235 Best Sights in Italy

More than just about any other town, Orvieto has grown from its own foundations. The Etruscans, the Romans, and those who followed dug into the tufa (the same soft volcanic rock from which catacombs were made) to create more than 1,000 separate cisterns, caves, passages, storage areas, and production areas for wine and olive oil. Much of the tufa removed was used as building blocks for the city that exists today, and some was partly ground into pozzolana, which was made into mortar. You can see the labyrinth of dugout chambers beneath the city on the Orvieto Underground tour, which runs daily at 11, 12:15, 4, and 5:15 (reservations recommended), departing from Piazza del Duomo 23.

Designed by architect Vincenzo Sinatra in the 17th century, Palazzo Ducezio (now the town hall) is still a sight to behold. Up until 2024 you could visit both of its two floors, with the top floor offering panoramic views of the surrounding area. However, a legal wrangle has halted visits. Still, the steps of the palace make for popular pews for watching the world pass before the Duomo's magnificent staircase. The best time to visit is in the afternoon or evening when the local buildings take on a golden hue in the fading light. Around the back, the Bassi di Palazzo Ducezio interiors stage exhibitions, including regular shows of the large, vibrant canvases by charming Siracusano artist Mario Zito, lecturer at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Palermo.

Begun in 1299 and built as a meeting place for the guildsmen governing the city at the time, Florence's forbidding, fortress-like city hall was presumably designed by Arnolfo di Cambio. Although its massive bulk and towering campanile dominate Piazza della Signoria, its interior courtyard is a good deal less severe, having been remodeled by Michelozzo (1396–1472) in 1453. A copy of Verrocchio's bronze puttino (cherub), topping the central fountain, also softens the space. (The original is upstairs.)

The main attraction is on the second floor: two adjoining rooms that supply one of the most startling contrasts in Florence. The first is the opulently vast Sala dei Cinquecento (Room of the Five Hundred), named for the 500-member Great Council, the people's assembly established after the death of Lorenzo the Magnificent, that met here. Giorgio Vasari and others decorated the room, around 1563–65, with gargantuan frescoes celebrating Florentine history; depictions of battles with nearby cities predominate. Continuing the martial theme is Michelangelo's Victory, intended for the tomb of Pope Julius II (1443–1513), plus other sculptures of decidedly lesser quality.

In comparison, the little Studiolo, just off the Sala dei Cinquecento's entrance, was a private room meant for the duke and those whom he invited in. Here's where the melancholy Francesco I (1541–87), son of Cosimo I, stored his priceless treasures and conducted scientific experiments. Designed by Vasari, it was decorated by him, Giambologna, and many others. Note, too, that spectacular 360-degree views may be had from the battlements (only 77 steps) and the tower (223 more).

This adventure park is located inside the Parco delle Madonie and offers several activities, including archery and obstacle courses, through the forest and above the trees on rope ladders. There are different levels of varying difficulty, which are designed for children and adults alike. You can also rent a tree house or glamping accommodations to spend the night suspended 20 feet above the ground.

This eerie fantasy, originally known as the Village of Marvels, or the Sacred Wood, was created in 1552 by Prince Vicino Orsini, with the aid of the famous artist Pirro Ligorio. The surreal park is populated with weird and fantastic sculptures of mythical creatures intended to astonish illustrious guests. The works, carved in outcroppings of mossy stone in shady groves and woodland, include giant tortoises and griffins and an ogre's head with an enormous gaping mouth and a table with chairs set inside. Children love it, and there are photo ops galore. The park has a self-service caffè (open Sunday only, in winter) and a gift shop.

This pleasant riverside park is a great place to stroll, bike, or jog. Originally the grounds of a relatively simple hunting lodge, the park owes its present arrangement to Madama Maria Cristina of France, who received the land and lodge as a wedding present after her marriage to Vittorio Amedeo I of Savoy. The building, now home to the University of Turin's Faculty of Architecture, is not open to the public. However, you can visit the Orto Botanico di Torino (Botanical Garden of Turin) just north of the castle.

The well-kept nature preserve at Monti dell'Uccellina is an oasis of green hills sloping down to small, secluded beaches on protected coastline. The park also has scattered Etruscan and Roman ruins and a medieval abbey, the Abbazia di San Rabano. Daily limits restrict the number of cars that can enter, so in summer it's best to either reserve ahead or to leave your car in Alberese and use the regular bus service. Contact the park's information office for bookings and to secure English-language guides. Enter from the south at Talamone (turn right 1 km [½ mile] before town) or from Alberese, both reachable from the SS1 (Via Aurelia). 

The Parco Regionale delle Alpi Apuane (Regional Park of the Apuan Alps) straddles the hills of coastal Versilia and spreads mostly across the mountainous Garfagnana inland. It includes caves, grottoes, peaks, and valleys. Hiking, riding, and mountain bike trails crisscross the park. There are various points of access for various types of excursions, and all are clearly indicated on the interactive park map. The park's visitor center is in the town of Castelnuovo Garfagnana.

Italy's largest national park straddles Calabria and Basilicata, rises to over 7,000 feet at Serra Dolcedorme, and offers many opportunities for outdoors enthusiasts. Its ancient wooded valleys are home to Europe's oldest tree, a 1,230-year-old Heldreich’s pine. There are five summits all over 6,562 feet, the highest point being Serra Dolcedorme at 7,438 feet above sea level, the highest point of the Southern Apennines. It's the only peak from where it's possible to see three seas: the Ionian, the Tyrrhenian, and the Adriatic. Hiking trails dot the landscape with excursions for most abilities—and there are popular picnicking viewpoints, often near rifugi (rustic hostels that tend to offer food).

The Alps' (and Italy's) biggest national park is spread over 1,350 square km (520 square miles) and four provinces. Opened in 1935 to preserve flora and protect fauna, today it has more than 1,200 types of plants, 600 different mushrooms, and more than 160 species of animals, including the chamois, ibex, and roe deer. There are many entrances to the park and five visitor centers.  Bormio makes a good base for exploring—the closest entrance to town is the year-round gateway at Torre Alberti.

As you wander around the palms and semitropical shrubs, don't be surprised if you're followed by a peacock or even an ostrich: they're part of the zoological garden and are allowed to roam almost at will. From the top of the hill on which the villa stands you can see the gentle hills of the Lombardy shore of Lake Maggiore and, nearer and to the left, the jewel-like Isole Borromee. In addition to a bar and restaurant, the grounds also have picnic spots and there is a farm that's popular with children.

Originally the gardens and parade grounds of the Castello Sforzesco, this open space was reorganized during the Napoleonic era, when the arena on its northeast side was constructed, and then turned into a park during the building boom at the end of the 19th century. It is still the lungs of the city's fashionable western neighborhoods, and the Aquarium still attracts Milan's schoolchildren. The park became a bit of a design showcase in 1933 with the construction of the Triennale.

An often overlooked sight in western Naples, this park—not to be confused with the Parco Virgiliano, at the western end of the Naples suburb of Posillipo—is named for the poet Virgil and is reputedly his burial site. The sign at the entrance indicates that not only (by legend) is Virgil's tomb here, but also the tomb-memorial of Giacomo Leopardi, the author of the evocative poem "L'infinito," who died during the 1837 cholera epidemic. As a safety precaution, victims of the disease were usually buried in mass graves, but the writer (and later politician) Antonio Ranieri, a close friend, arranged for this monument, which until 1939 was located elsewhere. From the Mergellina metro station, walk south to Salita della Grotta and turn right just before the church of Santa Maria di Piedigrotta; the park's entrance is just before the road tunnel.

Perched 500 feet above the Bay of Naples, this large urban park is worth the trip for its stunning vistas that face the islet Nisida with the formerly industrial area of Bagnoli stretching out below. A raised central area has a sports field where the Naples American Football team often trains.

An 8-km (5-mile) botanical promenade dating from 1892 ends with a panoramic view of Bolzano. Recent updates include signposting for various species of plants and trees, as well as benches and picnic tables. You can choose to return to town along the same path, or you can walk along the River Fago and end up back in the center of Bolzano.

At 7,346 feet, Passo Pordoi is the highest surface-road pass in the Dolomites. It connects Arabba, in Val Cordevole (Province of Belluno), with Canazei, in Val di Fossa (Province of Trento). Views from the top include the Sassolungo and Sella group of mountains, and even the Marmolada Glacier. There are several hotels and a ski school located at the pass, as well as some souvenir shops, restaurants, and snack carts. While the hotels are not glamorous, some do offer half-board packages at reasonable rates. The road up to the pass from Canazei has a few scenic and picnic pull-offs, plus 28 hairpin turns.

Skiing is available year-round. The most popular winter skiing areas are Belvedere and Sella Ronda, and much of the area is part of the Dolomiti Superski package. Even if the road for the pass is closed, many of the cable cars in neighboring valley towns will be running to various summits.

From Passo Pordoi you can get a cable car (May through October) to the Sass Pordoi, often called the Terrazza delle Dolomiti (Terrace of the Dolomites). At more than 9,100 feet, it offers myriad hiking trails and vie ferrate with varying degrees of difficulty (none of which are easy), leading to rifugi and the region's other peaks and passes.

Located in the geographical heart of the Parco delle Madonie about a half-hour north of Petralia Sottana, the hamlet of Piano Battaglia makes a good day trip for anyone hoping to have a true mountain experience. This is where locals, and many Palermitani, come to enjoy the mountains, whether it's skiing in the winter or picnicking in the summer. The visitor center is a good place to find out about any number of summer and winter activities, including snow tubing, sleighing, skiing, mountain biking, and hiking excursions, and to have a snack at Café Fun Park.

A bustling marketplace in the morning (Monday through Saturday from 8 to 2) and a trendy meeting place the rest of the day and night, this piazza has plenty of down-to-earth charm. Just after lunchtime, all the fruit and vegetable vendors disappear, and this so-called piazza trasformista takes on another identity, becoming a circus of bars particularly favored by study-abroad students, tourists, and young expats. Brooding over the piazza is a hooded statue of the philosopher Giordano Bruno, who was burned at the stake here in 1600 for heresy, one of many victims of the Roman Inquisition.

In the 14th century, this piazza was part of a neighborhood of primarily wool- and silk-trade workers. The disenfranchised wool workers, forbidden entry to the Arte della Lana (the Wool Guild, whose members included those who traded in wool), briefly seized control of the government. It was a short-lived exercise in rule by the unrepresented, and it was eventually quashed by the ruling upper class. The loggia, executed in 1567, is by Giorgio Vasari.

The impressive cobblestone piazza scene contains the cathedral and the Battistero, plus the Palazzo del Vescovado (Bishop's Palace). Behind the Duomo is the Baroque church of San Giovanni Evangelista.

Here's where the ancient Roman amphitheater once stood. Some of the medieval buildings built over the amphitheater retain its original oval shape and brick arches.

At the very heart of the Trastevere rione (district) lies this beautiful piazza, with its elegant raised fountain and sidewalk caffès. The centerpiece is the 12th-century church of Santa Maria in Trastevere, first consecrated in the 4th century. Across countless generations, this piazza has seen the comings and goings of residents and travelers, as well as intellectuals and artists, who today often lounge on the steps of the fountain or eat lunch at an outdoor table at Sabatini's. At night, the piazza is the center of Trastevere's action, with street festivals, musicians, and the occasional mime vying for attention from the many people taking the evening air.

This piazza is the heart of Parma, where people gather to pass the time of day, start their passeggiata (constitutional), or simply hang out; the square and nearby Piazza del Duomo make up one of the loveliest historic centers in Italy. Strada Cavour, leading off the piazza, is Parma's prime shopping street. It's also crammed with wine bars teeming with locals, so it's a perfect place to stop for a snack or light lunch or a drink.

With its irregular shape and sloping brick pavement, framed by buildings of assorted centuries, Arezzo's central piazza echoes Siena's Piazza del Campo. Though not quite so magnificent, it's lively enough during the outdoor antiques fair the first weekend of the month and when the Giostra del Saracino (Saracen Joust), featuring medieval costumes and competition, is held here on the third Saturday of June and on the first Sunday of September.

Greve's gently sloping and asymmetrical central piazza is surrounded by an attractive arcade with shops of all kinds. In the center stands a statue of the discoverer of New York harbor, Giovanni da Verrazzano (circa 1480–1527). Check out the lively market held here on Saturday morning.

Once a part of the Aurelian Walls and now a part of the Cimitero Acattolico, this monumental tomb was designed in 12 BC for the immensely wealthy praetor Gaius Cestius, in the form of a 120-foot-tall pyramid. According to an inscription, it was completed in a little less than a year. Though little else is known about the Roman official, he clearly had a taste for grandeur and liked to show off his travels to far parts of the nascent empire. The pyramid was restored in 2015 thanks to a €1 million donation from Japanese fashion tycoon Yuzo Yagi. Guided visits (when available) require a reservation but are usually on the second and fourth Saturday of each month.

Sea and nature are the big draws of Sardinia’s Costa Verde, where you’ll find such wild and unpopulated beaches as Piscinas, at the southern end of the coast and reached via a rough mountain road that passes deserted mines and herds of goats. Amenities: none; parking (fee in summer). Best for: solitude; sunset; swimming; walking.

In 2016, Pope Francis opened the 136-acre pontifical estate and its glorious gardens to the public, which includes the archaeological remains of the palace of the Roman Emperor Domitian (dating from the 1st century AD). To explore the gardens up close, a 50-minute ecobus tour of the villa grounds is available for €15 per person. The gardens are managed by Borgo Laudato Si', an ecologically minded department of the Vatican. As a result, in addition to the standard audio guide, each bus stop is accompanied by a short excerpt from the Encyclical Letter Laudato Si', the Pope's treatise on the natural environment.

Framed by two squat, circular towers, this gate was constructed at the beginning of the 5th century during a renovation of the 3rd century Aurelian Walls. Here you can see just how well the walls have been preserved and imagine hordes of Visigoths trying to break through them. Sturdy as they look, these walls couldn't always keep out the barbarians: Rome was sacked three times during the 5th century alone.

For a quick beach escape from Agrigento, head to Punta Bianca Beach, a natural reserve along the coast. Like most natural reserves on the island, the access road is in poor condition, so be patient while driving. The bumpy ride is worth it when you catch the breathtaking views from the hill overlooking an abandoned stone house that stands against the white stones. The best time to go is in the afternoon to catch the golden hour and sunset. The short hike to the beach is enjoyable and not too challenging, even for children. The reward? A truly incredible and secluded beach experience. Best for: solitude, sunset, walking. Amenities: none.