Home to some of the planet’s greatest artworks, historical monuments and food – and with the kind of varied landscapes that you often have to cross continents to see – Italy elates, inspires and moves its visitors like few other countries.
Given Italy’s art- and architecture-stuffed cities to its astonishing diversity of natural landscapes – dramatic coastlines, serene lakes, pristine mountains, and those famous rolling hills – picking just a handful of destinations to visit in this wonderful country is not easy.
So how do you decide where to go? It all depends on what you’re looking for in your Italian odyssey, whether that’s history, art, beaches, hiking or even food. No matter your passion, our list of 15 must-see places in Italy should be your starting point.
1. Rome
Best for history
Once caput mundi (capital of the world), Rome was legendarily spawned by a wolf-suckled boy, developed into a vast empire, rooted itself as the home of the Catholic church and is now the repository of more than two millennia of art and architecture.
Rome should definitely be the centerpiece of your trip if you’re going to Italy for the first time, but there’s simply too much to see in one visit, from the Pantheon and the Colosseum to Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel and countless works by Caravaggio. Do as countless others have before you: toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain and promise to return.
Planning tip: There’s an overwhelming amount to see here, and with limited public transport in the city center, your choice of hotel can be crucial. Map out the sights you’re most interested in before you book – if you want to be at the Vatican at opening time, for example, don’t stay near the Colosseum.
Read more: Italians reveal their under-the-radar vacation spots in Italy
2. Tuscany
Best for a Renaissance fix
From Botticelli’s Venus, emerging coyly from the water in the Uffizi Gallery, to the mind-boggling dome of its cathedral, Florence is a feast for the eyes. This was, of course, the seat of the Renaissance, and there are knock-out names at every turn – Michelangelo in the Accademia, Donatello in the Bargello, Leonardo and Raphael in the Uffizi.
Further afield in Tuscany – Italy’s most romanticized region – is an undulating landscape of sinuous cypress trees, olive groves and coveted regional treasures. Glory in…
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