Cultural sightseeing in Italy. What to visit - museums, temples, castles and palaces

Italy is a country with an amazingly rich history and culture. Its capital, Rome, was founded in the 8th century BC, and for millennia its history was shrouded in legends, myths and great historical achievements. On the territory of the city there are monuments of history and architecture. One of the most recognizable is the Roman Coliseum, built in the 1st century. The Coliseum served as an amphitheater, where gladiators fought and other amusements of the ancient Romans were held. It accommodated more than 50 thousand people. Another unique construction is the Roman Forum, consisting of a complex of buildings. In the days of Ancient Rome, it was the center of the cultural, spiritual, political and economic life of the empire. It includes the temples of Saturn, Venus and Roma, Vesta, Caesar, Concordia, several arches, basilicas.

Italy sightseeing - top places to visit

Nearly every city in Italy is a large historic centre with numerous places of interest. Rome, Milano, Venice and Florence remain major tourist …
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In the heart of Rome, the Pantheon, built in the 2nd century under Emperor Hadrian, was preserved. The temple of all the gods was built during the heydays of Roman architecture and has a non-standard form for the pantheon. Its dome towers over the modern city till date, forcing mental flashbacks. On the banks of the Tiber you can see the Castle of the Holy Angel, built in the 2nd century which became the mausoleum of Adriana. For a long time after the adoption of Christianity, the castle was the center and symbol of papal authority. Today it houses a museum where you can get acquainted with the history of this amazing structure. The symbol of the Catholic Church is St. Paul's Cathedral, the largest cathedral in Europe and the largest historical temple in the world. It was built in the 17th century. Such masters as Michelangelo, Raphael, Bernini, and Bramante worked on decorating its facades.

A fascinating excursion awaits the guests of Rome in the Capitoline Museums, the most ancient complex in the world. The museums were located in three palaces, created by Michelangelo Buanarroti in the 16th century. These museums present the legendary exhibits of the ancient world. The Museum of Rome, located in a historic building with incredible architecture, will tell visitors the history of the city from ancient times until the 19th century. A huge number of museums are concentrated in the Vatican. In the Gregorian Egyptian Museum you can get acquainted with the history of Ancient Egypt, see the sarcophagus’s covers, funeral masks, mummies, as well as statues of ancient gods. The Sistine Chapel will charm the unsurpassed works of the great Italian masters Michelangelo, Botticelli, Perugio. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

National cuisine of Italy - specialties, recipes and restaurants

Italian cuisine is one of the most popular in the whole world. Pizza, salad "Caesar", lasagna, pasta, ravioli, spaghetti - these dishes brought her …
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There are 155 UNESCO World Heritage Sites on the territory of Italy. This is more than in any other country in the world. Florence is another unique city in Italy. On its territory are an incredible number of monuments of history and museums. One of the most recognizable buildings of the city is the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Flore, founded in the 13th century. It is in the heart of the city and is its symbol. Another popular attraction of the city is the Basilica of Santa Croce, painted with frescoes of Florentines Giotto, Gadi, and Veneziano. The Uffizi Museum is one of the oldest in Europe. The gallery was founded in the 16th century. It contains thousands of priceless paintings, antique sculptures, tapestries.

Venice was one of the largest and most developed cities in Europe. Today the city is a real open-air museum; most of the buildings in it are of historical value. One of the main attractions of the city is the Doge's Palace, founded in the 14th century and executed in the Gothic style. The palace is decorated with thousands of decorative elements and together with the oldest library of San Marco and St. Mark's Cathedral, sets the tone for the whole architecture of the city. The historical center of Naples is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In Naples, it is worth visiting Castel Nuovo, built in the 13th century, which has witnessed many historical battles.

National traditions and mentality of people in Italy

The Italian temperament is legendary; it is a true symbol of passionate, receptive and free people. This stereotype was not accidental. Italians are …
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Milan is the second largest city in Italy. It has a huge number of museums and historical monuments. The symbol of the city is the Milan Cathedral in the style of flaming Gothic, amazing in its beauty. It was constructed in the 14th century. The Ambrosian library contains Leonardo da Vinci's unique manuscripts, and Villa Reale became the home of Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine. Genoa is another ancient city of Italy, a former independent republic for many centuries. The symbol of Genoa is Piazza Ferrari, the main square in the center. On the Via Garibaldi Street are the palaces of the aristocratic nobility of the city. Another popular area among tourists is Bokkadance, a region on the seashore where sailors live.

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Fantastic City Tours and Excursions in Italy

Reference information

Map of all art museums

Art galleries in Italy
♥ Art museum 'Accademia Carrara' Bergamo. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Art museum 'Archaeological Museum' Syracuse, Sicily. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Art museum 'Archaeological Museum of Florence' Florence. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Art museum 'Archaeological Museum of Populonia' Piombino. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Art museum 'Archaeological Museum of the Campi Flegrei' Bacoli. On the map Show on the map

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Map of all churches

Cathedrals and basilicas in Italy
♥ Basilica di S. Giovanni Battista, Vittoria. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Cattedrale della Natività di Maria Santissima, Siracusa. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Santuario-Basilica di Beata Vergine, Maria delle Lacrime, Siracusa. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Basilica Matrice di S. Maria Assunta, Monterosso Almo. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Basilica Santuario Madonna delle Grazie, Modica. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Basilica Cattedrale di S. Giuliano, Caltagirone. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Basilica di S. Giacomo Apostolo, Caltagirone. On the map Show on the map

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Map of all palaces

Palaces in Italy
♥ Palace 'Ca’ Foscari' . On the map Show on the map

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♥ Palace 'Ca’ Rezzonico' . On the map Show on the map

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♥ Palace 'Ca’ Vendramin Calergi' . On the map Show on the map

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♥ Palace 'Ca’ d’Oro' . On the map Show on the map

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♥ Palace 'Castello Sforzesco' Milan. On the map Show on the map

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Extreme Guinness-type places in Italy

Villa Madama

From the series “Famous unfinished buildings ”

Villa Madama is a prominent monument of the Renaissance. It is located in Rome. Cardinal Giulio de' Medici was the first owner of the villa. It was built at his expense. The villa was built on the banks of the Tiber River in a very beautiful area. Its construction began in 1518. The famous architect and artist Raffaello Santi was the author of the project of the building. Many magnificent buildings were built according to his designs in Rome in the early 16th century. The beautiful Caffarelli Palace is among them.

The palace was designed by him for the cardinal. It was truly grand. It was decided to build it on one of the gentle slopes of Monte Mario hill. Gorgeous gardens were laid out around the palace. There was also an open-air theater on its grounds. The combination of terraces … Read all

Basilica di San Petronio

From the series “Famous unfinished buildings ”

You can see the beautiful Basilica di San Petronio in the main square in the heart of Bologna. It is one of the largest Catholic churches in the world. Even though the church is not a cathedral, it is still considered the most important in the city due to its impressive scale. The cathedral is 132 meters long and 66 meters wide. The temple was never fully completed. But it is still one of the highest in the city. The height of the cathedral is 51 meters.

The basilica began to be built in 1390. The famous architect Antonio di Vincenzo was the author of its design. A very dense development took place in the center of Bologna in the late 14th century. It was necessary to destroy 8 old churches, as well as several defensive towers, to free up space for the basilica. There are 22 chapels in … Read all

All unique sightseeing Italy

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Travel News

Hilton builds third luxury hotel in Kyoto

The Hilton Kyoto hotel will be attractive to a wide range of guests. Leisure travelers will appreciate the close proximity to famous attractions such as Heian and Yasaka Temples, the Kyoto Imperial Palace, and the scenic Gion Historical District. In a few minutes, guests can reach the metro stations, the path to the sights of interest will not take much time.

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29.03.2023

Top cultural sites of Italy: monuments, theaters and churches

8 Gallery Lingotto, Torino

Location on the map: 8 Gallery Lingotto on map

Interesting facts: » The huge 8 Gallery Lingotto building is located in Turin. It was projected by an Italian architect in 1923.
» The five-story building is half a kilometer long. On the outside, there are spiral pathways leading to the roof. The roof consists of curved modules with high-speed stained glass tracks for car tests.
» The racing circuit is still exposed to the public view.
» 8 Gallery Lingotto-Torino was the first reinforced concrete construction. Here, you can see the motor assembly conveyor of Fiat, the biggest factory in Europe. It has modeled 80 different vehicles.
» In 1980, the factory was officially closed. Nowadays, the complex includes shopping galleries (there are over 100 boutiques where you can buy items of famous brands’ old collections at a lower price), entertainment centers, a bookstore, an art museum, theatres, concert halls, conference halls, and an inn.
» There is an eleven-hall cinema (UCI) with up-to-date equipment. You can also visit beauty salons, a solarium, and restaurants that offer the wide variety of cuisines.

Basilica di Superga, Torino

Location on the map: Basilica di Superga on map

Interesting facts:

» The Basilica of Superga is located at the top of the namesake hill in Turin.
» It is a Catholic basilica.
» In 1706, the future King Sardinian King Victor Amadeus II and his cousin Eugene of Savoy climbed the hill of Superga to see the city besieged by French and Spanish forces. They promised to build a church at their observation point in the event of the successful outcome of the battle. The battle ended with a victory, so we can see this magnificent construction now.
» The luxurious domed Basilica of Superga started to be built in 1717.
» It was designed by the original project of Filippo Juvarra in the late Italian baroque style.
» The Basilica of Superga is also the burial place of all Piedmontese kings. Victor Amadeus II was the first to be buried here.
» The basilica is also associated with one of the most tragic events in the sports sector, the death of all players of the football team “Torino”. It happened on 3 May 1949 when sportsmen, managers of the club, and journalists flew back from Portugal after a friendly game. The left wing of the plane snagged the dome of the basilica and the aircraft crashed.

Basilica of San Lorenzo, Milan

Location on the map: Basilica of San Lorenzo on map

Interesting facts:

» The Basilica of San Lorenzo is one of the most important places for Catholics in Milan.
» This basilica has been originally built during the reign of Roman Empire, and then over the centuries was being rebuilt several times. This is one of the oldest churches in Milan.
» Despite many changes, the original Byzantine structure with a dome and four towers, resembling the church of St. Sophia in Constantinople, survived to this day.
» The old baptistery and the Romanesque bell tower of the 12th century stands out among preliminary buildings on this site.

Basilica of Sant Ambrogio, Milan

Location on the map: Basilica of Sant Ambrogio on map

Interesting facts:

» The Basilica of Sant Ambrogio is the church built in 379-386 AD by Ambrose Mediolano at the burial site of the early Christian martyrs in Milan.
» The first church was called the Basilica of the Martyrs.
» The church houses the relics of St. Ambrose, a priceless treasure for all Christians.
» Next to St. Ambrose relics of martyrs Gervasius and Protasius can be seen. The basilica is also the burial site for the remains of Emperor Louis II.
» There are many priceless ancient objects dating back to 4-9th centuries, as well as many beautiful frescoes of 14th century and mosaics of 6-8th centuries.

Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence

Location on the map: Basilica of Santa Croce on map

Interesting facts:

» The Basilica of Santa Croce is located in the heart of Florence; that’s one of the most popular attractions of the city.
» About 300 famous figures of culture, science and politics are buried in the church. Among them Galileo, Dante, Machiavelli, Michelangelo and many others have to be mentioned. The tomb has a form of the marble box with the figure of the deceased on top of the sarcophagus.
» The Basilica of Santa Croce is famous for its frescoes by Giotto.
» Initially, all the walls of the church were decorated with frescoes, but during the plague in the 16th century, when the church was used as a hospital, the walls were whitewashed. Once, during restoration, the frescoes were found, and the works of the great Giotto were among them.
» The Basilica is famous for its 16 chapels.
» In 1452 Leonardo da Vinci was baptized in this church.

Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls, Rome

Location on the map: Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls on map

Interesting facts: » Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls is the great patriarchal basilica of Rome included in the World Heritage List.
» It was erected by Emperor Constantine at the burial site of St. Paul.
» Emperor Theodosius I found this church unworthy of such a sacred place and began the construction of a much more impressive temple.
» The basilica houses the precious holy relic, the sarcophagus containing the remains of St. Paul.
» The basilica is decorated with medallions with the apostles, the magnificent mosaics, paintings, depicting religious motifs, and a marble floor.

Basilica of the Holy Spirit, Florence

Location on the map: Basilica of the Holy Spirit on map

Interesting facts: » The Basilica of the Holy Spirit is the Catholic church in Florence built in the 15th century.
» The Basilica of the Holy Spirit is one of the most famous buildings by the Florentine genius architect, Filippo Brunelleschi.
» The church has collected a large number of magnificent paintings and frescoes.
» Among the most important treasures of the church there are such works of art as Madonna and Child with Saints by Filippino Lippi and The Crucifixion by Michelangelo.

Castel Nuovo, Napoli

Location on the map: Castel Nuovo on map

Interesting facts:

» Castel Nuovo is a castle that was built by King Charles of Anjou on the sea coast in Naples when his capital was moved from Palermo. The construction began in 1279 and lasted three years.
» Like other castles, Castel Nuovo had a heavy fate. It had been looted and destroyed for centuries. It endured everything and remained undamaged even after a terrible earthquake that destroyed almost entire Naples.
» Today, there is the Municipal Museum in the territory of the castle. Here, you can learn about the history of Naples from the ancient time to nowadays.
» Here, you can not only see a museum collection, but also visit temporary exhibitions.
» The most interesting interior elements in the castle are ancient frescoes and sculptures on the ground floor.

Culture and monuments in popular cities of Italy

Rome

The western part of the city is the location of a beautiful Cathedral of St. Peter. This is a unique religious monument, the halls of which hold priceless relics. The construction of the cathedral was completed in the beginning of the 16th century and lasted more than a hundred of years. The cathedral has witnessed many important historical events. Vatican City is located just nearby. Guests of the city are surely recommended to visit the most miniature state in the world. Trevi Fountain, which … Read more

Alghero

Starting from its completion, the cathedral has almost not changed its look. It still has the original artistic décor. You will be able to admire intricate drawings and colorful stained-glass windows. Cattedrale di Santa Maria exhibits many precious religious artifacts. Inside the cathedral, there is a mausoleum of a noble duke who lived here in the 16th century. The cathedral is also famous for its tall bell tower that is visible from many streets of the town. Proceed to the old chapel … Read more

Florence

The center of the city is the location of another prominent religious attraction - the Basilica of Santa Croce. This church was built in Gothic style, and its rooms are decorated with beautiful frescoes by Giotto. The basilica is the location of several tombs of great figures of the country. The beautiful church of Santa Maria Novella is located next to Grand Central Station. This place also attracts travelers with its unusual architecture and luxurious interior decoration. Dominican monks … Read more

Milan

Milan is home to a huge number of museums, in which you can see unique historical artifacts and art objects. Castello Sforzesco is now home for a beautiful museum, which houses collections of rare paintings and sculptures. Besides this, the halls of the museum are decorated by very rare and precious museum pieces - antique furniture and tapestries. Poldi Pezzoli Museum is located in one of the oldest mansions in Milan. Several centuries ago the house belonged to a well-known collector, who … Read more

Venice

Golden House (Ca 'd'Oro) is another important object of excursions. This is a beautiful palace, the building of which was completed in 1434. Nowadays the visitors of the palace will find here a wonderful collection of old paintings, sculptures and tapestries - a part of the halls of the palace has been converted into a museum. Certainly, you should not forget to walk in the picturesque Rialto quarter, which is the location of numerous souvenir shops, markets and cafes. There are also some … Read more

Agrigento

Temple of Olympian Zeus is one of the most notable antique attractions in Agrigento. The giant temple dedicated to Zeus was never completed. The city suffered from several alien invasions, and later the temple was severely damaged during an earthquake. Nevertheless, even the restored fragments of the building look very impressive. Archaeologists also discovered an antique statue of King Telamon here. It was decided to install it in the center of the architectural complex. The statue is 8 … Read more

Alberobello

Museo del Territorio Casa Pezzolla is the most interesting museum in the city. It is open in a large architectural complex that consists of 15 trulli connected with passages. The museum’s collection is big and diverse. Visitors can see antique furniture and household items, admire gorgeous artworks and precious historic artifacts. The main purpose of the museum’s design team was to keep as much of the original décor as possible. Some trulli meticulously recreate the traditional design of … Read more

Assisi

Just out of the city, you'll find the ancient monastery Eremo Delle Carceri, which is also available for tours now. This is a cave monastery, and many of its cells were built in natural grottoes. Some of them have even preserved stone beds, on which monks slept hundreds of years ago. A beautiful oak forest has surrounded the monastery for years. During the tour, you will have the opportunity to explore the most hidden corners of the old monastery. Another interesting feature of it is the old … Read more

Cultural sightseeing in Italy. What to visit - museums, temples, castles and palaces

Fantastic City Tours and Excursions in Italy

Extreme Guinness-type places in Italy

Villa Madama

Basilica di San Petronio

Top cultural sites of Italy: monuments, theaters and churches

8 Gallery Lingotto, Torino

Basilica di Superga, Torino

Basilica of San Lorenzo, Milan

Basilica of Sant Ambrogio, Milan

Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence

Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls, Rome

Basilica of the Holy Spirit, Florence

Castel Nuovo, Napoli

Culture and monuments in popular cities of Italy

Italy map of cultural and historical sites