Casa-Studio di Fernando Melani
Pistoia
The house studio where Pistoia-born abstract artist Fernando Melandi lived and worked can be visited – a perfect opportunity to view works by the artist…
Must-see attractions in Italy
Cagliari
Erected in Piazza Yenne in 1860, this melodramatic statue shows Carlo Felice, Sardinia's king from 1821 to his death in 1831, posing as an ancient Roman…
Southeastern Sicily
This is the most interesting of Chiaramonte Gulfi's museums. While the highlight is an olive press from 1614, there's also a collection of old farming…
Volterra
The 14th-century Fortezza Medicea, later altered by Lorenzo Il Magnifico, is nowadays a prison (admission: one felony), but the 'Nuova Fortezza' within…
Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale
Rome’s waxwork museum is said to have the world’s third-largest collection, which comprises more than 250 figures, ranging from Dante to Snow White, plus…
Northwestern Sardinia
Much modified over the centuries, Ozieri’s neoclassical Cattedrale dell’Immacolata harbours an important work of art, the Deposizione di Cristo dalla…
Ancient Rome
The Foro di Vespasiano, also known as the Foro della Pace (Forum of Peace) or Tempio della Pace (Temple of Peace), was built in AD 70 by Vespasian. Part…
The Veneto
Fans of Giorgione might want to pop into this small museum after checking out his altarpiece in the nearby duomo. The museum is home to an early frieze…
Brescia
Back in the first century AD, the Piazza del Foro was the centre of civic and religious life in Brescia (Brixia). You can see a few fragments – including…
Le Marche
This arcaded Renaissance landmark is one of several historic buildings fronting Piazza della Libertà, Macerata's showpiece square. Built in 1505 for…
Montepulciano
At the upper end of Piazza Savonarola is the Colonna del Marzocca, erected in 1511 to confirm Montepulciano's allegiance to Florence. The stone lion atop…
Reggio Emilia
Formerly known as Palazzo San Francesco, the flagship of Reggio's five Musei Civici (Civic Museums) houses thematic collections of Roman archaeological…
Matera
Centred on the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, this 16th-century monastic complex in Sasso Barisano was built by the monks of the Order of the…
Perugia
Behind its pink and white facade, this once magnificent Gothic church boasts a beautiful 16th-century choir by sculptor Baccio d'Agnolo. However, small…
Ferrara
Your ticket to Palazzo Schifanoia also gives entry to this nearby museum, which has a small, undocumented collection of Roman and Etruscan stele, tombs…
Museo d'Arte Sacra di San Francesco di Greve in Chianti
Chianti
Located on a steep street off Via Roma, this former convent has a modest collection of art and an exterior terrace overlooking the surrounding countryside…
Tyrrhenian Coast
Petralia Sottana's 17th-century 'mother church,' also known as Chiesa Maria Santissima Assunta, dominates the square at the north end of Corso Paolo…
Cala Gonone
Check out the local marine life before taking the plunge at this shiny new aquarium, designed by architects Peter Chermayeff and Sebastiano Gaias. The 25…
Venice
Under the arch of this covered passageway is hidden a reddish, heart-shaped stone about the size of a hand. Local lore has it that couples that touch it…
Naples
Taking centre stage on elegant, operatic Piazza di San Domenico Maggiore is this 18th-century obelisk. The work of Cosimo Fanzago, Francesco Antonio…
Taormina
Just behind Corso Umberto and near Porta Catania, this 13th-century palace was once home to the De Spuches, a noble family of Spanish origin. Now used as…
Lecce
Exhibiting artefacts revealed during the excavation of the adjacent Roman theatre, this museum also has displays recreating classical Roman life,…
The Veneto
Housed in a handsome 16th-century palazzo, Este's notable archaeological museum contains around 65,000 objects, among them pre-Roman and Roman artefacts…
Chiesa Abbaziale dei Santi Pietro e Paolo
Northwestern Tuscany
Castelnuovo's small duomo (cathedral) was rebuilt in the 15th century on the ruins of an 11th-century Romanesque church. Its baroque interior safeguards a…
Centro Storico
The emperor Augustus had this 6th-century-BC obelisk brought from Heliopolis in Egypt to celebrate his victory over Cleopatra and Mark Antony in 30 BC…
Museo Centrale del Risorgimento
Ancient Rome
Inside the Vittoriano, this small museum charts the history of Italy from the late 18th century through unification to WWI. Exhibits include documents,…
San Gimignano
The crumbling shell of the town's 14th-century fortress commands views across the valley and has a small playground and plenty of space to picnic in. It's…
Siena
Built between 1417 and 1428, this arched loggia with its distinctive sculptures is located on the Croce del Travaglio, from which the three main roads of…
Catania
Built to connect Via Etnea to the port, Porta Uzeda was commissioned by the Duke of Camastra and completed in 1696. The gate is named in honour of Spanish…
Taranto
This 6th-century BC Doric temple is one of the few visible remains of the once-great Greek colony of Taras. The last two surviving columns and the…
Verona
Occupying the north side of Piazza dei Signori is the 15th-century Loggia del Consiglio, the former city council building and Verona's finest Renaissance…
Southern Rome
It's fading fast: Bolognese artist Blu (www.blublu.org) painted this former military warehouse in a rainbow of sinister faces, incorporating the building…
Noto
For sublime views of Noto's baroque skyline, climb the campanile (bell tower) at this church on the town's main pedestrian thoroughfare. If you suffer…
Ancient Rome
A series of grey granite columns is all that remains of the Basilica Ulpia, a vast 40m-high hall that once stood in Trajan's Forum. Built in the early 2nd…
Treviso
Six mammoth Roman columns guard the entrance to Treviso's cathedral. The only real attraction inside this neoclassical hulk is Titian's Malchiostro…
Abruzzo
L'Aquila's erroneously named 'fountain of 99 spouts' (there are actually only 93 of them) was one of the few monuments to quickly reopen after the…
Ancient Rome
Although named after the emperor Nerva, who opened it in the late 1st century AD, this forum was largely built by his predecessor Domitian. Part of a…
Pompeii
The ruin of Pompeii's main entrance is at Porta Marina, the most impressive of the seven gates that punctuated the ancient town walls. A busy passageway…
Porto Cervo
Visit this gallery for temporary exhibitions showcasing works by contemporary artists, such as a recent one featuring Israeli sculptor Arik Levy. The…
Ragusa
On the street to the right of the entrance of the Giardino Ibleo, eye up the Catalan Gothic portal of what was once the large Chiesa di San Giorgio…
