Perugia
Commissioned by Pope Paolo III in the 1540s, this fortress wiped out entire sections of a formerly wealthy neighbourhood. Its insides have long since been…
Must-see attractions in Italy
Ancona
Crowned by the baroque Chiesa di San Domenico, this sloping cafe-lined square has been Ancona's favourite meeting spot since medieval times. At its head,…
Sassari
Sassari is home to one of Italy’s most revered army regiments. The Sassari Brigade was established in 1915 and during WWI established a reputation for…
Siena
Nestled in the shadow of the huge Gothic church of San Francesco, this 15th-century oratory is dedicated to St Bernardino and decorated with Mannerist…
Agrigento
The city's magnificent and striking 11th-century cathedral has been much altered over the centuries. It boasts a wonderful Norman ceiling and a mysterious…
Ragusa
South of the cathedral, off Via Roma, is the Museo Archeologico Ibleo, an important if somewhat forlorn archaeological museum housing finds from…
Catania
A lovely, tranquil spot for a morning stroll, Via Crociferi is one of Catania's most attractive streets, famous for its exuberant baroque churches and…
Promontorio del Gargano
A short flight of stairs opposite the Santuario di San Michele leads to a 12th-century baptistry with a deep sunken basin for total immersion. You enter…
Chiesa di Santa Maria del Regno
Northwestern Sardinia
Now a sleepy agricultural town just off the SS729, Ardara was once the capital of the Giudicato di Torres, the medieval state that encompassed much of…
Trentino & South Tyrol
Just south of Reschenpass (Passo di Resia) and the Austrian border is the deep blue Reschensee, a result of 1950s dam projects. The drowned Romanesque…
Ragusa
Italian-born, Berlin-based artist Agostino Iacurci is the talent behind this voluptuous, multi-storey mural. Titled Ogni bene è mobile (Every Object is…
Northwestern Sardinia
Much of the land around Porto Conte is protected as part of the Parco di Porto Conte. This regional nature park, one of only two in Sardinia, covers 60km…
Noto
Commissioned by the Benedictine order, the Chiesa di Santa Chiara was built by Rosario Gagliardi between 1730 and 1758. You can still see the ornate…
Southern Tuscany
In the 7th century BC Roselle (Rusellae) was already an Etruscan town; it fell under Roman control in the 3rd century BC. Although there are no great…
Bolzano (Bozen)
This dense but visually seductive museum explores Bolzano's turbulent interwar years via the history of the fascist Monument to Victory, where it is sited…
Emilia-Romagna
The Unesco-recognised Parco del Delta del Po is a regional park encompassing one of Europe’s largest wetlands and a pair of alluring lagoons, the Valli di…
Naples
Nicknamed the 'Moletto', this hulking pier protects the Porto di Mergellina from the open sea. It's a popular place for locals (both human and feline),…
Western Sicily
Mazara's central piazza is an attractive space edged by elegant buildings, including the Cattedrale del San Salvatore, the two-storey Seminario dei…
Lake Garda
Some 2km south of Bardolino in Cisano, the most impressive exhibits at this well-laid-out museum are the monster grape presses, some of which used mule…
Parma
Parma's Roman Bridge originally dates to 187 BC and re-opened to the public after extensive renovations in 2018. Two of the bridge's 11 arches are now…
The Veneto
When she wasn’t exploring the furthest reaches of the Empty Quarter or negotiating with future Arab heads of state, legendary explorer and travel writer…
Tyrrhenian Coast
Perched north of town at a height of nearly 1000m, the ruins of Mistretta's 11th-century Norman castle make an atmospheric spot to survey the old town's…
San Remo
Built for the Russian community that followed Tsarina Maria Aleksandrovna (wife of Tsar Alexander II) to San Remo in 1906, the Russian Orthodox church of…
Vicenza
From La Rotonda, a charming footpath leads about 500m to the neoclassical elegance of Villa Valmarana ‘ai Nani’, nicknamed after the 17 statues of dwarves…
The Veneto
Head up steep Calle Madonna della Neve, following an intact section of 13th-century defensive walls all the way to a summit, where the last remaining…
Ancient Rome
With its vast arched vaults, this hulking brick construction is the largest building on the Roman Forum. Started by the Emperor Maxentius and finished by…
Centro Storico
The columns, arches and fragmented pediment of this quadriporto (four-sided porch), which dates from 23 BC, once formed part of a vast rectangular portico…
Centro Storico
Nicknamed the pulcino della Minerva ('Minerva's chick'), the Elefantino is a curious and much-loved statue of a puzzled-looking elephant carrying a 6th…
Noto
Towering over the tourist office on Piazza XVI Maggio is the 18th-century Chiesa di San Domenico. Considered one of Noto's finest baroque buildings, the…
Ancient Rome
Overshadowed by Trajan's towering administrative complex (the Mercati di Traiano), this was the last of the Imperial Forums to be built, dating to the…
Basilica di San Pietro di Sorres
Northwestern Sardinia
This 12th-century Romanesque church commands impressive views from its hillside position overlooking Borutta. The original Pisan church and adjacent abbey…
Museo Monumento al Deportato Politico e Razziale
Emilia-Romagna
The Palazzo dei Pio houses this museum, which documents the experience of prisoners in the nearby Fossoli Concentration Camp (which can only be visited on…
Como
The photogenic lakeside Tempio Voltiano was built in 1927. This neoclassical temple is now a museum devoted to Como-born electric-battery inventor…
Trani
Traditionally (but controversially) thought to be built by the Knights Templar in the 12th century, this church became a place of blessing for those…
Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi
This hulking convent is located 1.5km uphill from the village centre. It was founded in the 17th century by Carmelite friars, but since 1983 it has been…
San Gimignano
The name of this 13th-century church refers to its original location next to a drawbridge (ponte means bridge) leading to the bishop's castle. The…
Venice
This hefty-domed 18th-century church contains the body of St Lucy (Santa Lucia), one of the early church's most famous martyrs, who was killed in Syracuse…
Vicenza
The heart of historic Vicenza is Piazza dei Signori, where Palladio lightens the mood of government buildings with his trademark play of light and shadow…
Oratorio di San Giorgio & Scuola del Santo
Padua
Anywhere else, the fresco cycle of the Oratorio di San Giorgio and the paintings in the Scuola del Santo would be considered highlights, but in Padua they…
Trastevere & Gianicolo
Right where the cute little Ponte Sisto pedestrian bridge crosses the Tiber, this small square is a fine entrance to Trastevere. The star attraction is…
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