40 Best Sights in Italy

Francesco I de' Medici commissioned the multitalented Bernardo Buontalenti in 1568 to build a villa and a grandiose park (Parco di Pratolino) to accompany it. The park, particularly the colossal and whimsical sculpture of the Fontana dell'Appenino (Fountain of the Appenines), executed by Giambologna in 1579–89, is worth a visit. Besides providing a nice excursion from Florence, the villa is an excellent picnic spot.

To get here by car, head north from Florence on the SR65 toward Pratolino and follow signs to the villa. Or take Bus 25 from Piazza San Marco and get off at Pratolino.

Villa di Castello was bought in 1477 by Lorenzo and Giovanni di Pierfrancesco de' Medici and restructured by Cosimo I in the 16th century. The Grotta degli Animali displays sculpted animals by Giambologna. Allow about 45 minutes to visit the garden.

To get to Villa di Castello by car, head northwest from Florence on Via Reginaldo Giuliani (also known as Via Sestese) to Castello, about 6 km (4 miles) northwest of the city center in the direction of Sesto Fiorentino; follow signs to Villa di Castello. Or take Bus 28 from the city center and tell the driver you want to get off at Villa di Castello; from the stop, walk north about ½ km (¼ mile) up the alley. (Hours and opening times are highly variable; call ahead to verify.)

On the night of July 15, 1576, Isabella de' Medici, daughter of the all-powerful Cosimo I, grand duke of Tuscany, was murdered by her husband in the Villa Medicea in the town of Cerreto Guidi for "reasons of honor"—that is, she was suspected of adultery. These days, although the villa's formal garden is in somewhat imperfect condition, the vast halls and chambers within remain majestic. Copies of portraits of various Medici, including Isabella, cover the walls. The villa sits atop the highest point in Cerreto Guidi, encircled by two narrow streets where the daily business of the town goes on. As you stand on the wide, flat front lawn, high above the streets of the town, with the villa behind you and terraced hillsides of olive groves and vineyards stretching into the distance, you can imagine what it was like to be a Medici. To see the villa, ring the bell for the custodian.

In the mid-1500s, Bishop Alessandro Rufini of Melfi constructed a stunning country retreat on the site of an earlier Roman villa in the hills outside the city. Pope Paul III soon played a hand in enlarging the villa, as a part of his broader plan to enhance the village of Frascati. The villa was eventually purchased by the Falconieri family in 1628, who gave their name to the estate and commissioned an extension by Borromini—though the extent of the famed architect’s contributions are debatable. What is certain is that the Falconieri family built a legacy-worthy library that hosted intellectuals and writers from around Europe and established a tradition of offering 20 annual scholarships to promising young art students. The villa is now home to the Academy Vivarium Novum, a humanities institute based on the educational tradition of Renaissance schools, that opens the doors to its fresco-filled campus every Sunday with guided tours (in Italian) from 10 am–12 pm. Reserve a spot by emailing  [email protected].

The gardens of Villa La Petraia sit high above the Arno. The villa was built around a medieval tower and reconstructed after it was purchased by the Medici sometime after 1530. Allow 60 minutes to explore the park and gardens, plus 30 minutes for the guided tour of the villa interior.

To get here by car, follow directions to Villa di Castello, but take the right off Via Reginaldo Giuliani, following the sign for Villa La Petraia. You can walk from Villa di Castello to Villa La Petraia in about 15 minutes; turn left beyond the gate of Villa di Castello and continue straight along Via di Castello and the imposing Villa Corsini; take Via della Petraia uphill to the entrance.

Nicknamed the Casa Come Me (House Like Myself) and perched out on the rocky Punta Massullo, this villa is considered by some historians to be a great monument of 20th-century architecture. Built low to be part of the ageless landscape, the red-hue villa was designed in Rationalist style by the Roman architect Adalberto Libera in the late 1930s for its owner Curzio Malaparte (author of the novel La Pelle, which recounts various World War II experiences in Naples). Unfortunately, the aesthetic concerns of the villa are inextricably entailed with political ones: Curzio Malaparte was a full-blown fascist, and the only reason why this house was allowed to be built along this otherwise unsullied stretch of coast was by special fiat from none other than Mussolini. Malaparte was unhappy with the design and made a number of alterations during the construction phase, including the famous trapezoidal staircase that seems to grow out of the roof. The villa is private, but if you want to see it up close, it was featured as a suitably striking backdrop for Brigitte Bardot in Jean-Luc Godard's underrated film Contempt (1963).

In the small town of Artimino, next door to Carmignano, is the Villa Medicea La Ferdinanda di Artimino. Built by Ferdinando I de' Medici (1549–1609) in the 1590s, it was originally used as a hunting lodge. Though it's closed to the public (except for special occasions or by prior arrangement), it's simply a stunning villa to look at.

Unarguably the most intriguing of all Bagheria's villas is the Villa Palagonia, which can either be viewed as a delightful flight of whimsy or the product of a disturbed mind. The villa was erected in 1705 by Francesco, Prince of Palagonia, and his architect, Tommaso Napoli, but what makes it stand out today is the work of Francesco's grandson, Ferdinando, a hunchback who commissioned a weird assembly of sculptures depicting monsters and bizarre figures said to be caricatures of his wife's lovers. Visitors will see a parade of them on either side of the front and back entrances as well as atop the walls of the surrounding garden, a grotesque gallery of monsters, gnomes, and gargoyles. Only 64 of the original statues remain—they are once said to number 200—and these are in a poor state of repair.

You'll find the same air of dereliction when you climb the once-grand double staircase to enter the palace itself, where only five rooms are currently open to the public. Most striking of these is the Salone degli Specchi, a large hall whose domed ceiling is covered in mirrors, now cracked and fogged. Along the marbled walls here and in other rooms are arrayed flamboyant busts, faded frescoes, and trompe l'oeil effects that recall the grandeur that the villa must once have embodied, though you'll come away with a sense of wistful regret that more care has not been taken to restore and maintain this peculiar place.

A couple of miles outside Portoferraio, this splendid villa was Napoléon's summer home during his 10-month exile on Elba. Temporary exhibitions are held in a gallery attached to the main building. The Egyptian Room, decorated with idealized scenes of the Egyptian campaign, may have provided Napoléon the consolation of glories past. The villa's classical facade was added by a Russian prince, Anatolio Demidoff, after he bought the house in 1852.

For Verdi lovers, Villa Verdi (also known as Villa Sant'Agata) is a veritable shrine. It's the grand country home Verdi built for himself in 1849—and the place where some of his greatest works were composed. Visits are by tour only.