1473 Best Sights in Italy

This basilica commemorates the aristocratic St. Cecilia, patron saint of musicians. One of ancient Rome's most celebrated early Christian martyrs, she was most likely put to death by the Emperor Diocletian just before the year AD 300. After an abortive attempt to suffocate her in the baths of her own house (a favorite means of quietly disposing of aristocrats in Roman days), she was brought before the executioner. But not even three blows of the executioner's sword could dispatch the young girl. She lingered for several days, converting others to the Christian cause, before finally dying. In 1595, her body was exhumed—it was said to look as fresh as if she still breathed—and the heart-wrenching sculpture by eyewitness Stefano Maderno that lies below the main altar was, he insisted, exactly how she looked.

The basilica is built atop the ruins of a Republican-age home that purportedly belonged to the martyr herself. It is possible to descend to the ruins, as well as to an underground gilt chapel via the bookstore. Time your visit in the morning to also enter the cloistered convent to see what remains of Pietro Cavallini's Last Judgment, dating from 1293. It's the only major fresco in existence known to have been painted by Cavallini, a contemporary of Giotto. To visit the frescoes, ring the bell of the convent to the left of the church entrance between 10 am and 12 pm.

Offering a stark and telling contrast to the opulence of the nearby Gesù Nuovo, Santa Chiara is the leading Angevin Gothic monument in Naples. The fashionable house of worship for the 14th-century nobility and a favorite Angevin church from the start, the church of St. Clare was intended to be a great dynastic monument by Robert d'Anjou. His second wife, Sancia di Majorca, added the adjoining convent for the Poor Clares to a monastery of the Franciscan Minors so she could vicariously satisfy a lifelong desire for the cloistered seclusion of a convent. This was the first time the two sexes were combined in a single complex.

Built in a Provençal Gothic style between 1310 and 1328 (probably by Gagliardo Primario) and dedicated in 1340, the church had its aspect radically altered, as did so many others, in the baroque period. A six-day fire started by Allied bombs on August 4, 1943, put an end to all that, as well as to what might have been left of the important cycle of frescoes by Giotto and his Neapolitan workshop. The church's most important tomb towers behind the altar. Sculpted by Giovanni and Pacio Bertini of Florence (1343–45), it is, fittingly, the tomb of the founding king: the great Robert d'Anjou, known as the Wise. Nearby are the tombs of Carlo, duke of Calabria, and his wife, Marie de Valois, both by Tino da Camaino.

Around the left side of the church is the Chiostro delle Clarisse, the most famous cloister in Naples. Complemented by citrus trees, the benches and octagonal columns comprise a light-handed masterpiece of painted majolica designed by Domenico Antonio Vaccaro, with a delightful profusion of landscapes and light yellow, azure, and green floral motifs realized by Donato and Giuseppe Massa and their studio (1742).

Scenically perched on the slopes of Monte Solaro, this small sanctuary in late-Gothic style—with its older parts dating to the late 14th century—offers a truly picturesque frame for a panorama that takes in much of the island. It also marks the top of the second access route (Il Passetiello) used in ancient times, which linked Capri Town with Anacapri. Steep, slippery, and in spots still dangerous, this is the pathway that the Carthusian monks of San Giacomo would have used to reach their properties in the upper part of the island. Congregants were mainly fisherfolk whose boats were moored in the Marina Piccola directly below; they also used this clifftop aerie as a lookout against Saracen pirates. The church was substantially rebuilt by Franciscan monks in the early 17th century, when a sacristy was added. To reach Santa Maria, you can climb a path leading off Viale Axel Munthe (an hour-long walk); an alternative is to descend a path leading from the Monte Solaro chairlift for 20 minutes. The church is usually open on Saturday (10–3), but check at the chairlift. Mass is celebrated at dawn every Sunday in September, but the site remains unforgettable year-round.

The sanctuary of Santa Maria dell'Isola is the symbol of Tropea, and it is easy to see why. Perched high on a rocky promontory and accessible only by a winding flight of stone steps cut into the cliffside, it dominates the sea view from Piazza Ercole, the main town square. Believed to date from the 4th century AD, it has been rebuilt many times and took its present form in the 18th century, after it was damaged by an earthquake. The inside of the church is unadorned, but visitors can climb up to the roof to admire the splendid view or wander through the pleasant garden set on the rocks behind the building. The beach below the rock is considered to be among the most beautiful in Italy.

For more than 1,000 years, this complex across from the Duomo was home to Siena's hospital, but it now serves as a museum containing, among other things, Sienese Renaissance treasures. Restored 15th-century frescoes in the Sala del Pellegrinaio (once the emergency room) tell the history of the hospital, which was created to give refuge to passing pilgrims and others in need and to distribute charity to the poor. Incorporated into the complex is the church of the Santissima Annunziata, with a celebrated Risen Christ by Vecchietta (also known as Lorenzo di Pietro, circa 1412–80). Down in the dark, Cappella di Santa Caterina della Notte is where St. Catherine went to pray at night.

The displays—including the bucchero (dark, reddish clay) ceramics, Roman coins, and tomb furnishings—are clearly marked and can serve as a good introduction to the history of regional excavations. Be sure to visit the subterranean archaeological museum to see della Quercia's original sculpted reliefs from the Fonte Gaia. Although the fountain has been faithfully copied for the Campo, there's something incomparably beautiful about the real thing.

Despite its florid 18th-century facade, Santa Maria Maggiore is one of the city's oldest churches, built around 440 by Pope Sixtus III. One of Rome's four great pilgrimage churches, it's also the city center's best example of an early Christian basilica—one of the immense, hall-like structures derived from ancient Roman civic buildings and divided into thirds by two great rows of columns marching up the nave. The other three major basilicas in Rome (San Giovanni in Laterano, St. Peter's, and St. Paul Outside the Walls) have largely been rebuilt. Paradoxically, the major reason why this church is such a striking example of early Christian design is that the same man who built the undulating exteriors circa 1740, Ferdinando Fuga, also conscientiously restored the interior, throwing out later additions and, crucially, replacing a number of the great columns.

Precious 5th-century mosaics high on the nave walls and on the triumphal arch in front of the main altar bear splendid testimony to the basilica's venerable age. Those along the nave show 36 scenes from the Old Testament (unfortunately, tough to see clearly without binoculars), and those on the arch illustrate the Annunciation and the Youth of Christ. The resplendent carved-wood ceiling dates from the early 16th century; it's supposed to have been gilded with the first gold brought from the New World. The inlaid marble pavement (called cosmatesque, after the family of master artisans who developed the technique) in the central nave is even older, dating from the 12th century.

The Cappella Sistina (Sistine Chapel), in the right-hand transept, was created by architect Domenico Fontana for Pope Sixtus V in 1585. Elaborately decorated with precious marbles "liberated" from the monuments of ancient Rome, the chapel includes a lower-level museum in which some 13th-century sculptures by Arnolfo da Cambio are all that's left of what was the once richly endowed chapel of the presepio (Christmas crèche), looted during the Sack of Rome in 1527.

Directly opposite, on the church's other side, stands the Cappella Paolina (Pauline Chapel), a rich Baroque setting for the tombs of the Borghese popes Paul V—who commissioned the chapel in 1611 with the declared intention of outdoing Sixtus's chapel across the nave—and Clement VIII. The Cappella Sforza (Sforza Chapel) next door was designed by Michelangelo and completed by Della Porta. Just right of the altar, next to his father, lies Gian Lorenzo Bernini; his monument is an engraved slab, as humble as the tombs of his patrons are grand. Above the loggia, the outside mosaic of Christ raising his hand in blessing is one of Rome's most beautiful sights, especially when lighted at night.

The name of the church reveals that it was built sopra (over) the ruins of a temple of Minerva, the ancient goddess of wisdom. Erected in 1280 by Dominicans along severe Italian Gothic lines, it has undergone a number of more or less happy interior restorations. Certainly, as the city's major Gothic church, it provides a refreshing contrast to Baroque flamboyance. Have a €1 coin handy to illuminate the Cappella Carafa in the right transept; the small investment is worth it to better see Filippino Lippi's (1457–1504) glowing frescoes featuring a deep azure expanse of sky and musical angels hovering around the Virgin.

Under the main altar is the tomb of St. Catherine of Siena, one of Italy's patron saints and a major destination for faithful locals who drop written prayers on her final resting place. Left of the altar you'll find Michelangelo's Risen Christ and the tomb of the gentle artist Fra Angelico. Bernini's unusual and little-known monument to the Blessed Maria Raggi is on the fifth pier of the left-hand aisle.

In front of the church, Bernini's Elephant and Obelisk is perhaps the city's most charming sculpture. An inscription on the base references the church's ancient patroness, reading something to the effect that it takes a strong mind to sustain solid wisdom.

Home to one of the most striking early Christian mosaics, this church was adapted in the 6th century from two ancient buildings: the library in Vespasian's Forum of Peace and a hall of the Temple of Romulus (dedicated to the son of Maxentius, who had been named for Rome's founder). In the apse is the famous AD 530 mosaic of Christ in Glory. It reveals how popes at the time strove to recreate the splendor of imperial audience halls into Christian churches: Christ wears a gold, Roman-style toga, and his pose recalls that of an emperor addressing his subjects. He floats on a blue sky streaked with a flaming sunset—a miracle of tesserae mosaic work. To his side are the figures of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, who represent Cosmas and Damian (patron saints of doctors), two Syrian benefactors whose charity was such that they were branded Christians and condemned to death. Beneath this awe-inspiring work is an enchanting mosaic frieze of holy lambs.

This splendid and unusual basilica contains between four and seven connected churches (authorities differ). A 4th-century temple dedicated to Isis originally occupied this site, but much of what you see was erected between the 10th and 12th centuries. Just outside the church, which probably dates from the 5th century (with later alterations), is the Cortile di Pilato (Pilate's Courtyard), named for the basin in the center. Despite the fact that the basin was probably crafted around the 8th century, legend has it that Pontius Pilate washed his hands in it after condemning Christ. 

A very old place of worship, the Santuario di Tindari has been an important place for religious pilgrims since the Middle Ages, after a mysterious statue of the dark-skinned Madonna was retrieved from a nearby beached ship and claimed to be a miraculous image by locals. Today Tindari is still popular with religious visitors and the clergy in general; Pope John Paul II even visited to perform mass in the 1980s. The stunning modern cathedral has been built around the original tiny medieval church, and you can access the old church from a side gate near the front altar. The newer church is filled with mosaic art, stained-glass windows, an impressive church organ, and an elaborate building that still houses the famed Madonna statue.

Located high up in the mountains, Tindari has lovely views along the coast in both directions. Along a side road from the church, past a collection of tourist shops, you will find the archaeological area that includes an ancient Roman theater and several ruins of bathhouses and villas that once accommodated Roman visitors. The small museum here houses five rooms filled with fascinating finds from the site, including a massive sculpture of Emperor Augustus's head excavated in the basilica ruins. 

Below the Church of Tindari, there are also the natural lakes of Marinello and the pristine Spiaggia Mongiove, which are popular places for local beachgoers to explore. Even though the beaches are devoid of facilities, the spot is secluded and quite stunning.

With panoramic views and grandiose Baroque architecture atop the forested Colle della Guardia hill some 5 km (3 miles) southwest of Piazza Maggiore, the 1765-consecrated Sanctuary of San Luca church is a symbol of Bologna. For a bona fide Bolognese pilgrimage, climb the 950-foot hill on foot from Porta Saragozza protected by the 666 arches (alluding to the Madonna-crushed devil) and 15 chapels of the world's longest portico (3.9 km/2.4 miles). The final ceremonial section (completed in 1721) begins at the monumental Arco del Meloncello, which echoes the orange-hued architecture of the basilica itself. Visitors can ascend a further 110 steps into the cupola for 180-degree views as part of the new San Luca Sky Experience. For a less strenuous route to the sanctuary hop on the No. 20 bus then the 58 minibus (from Villa Spada), or the San Luca Express trenino (mini tourist train; €13 return) from the city center. To avoid the crowds, set out early morning.

Matera's Sassi are piled chaotically atop one another down the sides of a steep ravine. Some date from Paleolithic times, when they were truly just caves. Over time, they were transformed into enclosed houses. In the 1960s, most inhabitants moved into ugly apartment blocks. The 1993 designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site, however, resulted in a cleanup and gentrification, with hotels, bars, and restaurants taking over many structures. From the upper town, the Strada Panoramica walk offers stellar views of the two areas known as Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano.

After the active volcanoes of Mount Etna and Stromboli, the tilted white "staircase" of the Scala dei Turchi cliff is the most stunning geological site in Sicily. Formed by eroded strata of pure white marl, with a silken, gold, sandy beach below, the cliff was allegedly named after the so-called Turkish (actually Saracen) pirates who plagued the Sicilian coast in the 16th century. The Scala and its beach are extraordinarily popular, so try to visit in the low season. If you don't want the hassle of going to the beach on a busy day, you can also catch some beautiful views from several lookout points along the road. Another option is to see the rock formations from the sea, with several tour operators offering boat rides. The best access is from the signposted paid car park just south of the cliff (follow the sign to Majata Beach/Ingresso Scala dei Turchi). 

According to tradition, the Scala Santa was the staircase from Pilate's palace in Jerusalem—and, therefore, the one trod by Christ himself. St. Helena, Emperor Constantine's mother, brought the 28 marble steps to Rome in 326. As they have for centuries, pilgrims still come to climb the steps on their knees. At the top, they can glimpse the Sancta Sanctorum (Holy of Holies)—the pope's richly decorated private chapel (long before the Sistine Chapel), which contains an image of Christ "not made by human hands." You can sneak a peek, too, by taking one of the (nonsanctified) staircases on either side.

While you can see examples of Caltagirone's long ceramic tradition throughout the city, the most impressive display can be found in the 142 individually decorated tiled steps of this monumental staircase leading up to the neglected Santa Maria del Monte church. On July 25 (the feast of San Giacomo, the city's patron saint) and again on August 15th (the feast of the Assumption), the stairs form a tapestry design with illuminated candles. Months of work go into preparing the 4,000 coppi, or cylinders of colored paper, that hold oil lamps—then, at 9:30 pm on the nights of July 24, July 25, August 14, and August 15, a squad of hundreds of youngsters (tourists are welcome to participate) spring into action to light the lamps, so that the staircase flares up all at once.

An appealing village in two parts, Scauri's upper section is centered around a church with a clock tower high above the sea and has a couple of good places to eat, a fishmonger, and a small grocery store, as well as gorgeous views down to the sea from the wiggly maze of tiny streets behind the church. You could drive straight down to Scauri Porto, but if you like walking, leave the car in the car park and follow the main road downhill past La Nicchia restaurant until you reach a minor side road called Via Sopra La Scala. This becomes a track that leads downhill through meadows to the intriguing remains of a Roman or Byzantine settlement with the ruins of lava-stone buildings scattered among prickly pears, wild grains, and capers. The path continues along the coast, passing a tiny rocky bay with a natural hot pool, before arriving at a tiny quayside where you’ll find La Vela restaurant-bar and usually some kayaks to rent. From here, a small road crosses a low headland to the rest of Scauri, with a handful of picturesque places to eat or rent boats set around a well-protected harbor. The wind-lashed west coast is not as charming, with dated hotels and beach villas. However, anyone interested in archaeology may want to see the Sesi Grande, a huge dammuso-like structure with 11 spooky tunnels leading to 12 oval cells, created as a burial mound by the island’s prehistoric inhabitants.

At its peak, the ancient port town at this site was home to a cosmopolitan population of rich businessmen, wily merchants, sailors, slaves, and their respective families. Great warehouses were built here in the 2nd century AD to handle goods that passed through, notably huge shipments of grain from Africa. Indeed, the port did so much business that it necessitated the construction of insulae (apartment buildings) to provide housing for the city's growing population.

The increasing importance of nearby Portus and the inexorable decline of the Roman Empire eventually led to the port's abandonment. In addition, the coastline retreated over the millennia, and a 16th-century flood diverted the course of the Tiber. Tidal mud and windblown sand buried the ancient port town until the 19th century, when it was extensively excavated.

You can wander through the massive archaeological site and explore its curious corners, mosaic floors, fallen columns, and huge Roman amphitheater. The on-site Museo Ostiense has been newly remodeled and displays sculptures, mosaics, and objects of daily use that were found here. There's also an on-site cafeteria.  The recently excavated ports of Tiberius and Claudius are nearby and included in the ticket.

The nonprofit Filicudi WildLife Conservation is dedicated to research and conservation of Aeolian sea life, particularly dolphins, sperm whales, and sea turtles. You can join one of their naturalistic excursions to go snorkeling with a marine biologist, go out on a boat at dawn to watch for cetaceans and turtles, or have a guided visit to the Sea Turtles First Aid Center. If you'd like to become more involved, you can join a one-week research camp on dolphins and turtles as a volunteer.  

Head here to learn how local wine has historically been made, stored, served, and worshipped, through a series of entertaining exhibits.

For those seeking sea air, limpid and shallow waters, and fine sand, Sampieri's wonderful beach is a popular destination. There are a few bars, restaurants, and beach clubs at the west end; walking eastwards a pine-forest-and-sand-dune-backed free-access public beach leads to Punta Pisciotto's sculpted volcanic stone cliffs and picturesque ruin, Fornace Penna. This former brick and tile factory built in 1912 is a stunning backdrop in both reality and in the Montalbano TV series, although the fictional inspector's beachside pad in the show is up the coast at Donnalucata. Adventurous walkers and cyclists will enjoy the coastal paths from Sampieri to nearby Marina di Modica, while a westward rocky shoreline trail traces the Covo dei Contrabbandieri to another small beach town, Cava d'Aliga. Sampieri is a 6-mile drive from Scicli along the SP40, or 20 minutes via bus or train (getting to and from Sampieri's train station and beach involves a walk along the busy road without sidewalks, though). Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (free); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; surfing; swimming; walking.

The most extensive of the island's 7,000 discovered nuraghi, Su Nuraxi is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Concentric rings of thick stone walls conceal dark chambers and narrow passages in a central beehive-shape tower. In the ruins of the surrounding village there are benches, ovens, wells, and other Bronze Age remnants. Tours start every 30 minutes and last about an hour. The same ticket includes entry to a museum and exhibition center in Barumini. If you're driving from SS131, don't be misled to other, lesser nuraghi—follow the signs all the way to Barumini.

 The Greeks put a premium on finding impressive locations to stage their dramas, such as Taormina's hillside Teatro Greco. Beyond the columns, you can see the town's rooftops spilling down the hillside, the arc of the coastline, and Mount Etna in the distance. The theater was built during the 3rd century BC and rebuilt by the Romans during the 2nd century AD. Its acoustics are exceptional: even today a stage whisper can be heard in the last rows. In summer, many music and dance performances are held in the Teatro Greco after sunset, when the marvelous vistas of the sparkling Ionian Sea are shrouded in darkness, but the glow of Sicily's most famous volcano can sometimes be seen in the distance.

Palladio's last, perhaps most spectacular work was begun in 1580 and completed in 1585, after his death, by Vincenzo Scamozzi (1552–1616). Based closely on the model of ancient Roman theaters, it represents an important development in theater and stage design and is noteworthy for its acoustics and the cunning use of perspective in Scamozzi's permanent backdrop. The anterooms are frescoed with images of important figures in Venetian history. One of the few Renaissance theaters still standing, it can be visited (with guided tours) during the day and is used for concerts, operas, and other performances.

Seeing the beautiful and historically important Tempietto Longobardo from the 8th century is more than enough reason to visit Cividale. Now inside the 16th-century Monastery of Santa Maria in Valle, the Tempietto was originally the chapel of the ducal palace, known as the Gastaldia. The west wall is the best-preserved example of the art and architecture of the Lombards, a Germanic people who entered Italy in 568. It has an archway with an exquisitely rendered vine motif, guarded by an 8th-century procession of female figures, showing the Lombard interpretation of classical forms that resembles the style of the much earlier Byzantine mosaics in Ravenna, a town that had passed briefly to Lombard rule in 737. The post-Lombard frescoes decorating the vaults and the east wall date from the 13th and 14th centuries, and the fine carved wooden stalls also date from the 14th century.

One of the most impressive and historically significant neoclassical buildings in Italy, the Tempio Canoviano, a church, was designed by Canova in 1819 and finished in 1830, incorporating motifs from the rotunda of the Roman Pantheon and the pronaos of the Parthenon. The church contains several works by Canova, including his tomb, along with paintings by Luca Giordano, Palma il Giovane, and Il Pordenone. A series of staircases gives access to the cupola roof and wonderful countryside views.

This wonderful little winery is run with passion and energy by three young locals. Many wineries run tours, but few make the experience as personal and interesting as the Valle delle Ferle. Call ahead to book a personal tour of the vineyards, where Nero d’Avola and Frappato—the two grapes used to create Cerasuolo di Vittoria wine—are planted together, a traditional practice that has died out as newer joint plantings are not permitted. Guests are encouraged to taste blind, in order to demonstrate how the wines produced in these heavy clay hills are characterized by a far longer life and softer palate than those produced at lower elevations in the sandier soils closer to the sea. Tastings are accompanied by carefully selected local cheeses and salamis, so guests can experience the way the wines work with a salty or fresh cheese, or a fattier or chili-spiked salami. Tours also take in the cantina, where there is often a chance to taste immature wines straight from the tanks.

In the countryside west of Caltanissetta, Tenute Lombardo is a sprawling vineyard that still preserves many of the ancient techniques of Sicilian wine making. In addition to the classic Sicilian grapes like Grillo and Nero D'Avola, they also produce an exquisite sparkling wine made with Cattaratto, a grape native to Sicily, using the traditional Champagne method. Sitting atop a hill, the property offers 360-degree views of the rolling hills of vineyards, especially charming during the golden hour. The tasting room is modern but preserves the rustic character of the original structure—book in advance for a wine tasting accompanied by Sicilian antipasti. 

Viterbo has been a spa town for centuries, and this excellent complex just a few miles outside the town walls continues the tradition, providing health and beauty treatments with an Etruscan twist: try a facial with local volcanic mud or a steam bath in an ancient cave. The main draw, however, is the 21,000-square-foot outdoor limestone pool, into which Viterbo's famous 59°C (138°F) mineral water pours—and gives a jolt with its sulfurous odor.

You can rent floats and deck chairs, but you'll need your own bathrobe and towel unless you're staying the night at the spa hotel. Day passes tend to sell out but can be booked online up to five days ahead of your visit.