1473 Best Sights in Italy

Bergamo is home to an art collection that's surprisingly rewarding given its size and remote location. Many of the Venetian masters are represented—Mantegna, Bellini, Carpaccio (circa 1460–1525/26), Tiepolo (1727–1804), Francesco Guardi (1712–93), and Canaletto (1697–1768), as well as Botticelli (1445–1510).

During the 19th and 20th centuries, Carrara became a hotbed for anarchism, and, during World War II, it fiercely resisted the Nazis. The town is still lively, with a good number of bars and cafés in many of its squares, thanks, in part, to its art institute. The Accademia di Belle Arti, founded by Maria Teresa Cybo Malaspina d'Este in 1769, draws studio art students from all over Italy.

These two gems on the Riviera dei Ciclopi (Cyclops Riviera), the coastline between Acireale and Catania, fill with city dwellers in summer. Heading south from Acireale on the litoranea (coastal) road, you'll first reach Aci Trezza, said to be the land of the one-eyed Cyclops in Homer's Odyssey. Aci Castello has its own fish houses plus the imposing Castello Normanno (Norman Castle), which sits right on the water. The castle was built in the 11th century with volcanic rock from Mt. Etna.

The third-oldest aquarium in Europe, opened in 1906, is known as much for its Art Nouveau architecture as for its small but interesting collection of marine life. You'll find 36 pools that house more than 100 species of fish, including an emphasis on Italian freshwater fish and their habitat, and one tank of species from the Red Sea. 

Europe's biggest aquarium is a must for children. Fifty tanks of marine species, including sea turtles, dolphins, seals, eels, penguins, jellyfish, and sharks, share space with educational displays, touch pools, and re-creations of marine ecosystems, among them a tank of coral from the Indian Ocean and a wall that replicates a forest in Madagascar. The Aquarium Village complex (additional cost) includes a biosphere with tropical plants and birds, as well as a virtual reality "experience museum," and the Bigo panoramic elevator.  Buy tickets online in advance for the lowest prices. If arriving by car, take the Genova Ovest exit from the autostrada.

The wall outside this ancient wine shop shows four jars (cucumae) of different colors and prices. Above the wine list is the god Sema Sancus, with the inscription Nola at the bottom, possibly an announcement of a gladiatorial show taking place in the town of Nola.

More than 350 of the most renowned Italian industrial design objects are showcased in this former Enel electricity plant. The items in the permanent collection were selected during biennial judging for Compasso d'Oro (Golden Compass) awards from 1954 until today. Some of the exhibits are grouped by category, like cars (1960 Abarth-Fiat Monza Zagato, 1959 Fiat 500, and 2014 Ferrari F12berlinetta) and coffeemakers (Alessi's 9090 from 1979 and Napoletana from 1981).

In 1972 local divers found fragments of Roman ceramics in the Bay of Cartaromana, just across from the castle, leading to the 2011 discovery of Aenaria, a Roman settlement destroyed in a volcanic eruption around AD 150 (aenum is the Latin for metal), and referred to in records by Pliny the Elder. The excavations that began in 2011 are still ongoing, and Il Borgo del Mare organizes a tour in a glass-bottom boat as well as snorkeling tours.

The trulli in Alberobello itself are impressive, but the most scenic concentration of these unique conical structures is along a 15-km (9-mile) stretch of the SS172 (Alberobello–Martina Franca) through the tranquil Valle d'Itria. Stop to visit some of the area's vineyards and oil mills—many of which have a welcoming open-door policy—surrounded by vast groves of ancient gnarled olive trees.

Being an independent nation based on commerce, Venice in the 16th and 17th centuries was the premier European city for inventions, patents, and research. Midwives, for example, were required by the Ministry of Health to be able to read, to be certified to have spent two years attending anatomical dissections relating to obstetrics, to have spent two years as an assistant to an approved midwife, and to have passed a final examination conducted not only by doctors, but two midwives who were permitted to question the candidate. In the 1770s obstetric surgeon Giovanni Menini paid for the construction of an anatomy theater where not only midwives, but also surgeons, were taught. The building is now used for civic functions. The adjacent bridge is named the Ponte de l'Anatomia.

Despite the wear and tear of the millennia and the loss of masonry during the Middle Ages, this site is one of the Campi Flegrei area's Roman architectural marvels. The amphitheater (seating capacity 40,000) was probably built under Vespasian (AD 70–AD 79), although some historians maintain that work started under Nero (AD 54–AD 69) and was merely completed later. As you approach, note the exterior's combination of volcanic stone masonry, arranged in a net-shape pattern, and horizontal bands of brick. This technique, typical of the late 1st and early 2nd centuries, was designed to reduce stress and minimize damage during seismic events. Despite this precaution, much of the superstructure has been lost: the outside part consisted of three stories surmounted by a decorative attic, while the sitting area would have had a portico above the top row of seats, decorated with statues and supported by columns. A surviving passageway near the ticket office leads into a complex underground network of carceres (cells), which is well worth a visit.

In classical times, the entertainment here consisted mainly of animal hunts, public executions, and gladiator fights. The hunts often involved lions, tigers, and other exotic animals imported from far-flung corners of the Roman Empire. The fossa, or large ditch in the arena's middle, may have contained the permanent stage setting, which could be raised when necessary to provide a scenic backdrop. According to tradition, several early Christians—including the Naples protector St. Januarius, or San Gennaro—were condemned to be savaged by wild beasts here under the Fourth Edict, passed in AD 304 by Diocletian, but the sentence was later commuted to a less spectacular decapitation, carried out farther up the hill in the Solfatara. The amphitheater is near the Pozzuoli Metropolitana railway station and a 15-minute walk from the Solfatara: the bubbling volcanic crater has been closed to the public since the tragic death of a family there in 2017. The Pozzuoli tourist office has event and other information.

The beautifully preserved, 2,000-seat Anfiteatro Romano, near the Duomo, dates from the 1st century BC and is still used for summer concerts. To the right of the amphitheater are the remains of the Terme Romani (Roman Baths), where you can see the gymnasium, hot and cold baths, and rectangular chamber where the water was heated. Admission here also gets you access to the attached archaeological museum and the small Bandini Museum, which showcases sacred art including several Luca della Robbia ceramics.

Periodic excavations since 1950 have brought to light segments of Arezzo's Roman amphitheater, which was probably built during the early 2nd century AD. The entire perimeter has been exposed, and you can see some of the entrance passages and the structures that supported the amphitheater's central arena. The ticket price includes admission to the Museo Archeologico.

This substantial amphitheater arena dating from the 2nd century AD attests to the importance of Karalis (modern-day Cagliari) to the Romans. Used for gladiatorial and animal contests, its squeezed, elliptical shape is due to the constrictions of the surrounding calcareous rock, but it could still hold up to 10,000 spectators---about half of Cagliari's population at the time. At time of writing, the site can be viewed from a raised walkway, but plans are afoot to allow visitors to enter the seating area and underground passages. If you don't want to enter the site, good views can be had from the adjacent Viale Sant'Ignazio.

You might complete your circuit of Jewish Venice with a visit to the Antico Cimitero Ebraico, full of fascinating old tombstones half hidden by ivy and grass. The earliest grave dates from 1389; the cemetery remained in use until the late 18th century. You can book guided tours through the Jewish Museum of Venice; see their website ( www.ghettovenezia.com) for details, as it's sometimes not accessible to the public.

Roman remains of the forum, houses, cemetery, and port are surrounded by cypresses here, and the little stream was once an important waterway extending to Grado. Unfortunately, many of the excavations of Roman Aquileia could not be left exposed, because of the extremely high water table under the site, and had to be reburied after archaeological studies had been conducted; nevertheless, what remains aboveground, along with the monuments in the archaeological museum, gives an idea of the grandeur of this ancient city. The area is well signposted.

On a little square off Piazza dei Signori are the fantastically sculpted Gothic tombs of the della Scala family, who ruled Verona during the late Middle Ages. The 19th-century English traveler and critic John Ruskin described the tombs as graceful places where people who have fallen asleep live. The tomb of Cangrande I (1291–1329) hangs over the portal of the adjacent church and is the work of the Maestro di Sant'Anastasia. The tomb of Mastino II, begun in 1345, has an elaborate baldachin, originally painted and gilded, and is surrounded by an iron grillwork fence and topped by an equestrian statue. The latest and most elaborate tomb is that of Cansignorio (1375), the work principally of Bonino da Campione. Visitors with a Verona civic sight ticket can enter the compact gated grounds for a closer view, although all the major tombs are visible from the street.

Rimini's oldest monument is the Arco d'Augusto, now stranded in the middle of a square just inside the city ramparts. It was erected in 27 BC, making it among the oldest surviving ancient Roman arches.

This stunning structure is simpler and less imposing, but also more graceful, than the triumphal arches in Rome. Built in the 1st century by the architect Lucius Vitruvius Cerdo to celebrate the accomplishments of the patrician Gavia family, it was highly esteemed by several Renaissance architects, including Palladio.

At the eastern entrance to town, and commanding a fine view over Aosta and the mountains, stands the Arco di Augusto (Arch of Augustus), built in 25 BC to mark Rome's victory over the Celtic Salassi tribe. (The sloping roof was added in 1716 in an attempt to keep rain from seeping between the stones.)

This majestic arch was erected in AD 315 to commemorate Constantine's victory over Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge. It was just before this battle, in AD 312, that Constantine—the emperor who converted Rome to Christianity—legendarily had a vision of a cross and heard the words "In this sign thou shalt conquer." Many of the costly marble decorations for the arch were scavenged from earlier monuments, both saving money and placing Constantine in line with the great emperors of the past. It is easy to picture ranks of Roman centurions marching under the great barrel vault.

Standing at the northern approach to the Palatine Hill on the Via Sacra, this triumphal arch was erected in AD 81 to celebrate the sack of Jerusalem 10 years earlier, after the First Jewish–Roman War. The superb view of the Colosseum from the arch reminds us that it was the emperor Titus who helped finish the vast amphitheater, begun earlier by his father, Vespasian. Under the arch are two great sculpted reliefs, both showing scenes from Titus's triumphal parade along this very Via Sacra. You still can make out the spoils of war plundered from Herod's Temple, including a gigantic seven-branched candelabrum (menorah) and silver trumpets. During his sacking of Jerusalem, Titus killed or deported most of the Jewish population, thus initiating the Jewish diaspora—an event that would have far-reaching historical consequences.

One of Capri's most famous natural wonders, this geologic arch framing Punto Massullo is all that remains of a large limestone cave that has suffered the erosive effects of wind and rain over the millennia. Once a cave that was likely hollowed out by wave action, it broke apart when lifted up to its present position, hundreds of feet above sea level, in relatively recent geological times (about 1 to 2 million years ago).

Splendidly set on a promontory above a long stretch of cliff-backed sandy beach that runs right down to Scala Dei Turchi, Eraclea Minoa was once an ancient Greek city. Today, archaeology enthusiasts will enjoy the path along the mostly buried circuit of its walls to get a sense of its strategic position above a fertile river valley that appealed to the west coast Greeks. Located approximately halfway between Selinunte and Agrigento, it was founded by the former but fought over by both for most of the 5th century BC. Its fortune barely improved over the following centuries: Eraclea’s position on the west coast made it a desirable target for the armies of Carthage. Warfare, landslides, and a propensity to use ancient sites as quarries for ready-cut stone mean that little is left of the city today, and mistakes have been made in attempts to preserve what does remain.

The perspex roof added to the theater in the 1960s created warm, damp conditions perfect for the growth of abundant weeds that further damaged the stone, and a "temporary" roof erected in the early 2000s is still in place, but severely damaged. That said, the site is atmospheric, especially in spring when covered with wildflowers. There is also a small museum, with lots of finds relating to everyday life and death in the town, including a broken pot with the fragment of someone’s name written on the side, several votive statuettes, and some beautifully decorated lidded pots (pyxis) for jewels or cosmetics found in graves.

Only Rome's Colosseum and Capua's arena would dwarf this amphitheater, built for gymnastic competitions, choreographed sacrificial rites, and games involving hunts, fights, battles, and wild animals. Although four arches are all that remain of the arena's outer arcade, the main structure is complete and dates from AD 30. In summer, you can join up to 16,000 for spectacular opera productions and pop or rock concerts (extra costs for these events). The opera's the main thing here: when there is no opera performance, you can still enter the interior, but the arena is less impressive inside than the Colosseum or other Roman amphitheaters.

About 600 pieces, from about 1980 to the present, by famed Milanese fashion designer Giorgio Armani are displayed on four floors of this airy 48,000-square-foot museum, housed in a 1950s building that was formerly a Nestlé cereal storage facility. The collection includes many of Armani’s famous suits and clothes worn to the Oscars and other celebrity-studded events. A digital archive lets you explore Armani's full body of work, and a café lets you stop for a restorative espresso. Temporary exhibitions explore photography, architecture, and other themes related to design.

Get a feel of the architecture and naval might of the repubblica marinara (maritime republic) of Amalfi at this fascinating museum within the impressive Arsenale shipyard, which was first documented in 1059. As well as a cultural and performance space, the Arsenale contains the Museo della Bussola e del Ducato Marinaro, which largely focuses on the golden age of the Amalfi Republic between 839 and 1139, displaying artifacts such as money, manuscripts, navigational and other nautical instruments, costumes, art, and religious objects.

A lacy spire looks down on the mosaic-like roof tiles of the city's Gothic cathedral, built between the 12th and 14th centuries. Inside are 14th- and 15th-century frescoes and an intricately carved stone pulpit dating from 1514. Outside, don't miss the Porta del Vino (Wine Gate) on the northeast side facing the square; decorative carvings of grapes and harvest workers attest to the long-standing importance of wine to this region.

Crowning Via della Repubblica and the hillside, which overlooks the spectacular Bay of Salerno, Auditorium Oscar Niemeyer is a startling piece of modernist architecture. Designed with a dramatically curved, all-white roof by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, it was conceived as an alternative indoor venue for concerts, including those of the famed Ravello Festival of music and arts, and a program of winter concerts featuring jazz. The subject of much controversy since its first conception back in 2000, it raised the wrath of some locals who denounced such an ambitious modernist building in medieval Ravello. They need not have worried: the result, inaugurated in 2010, is a design masterpiece—a huge canopied roof suspended over a 400-seat concert area, with a giant eye-shaped window allowing spectators to contemplate the extraordinary bay vista during performances. Although open only during concerts and events, it is worth visiting to admire not only the architecture but also the impressive views from the large terrace, which is also a scenic setting for art exhibitions during the Ravello Festival.

Denny Almanza took over his grandfather’s beekeeping farm just outside the little village of Madonna delle Grazie at the age of 15. Now he has hives in three zones—by the sea, above the Lago di Venere, and on Montagne Grande—and his bees produce five or six different kinds of honey, including prickly pear, clover, rosemary, heather, and mountain strawberry, that tend to sell out very quickly as he is the only person on the island to produce honey at any scale. Along with honey making, Denny makes two dry white Zibbibo wines and a passito (a sweet Italian dessert wine), and produces truly excellent capers and oregano. Contact him beforehand to organize a wine tasting accompanied by local snacks such as caper and almond pesto and primosale cheese.