Costa Smeralda
Also known as Portu Li Coggi, this magnificent crescent of white sand is bound by unspoiled macchia and startlingly clear blue waters. Apparently it's the…
Must-see attractions in Italy
San Giovanni & Testaccio
Officially called the Parco Savello but known to every Roman as the Giardino degli Aranci (Orange Garden), this walled park is a romantic haven. Head down…
Lecce
The beautifully restored 15th-century Monastery of Santa Chiara houses this civic museum and gallery, and has a great view of the Roman theatre from the…
Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea
Turin
GAM was one of Italy's first modern-art museums and has an astounding 45,000 works in its vaults dedicated to 19th- and 20th-century European artists,…
Vernazza
Cinque Terre’s only natural harbour has breathtaking views out over the water, and provides the best open-air amusement in Vernazza. Here you can bask on…
Piedmont
Piedmont's largest park is home to spectacular landscapes, encompassing wildflower-filled grasslands, topaz lakes, shimmering glaciers and jagged mountain…
Chiesa e Convento di San Francesco
Fiesole
Make your way up steep walled Via San Francesco and be blown away by the staggeringly beautiful panorama of Florence that unfolds from the terrace…
Lecce
A notable 15th-century church given a baroque makeover between 1687 and 1691, Santa Chiara is one of the most important and admired churches in Lecce…
Fondazione Sandretto re Rebaudengo
Turin
This classic white-cube contemporary gallery space was created with Italian super curator Francesco Bonami and runs a great exhibition program showcasing…
Bologna
Standing sentinel over Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, Bologna's two leaning towers are the city's main symbol. The taller of the two, the 97.2m-high Torre…
Paestum
The so-called basilica (a temple to the goddess Hera) is Paestum’s oldest surviving monument. Dating from the middle of the 6th century BC, it’s a…
Ferrara
Only Lucca in Tuscany can claim a more complete set of walls than Ferrara, though with a total circumference of 9km, Ferrara's are longer and among the…
Cilento Coast
The town’s main beach stretches for around 4km north of the centre. There is another more sheltered curve of sand abutting Palinuro’s postcard-pretty…
Ancona
At the northern end of the port, the Arco di Traiano is one of Ancona's treasured ancient relics. Built between AD 110 and 116 by a Syrian architect known…
Tivoli
This scenic park, laid out by Pope Gregory XVI in 1834, cascades down a steep, thickly wooded gorge overlooked by a 2nd-century BC Roman temple. Paths…
Taranto
The 11th-century cathedral is one of Puglia's oldest Romanesque buildings and an extravagant treat. It's dedicated to San Cataldo, an Irish monk who lived…
Chiesetta di San Giovanni in Ranui
The Dolomites
Sitting alone in a meadow below the gargantuan spiky peaks of the Odle mountain group, this tiny and almost impossibly picturesque onion-steepled church …
Southern Rome
Part of the Villa di Massenzio complex, this is Rome’s best-preserved ancient racetrack – you can still make out the starting stalls used for chariot…
Ravenna
The €1 entry here (unique among Ravenna's Unesco sites) is no reflection of the quality of the artistry inside. The baptistery's breathtaking dome mosaic,…
Milan
Massimiliano Fuksas’ brilliantly engineered exhibition space was built on the Agip oil refinery in Rho-Pero, around 40 minutes out of town by metro. In…
Cilento Coast
Another Cilento stunner, Acciaroli’s main beach has sand, space, a Blue Flag rating and easy access to the historic town at its southern end. Water and…
Pistoia
Scale the sky-high, red-brick campanile (bell tower) of the Cattedrale di San Zeno for a wonderful bird's-eye view of Pistoia's iconic cathedral square…
Central Sicily
Just off the southern end of the Ambulacro della Grande Caccia, in the Sala delle Dieci Ragazze, is the villa's most famous mosaic. It depicts nine …
Genoa
A beautiful historical space that runs a program of modern and contemporary shows along interesting curatorial themes. The focus is often on photography…
Northwestern Sardinia
For a view to remember, stop off at this viewing point a few hundred metres short of Capo Caccia, and look down at the full sweep of the Baia delle Ninfe…
Manarola
Manarola's prized viewpoint is on a rocky promontory just above the village. A rest area, including a kids' playground, has been constructed here and…
Tyrrhenian Coast
Turquoise waters lap this gorgeous beach to the east of the point at Capo d'Orlando. Framed by rocky outcrops, with a mix of sand and pebbles and gorgeous…
Valle d'Aosta
The park's amazing biodiversity, including butterflies and Alpine flora, can be seen in summer at this fascinating Alpine botanical garden in the tiny…
Museo Archeologico Eoliano (Sezione Classica)
Lipari
Highlights here include finds from Lipari's 11th-century-BC necropolis, including a sizeable collection of burial urns, a staggering array of amphorae…
Calabria
Italy’s largest national park, the Pollino National Park, straddles Basilicata and Calabria. It acts like a rocky curtain separating the region from the…
Parma
Flanked by a harmonious trio of buildings – the duomo, campanile and baptistry – Parma's cathedral square is one of the city's most elegant public spaces.
Ancient Rome
On the Palatino, the 16th-century Orti Farnesiani is one of Europe's earliest botanical gardens. A viewing balcony at the garden's northern flank commands…
Western Sicily
Built in the 5th century BC and reconstructed in 1958, the majestic Temple E stands out among Selinunte's eastern group due to its completeness. As you…
Museo Archeologico Eoliano (Sezione Preistorica)
Lipari
Housed in the Palazzo Vescovile (Bishop's Palace) next to the Cattedrale and displaying a plethora of artefacts in chronological order that provide a…
Golfo di Orosei
A stunning stretch of sand and pebbles backed by a deep, verdant valley, Cala Sisine is most easily reached by boat from Cala Gonone. Intrepid hikers can…
Central Sicily
The main part of the villa is centred on the peristyle, a vast covered courtyard lined with amusing animal heads. This is where guests would have been…
Emilia-Romagna
Measuring 270m by 60m, the Piazza dei Martiri is Italy's third largest after Piazza San Pietro in Rome and Venice's Piazza San Marco. Over 50 columns…
Ancient Rome
This panoramic lift will whisk you to the top of the Vittoriano for sweeping 360-degree views of the city from the Terrazza delle Quadrighe.
Capri
This pebble beach is home to the island's most popular beach club (entry €20), where you can swim amid the ruins of a Roman villa. It's a 10-minute walk…
Corniglia
Enjoy dazzling 180-degree sea views at this heart-stopping lookout in hilltop Corniglia. To find it, follow Via Fieschi through the village until you…
