball in this green, beautiful, and very large circular park. It's neither inside nor outside the city but rather right atop and around the ring of ramparts that defines Lucca. Sunlight streams through two rows of tall plane trees to dapple the passeggiata delle mura (walk on the walls), which is 4 km (2½ miles) long. Ten bulwarks are topped with lawns, many with picnic tables and some with play equipment for children. Be aware at all times of where the edge is—there are no railings, and the drop to the ground outside the city is a precipitous 40 feet.

Atop Posillipo's hill, this small yet magical complex has a 1st-century villa and two amphitheaters; access is though the Grotta di Seiano, a 2,500-foot tunnel cut though the tufa rock over two millennia ago. Guided tours (in Italian, book ahead) are given at 11 weekdays, 10:30 and 12:15 on weekends and holidays. Evening concerts are often held here in the summer.

An excellent road with some fabulous coastal views, the Perimetrale encircles the entire island, although its most interesting stretch is along the east and south coasts between Cala Cinque Dente and Scauri. Although you could drive the entire stretch in far less than an hour, exploring all the little coves and villages and taking a few walks could easily keep you busy for several days.  

Cala Cinque Denti may literally mean "Bay of the Five Teeth," but opinions vary over which of the fearsome jagged rock formations inspired the name. The bay is most dramatically approached on foot from the signed car park at Punta Spadillo, from where a well-marked 30-minute path crosses a lunar landscape of black lava formations, scattered among which are doughnut-shaped gun emplacements dating back to World War II. A rocky branch of the path clambers down to the Laghetto Ondine, a natural pool fed by the sea, where you can swim under fabulous formations of lava. The main path continues along the clifftop, with more fantastic views, before climbing up to the top of Cala dei Cinque Denti. 

The next stop along the Perimetrale is the picturesque village of Gadir, set around a sheltered inlet. The harborside has been smartly decked for sunbathing, and there are ladders into the inlet, from which you can swim out into the cove. Right by the water are three tomb-shaped pits enclosing hot water springs.  Be warned that the temperature in one of them is dangerously hot so check before choosing which one to dunk yourself in. Following the path around the headland brings you to another (cool but protected) natural swimming pool, with two hot water springs behind it. 

Driving on, you come to photogenic Cala Levante and Cala Tramontana, twin bays divided by a small peninsula. There is good swimming and sunbathing from each, and a narrow road continues south along the coast to the island’s most famous rock formation, the Arco dell’Elefante, which is said to resemble an elephant dipping its trunk into the sea. Little paths across the rocks lead to the best places to access the sea for a swim.

Returning to the Perimetrale, carry on south until the sign to Martingana, where a very steep but asphalted road curves down to a pretty settlement of lava stone and white-domed dammusi. The road then becomes a track (drivable even in an ordinary car) leading to a small car park where a path leads to a cove (with more good swimming) and where you can sunbathe atop a solidified river of lava. The next bay, Balata dei Turchi, can be reached by several clearly marked footpaths or along a rough and steep road, best attempted only by an adventurous driver. The bay is jaw-droppingly beautiful on a calm sunny day, backed by cliffs stained ochre, china blue, and rose by volcanic minerals, but can be quite inhospitable and forbidding in strong winds. Punta Nikà, reached by a steep track a little farther along the Perimetrale, has similar polychrome cliff formations and offshore hot springs accessible only in calm seas. The path to them is not signposted, but they're fairly easy to find. Instead of going downhill to the main bay, look for a narrow path after the first house on the left (with contemporary metal gates). Follow this downhill and along the perimeter of the house’s garden. At the bottom of the garden, follow the white arrows (a bit faded) which will guide you down to a place where you can get into the sea. Don’t attempt this track unless you are a fit and experienced hiker.

A spectacular mountain plain 25 km (15 miles) to the northeast of the valley, Piano Grande is a hang glider's paradise and a wonderful place for a picnic or to fly a kite. It's also nationally famous for the quality of the lentils grown here, which are a traditional part of every Italian New Year's feast.

The fan-shaped Piazza del Campo, known simply as Il Campo (The Field), is one of the finest squares in Italy. Constructed toward the end of the 12th century on a market area unclaimed by any contrada, it's still the heart of town. Its brickwork is patterned in nine different sections—representing each member of the medieval Council of Nine.

At the top of the Campo is a copy of the early 15th-century Fonte Gaia by Siena's greatest sculptor, Jacopo della Quercia. The 13 sculpted reliefs of biblical events and virtues that line the fountain are 19th-century copies; the originals are in the museum complex of Santa Maria della Scala. On Palio horse-race days (July 2 and August 16), the Campo and all its surrounding buildings are packed with cheering, frenzied locals and tourists craning their necks to take it all in.

Here, in 1497 and 1498, the famous "bonfire of the vanities" took place, when the fanatical Dominican friar Savonarola induced his followers to hurl their worldly goods into the flames. It was also here, a year later, that he was hanged as a heretic and, ironically, burned. A plaque in the piazza pavement marks the spot of his execution.

Cellini's famous bronze Perseus, shown holding the severed head of Medusa, is among the most important sculptures in the Loggia dei Lanzi. Also noteworthy are The Rape of the Sabine Women and Hercules and the Centaur, both late-16th-century works by Giambologna (1529–1608). But it's the Neptune Fountain, created between 1550 and 1575 by Bartolomeo Ammannati, that dominates the square. The Florentines call it "il Biancone," which may be translated as "the big white man" or "the big white lump." Giambologna's equestrian statue, to the left of the fountain, portrays Grand Duke Cosimo I. Occupying the steps of the Palazzo Vecchio is a copy of Michelangelo's David, as well as Baccio Bandinelli's Hercules.

One of the world's most beautiful squares, Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square) is the spiritual and artistic heart of Venice, a vast open space bordered by an orderly procession of arcades marching toward the fairy-tale cupolas and marble lacework of the Basilica di San Marco. From midmorning on, it is generally packed with tourists. (If Venetians have business in the piazza, they try to conduct it in the early morning, before the crowds swell.) At night the piazza can be magical, especially in winter, when mists swirl around the lampposts and the campanile.

Facing the basilica, on your left, the long, arcaded building is the Procuratie Vecchie, renovated to its present form in 1514 as offices and residences for the powerful procurators, or magistrates.

On your right is the Procuratie Nuove, built half a century later in a more imposing, classical style. It was originally planned by Venice's great Renaissance architect Jacopo Sansovino (1486–1570), to carry on the look of his Libreria Sansoviniana (Sansovinian Library), but he died before construction on the Nuove had begun. Vincenzo Scamozzi (circa 1552–1616), a pupil of Andrea Palladio (1508–80), completed the design and construction. Still later, the Procuratie Nuove was modified by architect Baldassare Longhena (1598–1682), one of Venice's Baroque masters.

When Napoléon (1769–1821) entered Venice with his troops in 1797, he expressed his admiration for the piazza and promptly gave orders to alter it. His architects demolished a church with a Sansovino facade in order to build the Ala Napoleonica (Napoleonic Wing), or Fabbrica Nuova (New Building), which linked the two 16th-century procuratie and effectively enclosed the piazza.

Piazzetta San Marco is the "little square" leading from Piazza San Marco to the waters of Bacino San Marco (St. Mark's Basin); its molo (landing) once served as the grand entrance to the Republic. Two imposing columns tower above the waterfront. One is topped by the winged lion, a traditional emblem of St. Mark that became the symbol of Venice itself; the other supports St. Theodore, the city's first patron, along with his dragon. (A third column fell off its barge and ended up in the bacino before it could be placed alongside the others.) Although the columns are a glorious vision today, the Republic traditionally executed convicts here—and some superstitious Venetians still avoid walking between them.

Mostly enclosed within high walls that recall the papacy's stormy history, the Vatican opens the spectacular arms of Bernini's colonnade to embrace the world only at St. Peter's Square, scene of the pope's public appearances and another of Bernini's masterpieces. The elliptical Piazza di San Pietro was completed in 1667—after only 11 years' work—and holds about 100,000 people.

Surrounded by a pair of quadruple colonnades, the piazza is gloriously studded with 140 statues of saints and martyrs. At its center is the 85-foot-high Egyptian obelisk, which was brought to Rome by Caligula in AD 37 and moved here in 1586 by Pope Sixtus V. The famous Vatican post offices can be found on both sides of St. Peter's Square and inside the Vatican Museums complex. 

The main information office is just left of the basilica as you face it.

Originally outside the city's 12th-century walls, this piazza grew with the Franciscans, who used it for public preaching. During the Renaissance, it hosted giostre (jousts), including one sponsored by Lorenzo de' Medici. Lined with many palazzi dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, the square remains one of Florence's loveliest and is a great place to people-watch.

From this lookout you have a marvelous view of Florence and the hills around it, rivaling the vista from the Forte di Belvedere. A copy of Michelangelo's David overlooks outdoor cafés packed with tourists during the day and evening. In May, the Giardino dell'Iris (Iris Garden) off the piazza is abloom with more than 2,500 varieties of the flower. The Giardino delle Rose (Rose Garden) on the terraces below the piazza is also in full bloom in May and June.

Now a museum of Jewish culture, the ghetto where Jews took refuge from 16th-century Catholic persecution was a thriving community until the beginning of World War II. Inside the precinct today are the remains of ritual bathing basins, a wine cellar, a kosher butcher shop and bakery, and the restored synagogue, where religious services are held on the Sabbath.

With one ticket, you can visit the Pilotta museums. The Galleria Nazionale contains masterpieces by Correggio, Leonardo da Vinci, and Bronzino. The Baroque Teatro Farnese, built in 1617–18, is made entirely of wood—though largely destroyed in a 1944 Allied bombing raid, it's been flawlessly restored. In the Archeological Museum see Etruscan, Roman, and Egyptian artifacts; the Palatina Library houses more than 500 religious manuscripts; and the Bodoniano museum covers printmaking.

Don't be put off by the drab, modern municipal building, which houses the fascinating Capo d'Orlando's contemporary arts center, archive, and gallery. A changing exhibition space staffed by a friendly and informative team displays works by dozens of Italian and international artists who have held residencies as part of an ongoing program that stretches back to 1955 called "Life and Landscape of Capo d'Orlando". One of these first visiting artists was Tono Zancanaro (1906--1985), a Padua native who fell in love with Capo's landscape and people and returned regularly thereafter, leaving a captivating and eclectic documentary collection of his work and Sicilian life.

This gallery was opened by Gianni Agnelli (1921–2003), the head of Fiat and patriarch of one of Italy's most powerful families, just four months before his death. There are four magnificent scenes of Venice by Canaletto (1697–1768); two splendid views of Dresden by Canaletto's nephew, Bernardo Bellotto (1720–80); and several works by Manet, Renoir, Matisse, and Picasso. You can also visit La Pista 500, the former Fiat test track on the roof of the Lingotto building, to view rotating exhibits from contemporary artists.