423 Best Sights in Italy

The fabulously voluptuous facade makes a stunning contrast with the limestone cliffs soaring above the edge of the town's historic center. A dizzying fusion of the Baroque and rococo lies behind the lace grate doors of this single-nave church; your eyes eventually lead to the central altarpiece painting, Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew (1779) by Francesco Pasucci. Most enchanting is the Neapolitan wooden nativity scene conceived in the 16th century and remodeled by Pietro Padula (1773–76).

As is usually the case in Sicily, this church is one of the best places in town to see some incredible art. The Chiesa di San Benedetto is decorated with an elaborate and remarkably well-preserved majolica ceramic floor designed and crafted by 18th-century Palermo artist Nicolò Sarana. The decorative gold-highlighted stucco wall decorations make the church glow in the sunlight.

The tiny village of Lamole contains this Romanesque church, which was greatly modified in 1860; the only remnant of its earlier incarnation can be found in its simple facade. Inside is a 14th-century altarpiece, as well as a curious side chapel on the right that is decorated with rather garish 20th-century religious works. From Greve in Chianti, drive south on SR222 for about 1 km (½ mile); take a left and follow signs for Lamole. It's about 10 km (6 miles) southeast of Greve.

This impressive deconsecrated 17th-century church occupies an entire block of the main street in the medieval quarter and sits beside the Collegio dei Gesuiti, which now houses the Biblioteca Comunale, the town's library, and its civic collections. These include the Civico Museo Archeologico, an archaeological museum with exhibits telling the history and significance of the Abete delle Madonie, an endangered fir tree species; and the Museo del Giocattolo Antico, with poignant displays of antique toys. The church itself is in the standard Greek cross structure. It is filled with marble vaults that host the statues of various saints and is decorated with floral embellishments typical of the extravagant Sicilian Baroque style. Government funding was secured in 2023 to begin extensive restoration of the building. 

Next to the Museo Civico Archeologico, you’ll find this little gem of a church, constructed starting in 1503 and decorated almost completely with magnificent 16th-century frescoes. The modest exterior belies the treasures inside, including a concealed back room once used by nuns that includes a fascinating fresco of Noah loading the ark with animals, including two unicorns.

The 14th-century Gothic cathedral, with a crenellated facade and an ornate campanile, sits in the heart of the old town. The Capella di Santa Barbara, just behind the Duomo, is an octagonal church containing a 15th-century pietà.  Mass is held in German only.

Visit this 15th-century church to view the excellent stained-glass window in the apse, executed by Sebastiano Mainardi (circa 1460–1513), as well as a haunting Pietà created by local artist Zacchia Zacchi (1473–1544).

Situated next to the castle in the upper part of town, this church was completely rebuilt in the 19th century. In the small chapel to the right of the nave is an Annunciation attributed to Michele di Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio (1503–77).

In the Middle Ages, Petralia Sottana was under the dominion of the Ventimiglia family, whose immense wealth left behind many stunning public works and buildings in the town. The concentration of this architecture is focused in and around the central square of Piazza Umberto I, which is dominated by this 16th-century parish church, an impressive cathedral dedicated to the Madonna of the Assumption. The interior is filled with sculptures from the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries, including details from Antonello Gangini, a famed Sicilian sculptor who decorated many important churches with his artwork.

On the town's Piazza Duomo, you'll find the parish church of the apostles St. Peter and St. Paul. The church's dominating structure is in the Catalonian Gothic style, with 12 elaborate columns representing the apostles and two bell towers, one Norman and one from the 18th century. The interior is relatively simple, with notable works including an intricately carved, life-size wooden crucifix by local monk Frate Umile da Petralia (1600--1639) and and the Madonie's largest organ, which dates from 1780. Petralia Soprana's most venerated pious objects, the multicolored wooden statues of the apostles Pietro and Paolo (1767) are paraded through the streets on the saint's feast day, June 29.

Castelbuono's main cathedral, located on the central square of Piazza Margherita, was originally established in 1362; the current church is an elegant Romanesque structure dating to the 16th century that is filled with religious art and paintings. The Gothic Catalan bell tower reflects a similar Andalusian style to Palermo's Duomo and is a prominent feature of the town's landscape. A painted altarpiece, with intricate wooden carved details and portraits of various saints, dominates the church interior. The images on the polyptych are from the 1500s, created by Antonio di Saliba, the nephew of the famous early Renaissance Sicilian master Antonello da Messina.

Often overlooked, this small, peaceful 16th-century cloister was frescoed in grisaille by Andrea del Sarto (1486–1530) and Franciabigio with scenes from the life of St. John the Baptist, Florence's patron saint. Note that temporary closures are a possibility at this site, so check on accessibility before visiting.

The final resting place for some 1,400 souls was designed in 1828 by Carlo Reishammer and originally intended for the Swiss community in Florence. Just outside the city's 14th-century walls (no longer visible), the cemetery grew to accommodate other foreigners living here, and thus earned another of its names, the Protestant Cemetery. It's also referred to as the "Island of the Dead." Indeed, Swiss painter Arnold Böcklin (1827–1901) used the cemetery as inspiration for his haunting painting of that name.

Perhaps its most famous resident is Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1809–61), who spent the last 15 years of her life in the city. Other noteworthy expats buried here include the English poets Arthur Clough and Walter Savage Landor, Frances Trollope (mother of Anthony), and the American preacher Theodore Parker.

One of the most famous of Genovese landmarks is this bizarrely beautiful cemetery; its fanciful marble and bronze sculptures sprawl haphazardly across a hillside on the outskirts of town. A pantheon holds indoor tombs and some remarkable works like an 1878 Eve by Villa. Don't miss Rovelli's 1896 Tomba Raggio, which shoots Gothic spires out of the hillside forest. The cemetery began operation in 1851 and has been lauded by such visitors as Mark Twain and Evelyn Waugh. It covers a good deal of ground (allow at least half a day to explore). Take Bus Nos. 13 or 14 from the Stazione Genova Brignole, Bus No. 34 from Stazione Principe, or a taxi.

From the belvedere of the Domus Flavia on the Palatine Hill, you can see the Circus Maximus; there's also a great free view from Piazzale Ugo La Malfa on the Aventine Hill side. The giant space where 300,000 spectators once watched chariot races while the emperor looked on is ancient Rome's oldest and largest racetrack; it lies in a natural hollow between the two hills. The oval course stretches about 650 yards from end to end; on certain occasions, there were as many as 24 chariot races a day, and competitions could last for 15 days. The charioteers could amass fortunes rather like the sports stars of today. (The Portuguese Diocles is said to have totted up winnings of 35 million sestertii.)

The noise and the excitement of the crowd must have reached astonishing levels as the charioteers competed in teams, each with their own colors—the Reds, the Blues, etc. Betting also provided Rome's majority of unemployed with a potentially lucrative occupation. The central ridge was the site of two Egyptian obelisks (now in Piazza del Popolo and Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano). Picture the great chariot race scene from MGM's Ben-Hur and you have an inkling of what this was like.  The "Circo Massimo Experience," a 40-minute augmented and virtual reality experience through the stadium, costs €12.

The 13th-century Collegiata church has three majestic portals, one possibly the work of Giovanni Pisano (circa 1245/48–1318). Behind the high altar are some fine examples of inlaid woodwork by Antonio Barilli (1482–1502). In the floor of the left aisle, look for the tomb slab of Henry of Nassau, a pilgrim knight who died here in 1451.

This Gothic church is dedicated to Asti's patron saint, believed by some to have been decapitated by the Emperor Hadrian on this very spot. San Secondo is also the patron of the city's favorite folklore and sporting event, the annual Palio di Asti, a colorful medieval-style horse race that's similar to Siena's. It's held each year on a Sunday in early September in the vast Campo del Palio to the south of the church.

Originally there was a 6th-century chapel on this site, founded by the Archdeacon Orso, a local saint. Most of the structure was destroyed or hidden when an 11th-century church was erected over it. If you go up the stairs on the left from the main church you can see the frescoes of Christ and the apostles (ask the sacristan, who'll let you in). Take the outside doorway to see the church's crowning glory, its 12th-century cloister, enclosed by some 40 stone columns with carved capitals depicting scenes from the life of St. Orso.

Opposite the Museo del Satiro Danzante, the exuberant Baroque Jesuit College, with its portal framed by hefty male caryatids, was once the center of the Catholic Inquisition in town during the 18th century, charged with rooting out and punishing anything they deemed to be heresy. In 1824, the Jesuits clashed with Sicily’s Bourbon rulers and were kicked out (probably missed by a few). Now, the space is undergoing renovations, and visitors can explore small exhibitions of artworks from the municipal archives. The damaged church of Sant’Ignazio next door is sometimes open; it's an evocative elliptical space, framed by red-gold sandstone and marble columns, and open to the sky. It is occasionally used for open-air concerts and exhibitions.

In the center of Piazza Santa Trinita is this column from Rome's Terme di Caracalla, given to the Medici grand duke Cosimo I by Pope Pius IV in 1560. Typical of Medici self-assurance, the name translates as the Column of Justice.

Inspired by Trajan's Column, this 2nd-century-AD column is composed of 27 blocks of marble covered in reliefs recounting Marcus Aurelius's victory over the Germanic tribes. A bronze statue of St. Paul, which replaced the original effigy of the emperor and his wife, Faustina, in the 16th century, stands at the top. The column is the centerpiece of Piazza Colonna.

The remarkable series of reliefs spiraling up this column, which has stood in this spot since AD 113, celebrate the emperor's victories over the Dacians in today's Romania. The scenes on the column are an important primary source for information on the Roman army and its tactics. An inscription on the base declares that the column was erected in Trajan's honor and that its height corresponds to the height of the hill that was razed to create a level area for the grandiose Foro di Traiano. The emperor's ashes, no longer here, were kept in a golden urn in a chamber at the column's base; his statue stood atop the column until 1587, when the pope had it replaced with a statue of St. Peter.

Commonly referred to as the "Calatrava Bridge" after its designer, Santiago Calatrava, this swooping modern arch crossing the Grand Canal connects Piazzale Roma to the train station. Opinions have differed wildly on its aesthetic ever since its inauguration in 2008, but no one can deny its long-overdue usefulness—as many as 5,000 people a day cross it when arriving, departing, or daily commuting. It has become notorious for its structural flaws, most notably slippery steps made of Murano glass that—it is said—are eventually going to be replaced by concrete. Whatever your thoughts on its beauty, the views from its graceful summit are always engaging.

The Convento e Chiesa di Santi Jacopo e Lucia is also oddly known as the church of San Domenico, which refers to the fact that the Dominicans took over the church in the 14th century. Most of the interior suffers from too much baroque, but there is a lovely sculpted tomb by Bernardo Rossellino for Giovanni Chellini, a doctor who died in 1461. You'll find it on the right-hand nave close to the high altar.

A string of elegantly connected palazzi expresses the artistic nature of this city center, the heart of which is concentrated along Corso Vannucci. Stately and broad, this pedestrian-only street runs from Piazza Italia to Piazza IV Novembre. Along the way, the entrances to many of Perugia's side streets might tempt you to wander off and explore. But don't stray too far as evening falls, when Corso Vannucci fills with Perugians out for their evening passeggiata, a pleasant predinner stroll that may include a pause for an aperitif at one of the many bars that line the street.

This lively street that runs the length of Lipari Town from the port blends the tourist and local worlds. You'll find the requisite souvenir shops selling trinkets and postcards, but it's also where residents go to visit their butcher, to pick up daily bread, and to buy fishing tackle. During summer evenings, it's closed to cars and becomes the primary stretch for making the evening passeggiata (evening stroll) past cafés that reverberate with energy late into the evenings.

In 1338, the Dominican friars (the Dominican church of Santa Maria Novella is down the street) erected this little granite column near Piazza Santa Maria Novella to commemorate a famous local victory: it was here in 1244 that they defeated their avowed enemies, the Patarene heretics, in a bloody street brawl.

The unfinished facade of Montepulciano's cathedral doesn't measure up to the beauty of its neighboring palaces. On the inside, however, its Renaissance roots shine through. The high altar has a splendid triptych painted in 1401 by Taddeo di Bartolo (circa 1362–1422), and you can see fragments of the tomb of Bartolomeo Aragazzi, secretary to Pope Martin V, that was sculpted by Michelozzo between 1427 and 1436.

San Miniato's Duomo, set in a lovely piazza, has a simple yet pretty 13th-century facade, which has been restored. It also has a lovely pulpit designed by Giovanni Duprè, which was executed by his daughter Amalia (1845–1928). The interior is largely uninteresting, though there's a poignant plaque commemorating the 55 citizens who were killed in this church in July 1944 by German occupying forces.

The splendid 15th-century Renaissance-Gothic Duomo was begun in 1396. The facade was added in 1455, and the transepts were completed in the mid-18th century. The dome was designed by Filippo Juvarra (1678–1736), chief architect of many of the sumptuous palaces of the royal house of Savoy. The facade has statues of two of Como's most famous sons, Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger, whose writings are among the most important documents from antiquity. Inside, the works of art include Luini's Holy Conversation, a fresco cycle by Morazzone, and the Marriage of the Virgin Mary by Ferrari.