1473 Best Sights in Italy

The Palatine Museum charts the history of the hill from Archaic times, with quaint models of early villages (on the ground floor), to Roman times (on the ground and upper floors). There is a good video reconstruction of the hill in Room V on the ground floor, as well as a collection of colored stones used in the decorations of the palace, with a map showing the distant imperial regions whence they came. Upstairs, the room dedicated to Augustus houses painted terra-cotta moldings and sculptural decorations from various temples—notably the Temple of Apollo Actiacus, whose name derives from the god to whom Octavian attributed his victory at Actium (the severed heads of the Medusa in the terra-cotta panels symbolize the defeated Queen of Egypt). There is also a selection of imperial portraits on the upper floor, including a rare surviving image of Nero. The museum closes early, at 3:30 pm.

This civic museum is housed in a spectacular golden stone palace, typical of Gangi's architectural style. The friendly, informative staff may point out the symbolism among the 96 colorful paintings depicting Gangi's landscape and life by honorary cittadino Gianbecchina (1909--2001), a maestro of "Lyrical Realism." The upper floors hold various objects excavated from local archaeological sites as well as eclectic items related to local history, including a fascinating, if unsettling, array of firearms from around the world.

What started out as an early-Christian 4th-century suburban basilica was transformed in the 9th century into a monastery and then a farmhouse. Now it's a museum: some of the fragments of 4th-century mosaics preserved here are even more delicate than those in the main basilica. It's open Saturday and by appointment on weekdays.

This exceptional museum, opened in 1881, was once a private residence and collection, and contains not only pedigreed paintings but also porcelain, textiles, and a cabinet with scenes from Dante's life. The gem is undoubtedly Portrait of a Lady by Piero del Pollaiolo (1431–98), one of the city's most prized treasures and the source of the museum's logo. The collection also includes masterpieces by Botticelli (1445–1510), Andrea Mantegna (1431–1506), Giovanni Bellini (1430–1516), and Fra Filippo Lippi (1406–69).

It's only fitting that Deruta is home to an impressive ceramics museum, which is housed in the 14th-century former convent of San Francesco. The most notable pieces are Renaissance vessels made using the lustro technique, which originated in Arab and Middle Eastern cultures some 500 years before coming into use in Italy in the late 1400s and which incorporates crushed precious materials such as gold or silver to create a rich, lustrous finish.

One of Italy’s most celebrated Renaissance painters, Caravaggio spent a good deal of time in Sicily toward the end of his life, while on the run after committing a murder in Rome. The artwork he left behind includes two on display at this regional museum. The scandal-prone artist is best known for his religious works, which utilize dramatic shadows and heavenly lighting. The two here are the highlight of the collection, though there are also some interesting archaeological pieces salvaged from shipwrecks and several works by Antonello da Messina.

Trapani's foremost museum collection is located in a former Carmelite monastery that was attached to the important religious site of Santuario dell’Annunziata. The art sections take in some excellent examples of medieval and Renaissance art, including statuary by Antonello Gagini and a painting by Titian. Among the archaeological exhibits is a selection of low-key finds from Mozia and Selinunte. There's also a guillotine from 1800, and a good collection of memorabilia from Garibaldi's Sicilian campaign against the Bourbons in 1860.

The usual entrance to the museum is in the Villa Pepoli public garden; when this is closed enter from Via Madonna, behind the garden.

The museum of sacred art displays religious relics as well as triptychs from the Sienese and Florentine schools dating from the 14th and 15th centuries. It also contains the town's tribute to Arnolfo di Cambio, with photos of the buildings he designed for other towns. Down Via del Castello, at No. 63, is the house-tower where Arnolfo was born in 1245. (It's not open to the public.)

Frederick Stibbert (1838–1906), born in Florence to an Italian mother and an English father, liked to collect things. Over a lifetime of doing so, he amassed some 50,000 objects. This museum, which was also his home, displays many of them. He had a fascination with medieval armor, as well as costumes, particularly Uzbek costumes, which are exhibited in a room called the Moresque Hall. These are mingled with an extensive collection of swords and guns.

There are few places dedicated to Second World War history in Rome, but this small museum inside the infamous prison on Via Tasso serves as a poignant reminder of the horrors that conspired here under the Nazi-Fascist regime. In cells where the S.S. tortured partisans and other prisoners, artifacts such as wartime bulletins, letters written by the prisoners, and even bloody garments are displayed as moving testaments to a dark period in history.

This museum was founded after World War I to commemorate the conflict—and to warn against repeating its atrocities. An authoritative exhibition of military artifacts is displayed in the medieval castle perched above Rovereto; the views alone warrant a visit. From June through October you can also see a collection of artillery from the Great War housed in a former air-raid shelter.

Begun in 1906, the Targa Florio car race weaved its way through the picturesque towns and villages of the Madonie Mountains every year until it was stopped in 1977 for safety reasons; today the same route is driven as part of the annual Italian Rally Championship. Collesano has been an important stage of the race since its inception, and today the city is home to a museum dedicated to the history of the car race. In a detailed exhibition, you can learn of its origins and participants, including some of the most famous drivers that Italy has ever produced. It's an excellent museum for those who love racing and cars.

Arranged in a series of rooms around the cobbled courtyard of the 18th-century Palazzo Fici, this museum in the old center opened in 2024 to showcase the Marsala wine for which the town is famous. It also chronicles the development of wine production in the region generally, from its Phoenician beginnings to the present, in the process providing a good summary of the history of the town itself. It's worth pausing in the first rooms to view the subtitled videos, before moving on to rooms that cover the terrain and manufacture of Marsala wine, focusing on the first British exporters—Woodhouse, Ingham, and Whitaker—and the Italian wine dynasties that succeeded them, notably the Florios.

Occupying the enormous Palazzo Roccella, this arts venue formerly known as Palazzo delle Arti di Napoli (PAN) mounts temporary art exhibitions and operates a center for art research and documentation. Past exhibits have included the photographs of Joel-Peter Witkin, as well as shows featuring internationally recognized contemporary artists working in other media, but the large space showcases works by up-and-coming talents as well. Film and other events also take place here.

Before visiting, check ahead on the status of (and entrance fees for) this museum, which has been undergoing renovations and is slated to reopen in 2025.

The Castello di Milazzo is home to this museum founded by Sicilian marine biologist Carmelo Isgro who recovered the remains of a sperm whale that died after it was caught in an illegal fishing net off the Aeolian Islands. Isgro reconstructed the whale's skeleton, and it became the central figure of the museum along with other exhibits that highlight the relationship between man and the sea and how it can be improved. While the museum is free, you still have to book your ticket online at least 24 hours in advance.

Fascinating 90-minute tours of a portion of Naples's fabled underground city provide an initiation into the complex history of the city center. Efforts to dramatize the experience—amphoras lowered on ropes to draw water from cisterns, candles given to navigate narrow passages, objects shifted to reveal secret passages—combine with enthusiastic English-speaking guides to make this particularly exciting for older children. Be prepared on the underground tour to go up and down many steps and crouch in very narrow corridors.

Pre-Etruscan tombs at this necropolis aren't kept up well, but they're interesting simply for their age, as they're even older than Saturnia's legendary baths. Access is free and at all hours.

With advance notice you can take a one-hour guided tour in English of the Vatican Necropolis, under the Basilica di San Pietro, which gives a rare glimpse of early Christian Roman burial customs and a closer look at the tomb of St. Peter. Apply via the contact form online, specifying the number of people in the group (all must be age 10 or older), preferred language, preferred time, available dates, and your contact information in Rome. Each group will have about 12 participants. Visits are not recommended for those with mobility issues or who are claustrophobic.

Throughout Savoca you'll see works by steel artist Nino Ucchino, such as the now-iconic sculpture of Francis Ford Coppola behind his camera and an amusing talking donkey. You can visit his studio, perched on the hillside on the road into town, to see the master at work or buy some of his creations. He's there in his studio most afternoons, but it's best to call ahead to be sure he's available.

Just 9 km (5½ miles) northeast of Finale Ligure, the ruins of a castle loom benevolently over Noli, a tiny medieval gem. It's hard to imagine that this charming seaside village was—like Genoa, Venice, Pisa, and Amalfi—a prosperous maritime republic in the Middle Ages. Let yourself get lost among its labyrinth of cobblestone streets filled with shops and cafés or enjoy a day in the sun on its lovely stretch of beach. If you don't have a car, get a bus for Noli at Spotorno, where local trains stop.

The birthplace of St. Benedict, Norcia is best known for its Umbrian pork and truffles, which you can sample at shops throughout town. Norcia exports truffles to France and hosts a truffle festival, Nero Norcia, every February. Though the town itself is still under reconstruction following a devastating 2016 earthquake, the surrounding mountains provide spectacular hiking.

The Umiliati owned this architectural hodgepodge of a church before the Franciscans took it over in the mid-16th century. Beyond the fanciful baroque facade by Matteo Nigetti (1560–1649) are a couple of wonderful 15th-century gems. On the right in the nave is the Madonna della Misericordia by Ghirlandaio; a little farther down is Botticelli's St. Augustine in His Study. A companion piece, directly across the way, is Ghirlandaio's St. Jerome. Also worth seeing is the wooden crucifix by Giotto: the colors dazzle. Pass through the rather dreadfully frescoed cloister to view Ghirlandaio's superb Last Supper.

A walk through Caltanissetta's historic center offers a glimpse into its noble past. Start your walk at Piazza Garibaldi and follow Corso Vittorio Emanuele, where you'll find the elegant Teatro Regina Margherita, which is worth visiting if a concert or opera is playing during your stay. Continuing along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, you'll encounter the Church of Santa Croce, built on the site of a 16th-century Benedictine monastery. This partially pedestrianized wide avenue offers a pleasant stroll with many shops, bars, and restaurants. 

For those overwhelmed by the throngs at Pompeii, a visit to the site of Oplontis offers a chance for contemplation and intellectual stimulation. What has been excavated so far of the Villa of the Empress Poppaea covers more than 75,000 square feet, and because the site is bound by a road to the west and a canal to the south, its full extent may never be known. Complete with porticoes, a large peristyle, a pool, baths, and extensive gardens, the villa is thought by some to have been a school for young philosophers and orators.

Unlike Herculaneum and Pompeii, no skeletons were found here, leading scholars to conclude that the villa had been abandoned after the earthquake of AD 62 and was undergoing restructuring pending sale to another owner. You have to visit to appreciate the full range of Roman wall paintings; one highlight is found in Room 5, a sitting room that overlooked the sea. Here a painted window depicts the sanctuary of Apollo, while off to the left a peacock perches next to a theatrical mask. Owing to the second Pompeian style, the walls and their frescoed arches and columns seem to open out onto a scene beyond, as seen in the paintings in the triclinium (Room 6) and the cubiculum (Room 7). At the back, through a cooling garden planted with bay trees as in antiquity, is what would be an Olympic-size swimming pool. The adjacent guest rooms, or hospitalia, display murals of the fourth Pompeian style, dating them from AD 50 onward. With painted fruits and flowers, vegetation was guaranteed to flourish all year, and in the open viridarium (pleasure garden, Room 16) guests could compare painted flora and the odd bird with the real things. Room 21 is a Roman latrine, its ancient fittings clearly on view.

Founded in 1441 by Antoninus, Bishop of Florence, to offer alms to the poveri vergognosi (ashamed poor), this one-room oratory is decorated with 15th-century frescoes by the school of Ghirlandaio that vividly depict the confraternity's activities. More than 500 years later, the Compagnia dei Buonomini, or Confraternity of the Good Men, continues to perform charitable works, linking Renaissance notions of charity to the 21st century.

Housed in a Baroque masterwork by Borromini, this former religious residence named for Saint Philip Neri, founder in 1551 of the Congregation of the Oratorians, now contains Rome's Archivio Storico. Like the Jesuits, the Oratorians—or Filippini, as they were commonly known—were one of the religious orders established in the mid-16th century as part of the Counter-Reformation. Neri, a man of rare charm and wit, insisted that the members of the order—most of them young noblemen whom he had recruited personally—not only renounce their worldly goods, but also work as common laborers in the construction of Neri's great church of Santa Maria in Vallicella.

The Oratory itself, built between 1637 and 1662, has a gently curving facade that is typical of Borromini, who insisted on introducing movement into everything he designed. The inspiration here is that of arms extended in welcome to the poor. The building houses the Vallicelliana Library founded by Philip Neri, and the courtyard is usually accessible during the library's opening hours. Otherwise, guided visits, usually in the mornings, can be booked by email.

Despite its grand facade and airy interior, the church of San Domenico itself holds little interest for anyone who isn’t excited by the tombs of Sicilian notables, but the eponymous oratory, located behind the church, constitutes one of Palermo’s great unsung treasures. The private chapel is generously adorned with sumptuous, creamy white stuccos, exquisitely crafted by Giacomo Serpotta (1656­­–1732) and depicting figures representing Patience, Obedience, Humility, Liberty, Justice, and more. Unusually, these allegorical figures take the form of elegant society ladies—something which would never have been possible in a public place of worship like a church. A QR code shown at the ticket office will allow you to download an app that provides background information on what you're looking at, such as the numerous symbols incorporated into each of the sculptures, including the gold-colored lizard on Fortitude’s column, a puny reference to the artist himself, whose name resembles the Sicilian dialect word for “lizard.” Around the allegorical figures cavort a host of playful putti (cherubs), some of them playing musical instruments, while the 1628 painting above the altarpiece, Madonna and Saints, is the work of Anthony van Dyck.

Hidden behind high walls and accessed through a courtyard, the oratory—or private chapel—of Saint Cita boasts one of the finest collections of the graceful white stuccos for which their creator, Giacomo Serpotta (1656–1732), is famous. The centerpiece is an amazingly elaborate rendering of the Battle of Lepanto, at which the Ottoman Turkish fleet was defeated by combined Christian forces in 1571. The walls are inset with a series of Biblical scenes from the life of Jesus. To leaven the solemnity of such scenes, however, Serpotta has introduced some of his most fetching portrayals of the ordinary people of Palermo, from street urchins to wizened old men and sophisticated ladies, while an army of mischievous putti (cherubs) interweaves among them. Fans of Serpotta can find more of his works in the Oratorio di San Lorenzo in nearby Via Immacolatella.

This structure has served multiple purposes. Built in the 8th century as an oratory, in 1290, it was turned into an open-air loggia for selling grain. Destroyed by fire in 1304, it was rebuilt as a loggia-market. Between 1367 and 1380, its arcades were closed and two stories were added above. Finally, at century's end, it was turned into a church.

Although the interior contains a beautifully detailed 14th-century Gothic tabernacle by Andrea Orcagna (1308–68), it's the exterior that is most interesting. Niches contain sculptures (all copies) dating from the early 1400s to the early 1600s by Donatello and Verrocchio (1435–88), among others, which were paid for by the guilds.