Major attractions and Destinations in Northern Italy, Central Italy, Southern Italy, with pictures.

1. MAJOR ATTRACTIONS & DESTINATIONS IN ITALY

2. NORTHERN ITALY

3. ORTO BOTANICO DI PADOVA
 The Orto Botanico di Padova is
a botanical garden in Padua, in the
northeastern part of Italy.
 Founded in 1545 by the Venetian
Republic, it is the world's oldest
academic botanical garden that is still
in its original location.
 The garden, affiliated with the University
of Padua, currently covers roughly 22,000
square meters, and is known for its
special collections and historical design.
 The Botanical Garden of Padua is the
original of all botanical gardens
throughout the world, and represents the
birth of science, of scientific exchanges,
and understanding of the relationship
between nature and culture.
 It has made a profound contribution to the
development of many modern scientific
disciplines,
notably botany, medicine, chemistry, ecolo
gy and pharmacy

4. VINEYARD LANDSCAPE OF PIEDMONT
 Vineyard Landscape of
Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and
Monferrato is the official name of
a UNESCO World Heritage
Site comprising "five distinct
wine-growing areas with
outstanding landscapes" plus
the Castle of Grinzane Cavour in
the region of Piedmont, Italy.
 The site, which extends over hilly
areas of Langhe and Montferrat, is
one of the most important wine
producing zones in Italy.
 Located in the center of Piedmont
region (North West of Italy).
 The site is inscribed as a "cultural
landscape", since it is a result of
the combined work of nature and

5. BOLOGNA

6.  Bologna is a historical city, with around 380,000 inhabitants.
 Called “La Rossa” for its red brick buildings and tile roofs.
 Bologna is the capital and largest city in Northern Italy’s Emilia-
Romagna region.
 It’s also an architecture lover’s dream. Although Bologna is best
known for its medieval towers and extensive porticoes, thanks to
extensive restoration,
 Bologna’s architecture includes Etruscan and Roman structures
as well.
 Founded in 1088, the University of Bologna also demands a visit.
It’s the world’s oldest institution of higher learning and still enrolls
thousands of students each year.
 No trip to Bologna is complete without a visit to Piazza Maggiore
where the still-unfinished façade of the Basilica of San Petronio
makes its beautiful interiors appear all the more remarkable.

7. GRAN PARADISO NATIONAL PARK
 One of Europe’s largest and
best preserved wilderness
areas.
 Gran Paradiso National Park is
named for Italy’s highest peak,
 Gran Paradiso, the only
mountain in the Alps that lies
entirely within the country’s
boundaries.
 The area was designated Italy’s
first national park in 1920, in
part to protect the dwindling
population of ibex, a mountain
goat best known for horns that
can grow up to 3 feet long.
 The park is a hiker’s paradise
in late spring and summer
when the flowers are in bloom.
 It’s a great holiday destination
for cross-country skiing and
snowshoe hikes during the
winter.

8. BERGAMO
 Nestled against the foothills of the
towering Bergamese Alps,
 Bergamo is comprised of two
distinct cities.
 The Città Alta, or upper city, is a
medieval town surrounded by 16th-
century walls.
 The lower section known as Città
Bassa is a relatively modern city.
 Most visitors head straight to the
old town to explore the
beautifully preserved Medieval
and Renaissance architecture
and picturesque piazzas, including
the ornate Basilica of Santa Maria
Maggiore, the final resting place of
the composer Gaetano Donizetti.
 With its extensive collection of
paintings by Raphael, Botticelli and
Canaletto, the Accademia Carrara
is a can’t-miss attraction too.

9. VERONA
 Best known as the setting for
Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and
Juliet,”.
 Verona is a picturesque city filled
with Roman ruins, Renaissance
palaces and medieval buildings.
 Located between Milan and
Venice.
 Verona offers visitors the chance
to enjoy all of the charms of an
ancient Italian city without
constantly battling crowds.
 Although the first stop for many
visitors is “Juliet’s House” with its
recently added balcony.

10. GENOA
 Genoa nevertheless is one of Italy’s
true hidden gems.
 As the capital city of the Liguria
region on the northwest coast of
Italy, Genoa is most associated as
the birthplace of Christopher
Columbus.
 The city’s shining crown is its
historic center, which features
narrow, winding streets that reveal
surprising gems at every turn like
marvelous architecture and artistic
treasures.
 At the base of the city center is the
historic seaport. Docked with cruise
liners, yachts and fishing boats,
 Genoa’s seaport today sports a
trendy renovation of new features
such as a bustling marina,

11. PORTOFINO
 With its picture-perfect harbor,
verdant scenery and haphazard
rows of hilltop and waterfront
homes, Portofino is one of the
prettiest towns on the Italian
Riviera.
 Located just a short drive south
of Genoa, the little village has
been a popular day-trip
destination for centuries.
 It’s a favorite stopping point
for cruises along the Italian
Riviera too, and the cluster of
yachts floating in the harbor only
adds to Portofino’s visual appeal.
 Short climbs up the hillside to the
medieval Castello Brown, the
historic Church of San Giorgio or
the lighthouse at Punta Portofino
offer photographic views of the
charming city.

12. LAKE GARDA
 The largest of the glacial lakes of
the Lombardy province, Lake
Garda is bordered by Alpine
peaks to the north and flat plains
to the south.
 Gardens, orchards and forests
rim the shore, providing a scenic
backdrop for visitors seeking rest
and recreation.
 The southernmost town of
Sirmione features natural hot
springs, a small castle and the
Grotte di Catullo, the largest
collection of Roman ruins in
Northern Italy.
 On the northern shore of lake lies
Riva del Garda, which is the
destination of choice for visitors
interested in outdoor activities,
including sailing, windsurfing,
kayaking and swimming.

13. MILAN CATHEDRAL  Milan Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Milano) is
the cathedral church of Milan in Lombardy,
northern Italy. It is the seat of the Archbishop
of Milan, currently Cardinal Dionigi
Tettamanzi.
 The Gothic cathedral took nearly six
centuries to complete. It is the 5th-largest
church in the world and the second largest
in Italy
 It is 157 metres long and 40,000 people can
fit comfortably within.
 Construction of the Cathedral in Milan, in
Gothic style, started in 1386 by the
archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo, on the site
of the former cathedral Santa Maria
Maggiore.
 In 1572 Saint Carlo Borromeo reconsecrated
the church. The main spire, built in 1769, is
109 meters high and has on top a golden
laminated statue of the Madonna.
 The main construction of the cathedral
including the west facade were finished in
1813. The cathedral has a nave with five

14. MANAROLA (CINQUE TERRE)
 Mestled in the Italian Riviera,
Manarola is one of the oldest
towns in Cinque Terre.
 The “Five Lands” comprises of
five villages noted for their
beauty.
 Part of Cinque Terre charm is
the lack of visible modern
development.
 Paths, trains and boats connect
the villages, and cars cannot
reach it from the outside.
 The towns sprout out of the
mountainside to provide a
breathtaking view of the
Mediterranean sea.

15. ST MARK'S BASILICA

16.  The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark (officially known
in Italian as the Basilica Cattedrale Patriarcale di San Marco and
commonly known as Saint Mark's Basilica) is the cathedral church of
the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, northern Italy.
 It is the most famous of the city's churches and one of the best known
examples of Italo-Byzantine architecture.
 It lies at the eastern end of the Piazza San Marco, adjacent and
connected to the Doge's Palace.
 Originally it was the chapel of the Doge, and has only been the city's
cathedral since 1807, when it became the seat of the Patriarch of
Venice, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice,
formerly at San Pietro di Castello.
 For its opulent design, gold ground mosaics, and its status as a symbol
of Venetian wealth and power, from the 11th century on the building has
been known by the nickname Chiesa d'Oro (Church of gold).

17. GRAND CANAL
 The Grand Canal is a canal in
Venice, Italy.
 It forms one of the major water-traffic
corridors in the city. Public transport
is provided by water buses and
private water taxis, and many tourists
explore the canal by gondola.
 One end of the canal leads into
the lagoon near the Santa Lucia
railway station and the other end
leads into Saint Mark Basin; in
between, it makes a large reverse-S
shape through the central districts of
Venice.
 It is 3.8 km long, and 30 to 90 m
wide, with an average depth of five
meters (16.5 ft).
 The best time of the day for a
gondola ride is in the early morning
when the canal shimmers with golden

18. The banks of the Grand
Canal are lined with more
than 170 buildings, most
of which date from the
13th to the 18th century.

19. SOUTHERN ITALY

20. PAESTUM
 This ancient Greek city was
originally called Poseidonia for
the god of the sea.
 The side boasts three well
preserved Greek temples.
 The oldest temple in Paestum
is the Temple of Hera, built
around 550 BC by Greek
colonists.
 Paestum is often visited as a
day trip, as the sites to see are
limited.
 Besides the three ancient
Greek temples there is a
museum, and some enchanting
buffalo farms.
 However, hotels are good
here, and so is the food, so it’s
worth an overnight.

21. ALBEROBELLO
 World’s best example of Trullo
architecture.
 Trulli homes are known for their
conical stone roofs that are
made without mortar.
 These dry-stone buildings are
made from local limestone; none
are older than the 14th century.
Though the homes can be found
across the Itria Valley in Apulia,
Alberobello is the only town truly
marked by this type of
construction.
 Trulli were generally constructed
as temporary field shelters and
storehouses or as permanent
dwellings by small proprietors or
agricultural labourers.
 visitors here can also stay in
trullo homes, drink in trullo bars
and shop in trullo shops.
 UNESCO

22. TROPEA
 This ancient and stunning town sits
among sugar sand beaches and
stark cliffs.
 Once believed to be founded by
Hercules,
 Tropea’s natural beauty still
maintains an otherworldly draw for
lovers of sand and sun.
 Not to miss are the town’s two most
notable churches- the Santa Maria
del’Isola, a medieval church that
was built on its own island just off
the coast (though siltation and years
has built a land bridge between it
and the mainland).
 The second church to see is the
local cathedral, with two unexploded
bombs from WWII sitting right
outside their front door.
 It was believed to be protected by
the local patron saint.

23. SASSI DI MATERA
 The Sassi di Matera are cave
dwellings situated in the old
town of Matera in the region of
Basilicata.
 The Sassi originate from a
prehistoric settlement, and are
among the first human
settlements in Italy.
 Many of the houses, which are
dug into the tufa rock, are
really only caverns, and the
streets in some parts of the
Sassi often are located on the
rooftops of other houses.
 These dwellings were
inhabited by farmers and their
livestock until the 1950’s.
 Today, the jumble of stone
buildings and their interior
caves are a haunting and
beautiful site.

24. AMALFI COAST
 In 1997, the Amalfi Coast was listed as
a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a
cultural landscape.
 Like the rest of the region, the Amalfi
Coast lies in a Mediterranean climate,
featuring warm summers and mild
winters.
 The only land route to the Amalfi Coast
is the 40 kilometres (25 mi) long Strada
Statale 163 which runs along the
coastline from the town of Vietri sul
Mare in the east to Positano in the west.
 Thirteen municipalities are located on
the Amalfi Coast, many of them
centered on tourism.
 There are many small towns in which to
stay, shop, and eat, with their own
beautiful white-walled stone cliff
dwellings.
The Amalfi Coast is a stretch of coastline
on the southern coast of the Sorrentine
Peninsula in the Province of
Salerno in Southern Italy.
The Amalfi Coast is a popular tourist
destination for the region and Italy as a
whole, attracting thousands of tourists
annually.

25. POMPEII & HERCULANEUM

26. POMPEII
 On August 24, 79 AD, the volcano Vesuvius erupted, covering the
nearby town Pompeii with ash and soil, and subsequently preserving the
city in its state from that fateful day.
 Everything from jars and tables to paintings and people were frozen in
time. Its excavation has provided an extraordinarily detailed insight into
the life of people living two thousand years ago.
 Archaeologists found the remains from 3,000 holdouts from this town of
20,000 who had refused to flee and paid the price. The ash buried the
town, but in many ways preserved a day in the life of Roman times.
 Today Pompeii is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Italy, with
approximately 2,500,000 visitors every year.

27. HERCULANEUM
 Located in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, Herculaneum was an
ancient Roman town destroyed by volcanicpyroclastic flows in 79 AD.
 Its ruins are located in the commune of Ercolano, Campania, Italy
 As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is famous as one of the few
ancient cities that can now be seen in much of its original splendour, as
well as for having been lost, along
with Pompeii, Stabiae, Oplontis and Boscoreale, in the eruption of Mount
Vesuvius in AD 79 that buried it.
 Unlike Pompeii, the deep pyroclastic material which covered it preserved
wooden and other organic-based objects such as roofs, beds, doors,
food and even some 300 skeletons which were surprisingly discovered
in recent years along the sea shore as it was thought until then that the
town had been evacuated by the inhabitants.
 Herculaneum was a wealthier town than Pompeii, possessing an
extraordinary density of fine houses with, for example, far more lavish
use of coloured marble cladding.

28. CAPRI
 Located in the Bay of Naples,
Capri is an island rich in
mythology and history.
 The Roman emperor Tiberius
lived here until his death in 37
A.D. Villa Jovis, the emperor’s
imperial residence, is one of
the island’s most popular
attractions.
 Capri’s most famous natural
attraction is the Blue Grotto, a
waterfront cave that’s
accessible by boat when the
tide is right.
 Riding the Seggiovia chair-lift
in the city of Anacapri to the
summit of Monte Solaro is a
favorite activity too.
 The 15-minute trip offers
spectacular views of the
island and sea.

29. CENTRAL ITALY

30. LEANING TOWER OF PISA

31.  Location: Pisa,Italy
 District : Tuscany
 The construction of world famous Pisa Tower was started in the year 1173
by Bonanno Pisano. When the tower had reached its third story the works
ceased because of the war starting with Florence and the tower began to
sink due to a poorly laid foundation.
 The tower remained unfinished for 90 years.
 When the construction resumed the engineers built higher floors with one
side taller than the other to compensate for the tilt.
 It was completed by Giovanni di Simone, and Tommano Simone (son of
Andreo Pisano) by half of the 14th century.
 The top of the Leaning Tower can be reached by mounting the 294 steps
which rise in the form of a spiral on the inner side of the tower walls.

32. COLOSSEUM

33.  Location: Rome Built in:70–80 AD
 Built by/for: Vespasian, Titus Type of structure:
Amphitheatre
 The Colosseum in Rome is the largest and most famous amphitheater
in the Roman world. Its construction was started by emperor Vespasian
of the Flavian dynasty in 72 AD and was finished by his son Titus in 80
AD.
 Its construction was a symbol of the Vespasian’s new rule after his
predecessor, Nero. The Colosseum was built in the former gardens of
Nero’s palace. It was opened by Titus (Vespasian’s son) and started
with one hundred days of games.
 At the end of the Roman Empire, the Colosseum was the place where
gladiators, lions, and those accused of crimes were put to the test.
Since the end of the Empire, the Colosseum has suffered from many
destructive forces, but is still a frequently visited historic site.
 The Colosseum was capable of holding some 50,000 spectators who
could enter the building through no less than 80 entrances. Spectators

34. ST. PETER'S BASILICA

35.  Location: Vatican City
 Year consecrated: 18 November 1626
 In this city of outstanding churches, none can hold a candle to St Peter's
(Basilica di San Pietro),
 Italy’s largest, richest and most spectacular basilica.
 Built atop an earlier 4th-century church, it was completed in 1626 after
120 years' construction.
 Its lavish interior contains many spectacular works of art, including three
of Italy's most celebrated masterpieces: Michelangelo’s Pietà, his
soaring dome, and Bernini’s 29m-high baldachin over the papal
altar.

36. TREVI FOUNTAIN

37.  Location: Trevi, Rome
 Construction started:1732 Construction ended:1762
 Designed by: Nicola Salvi Material: Stone
 Completed by: Pietro Bracci
 Standing 26.3 metres (86 ft) high and 49.15 metres (161.3 ft) wide.
 It is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous
fountains in the world. The Trevi Fountain is one of the oldest water sources
in Rome.
 The fountain dates back to ancient Roman times, since the construction of the
Aqua Virgo Aqueduct in 19 B.C. that provided water to the Roman baths and the
fountains of central Rome. It’s said that the Aqua Virgo, or Virgin Waters, is
named in honor of a young Roman girl who led thirsty soldiers to the source of
the spring to drink.
 The fountain was built at the end point of the aqueduct, at the junction of three
roads. These three streets (tre vie) give the Trevi Fountain its name, the Three
Street Fountain.
 A traditional legend holds that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are

38. VATICAN MUSEUMS

39.  Established: 1506
 Location: Vatican City, Rome
 The Vatican Museums (Italian: Musei Vaticani) are the museums of the Vatican
City and are located within the city's boundaries. They display works from the
immense collection built up by the Popes throughout the centuries including
some of the most renowned classical sculptures and most important
masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world.
 Pope Julius II founded the museums in the early 16th century. The Sistine
Chapel with its ceiling decorated by Michelangelo and the Stanze della
Segnatura decorated by Raphael are on the visitor route through the Vatican
Museums. In 2013, they were visited by 5.5 million people, which combined
makes it the 5th most visited art museum in the world.
 There are 54 galleries, or salas, in total, with the Sistine Chapel, notably, being
the very last sala within the Museum.

40. SISTINE CHAPEL
 Location: Rome
 Year consecrated: 15 August 1483
 Home to two of the world’s most
famous works of art – Michelangelo’s
ceiling frescoes (1508–1512) and his
Giudizio Universale (Last Judgment;
1535–1541) – the Sistine Chapel is
the one part of the Vatican Museums.
 Michelangelo's ceiling design, which
is best viewed from the chapel’s main
entrance in the far east wall, covers
the entire 800-sq-m surface.
 With painted architectural features
and a cast of colourful biblical
characters, it's centred on nine
panels depicting scenes from the
Creation, the story of Adam and Eve,
the Fall, and the plight of Noah.

41. SAN GIMIGNANO
 Nicknamed the medieval
Manhatten, San Gimignano
is a village
in Tuscany famous for its 14
stone towers.
 At the height of San
Gimignano’s wealth and
power, more than 70 towers
were built to defend the town
against enemy attacks.
 After the plague devastated
the city in 1348, San
Gimignano’s power faded,
which kept enemies away
and preserved many of the
city’s medieval towers.
 UNESCO

42. LAKE COMO (ITALIAN LAKE DISTRICT)
 Lake Como is part of the Italian
Lake District an area popular
with visitors for well over 100
years for its combination of fresh
air, water, mountains and good
weather.
 The lake is shaped much like an
inverted ‘Y’, with two branches
starting at Como in the south-
west and Lecco in the south-
east, which join together half
way up and the lake continues
up to Colico in the north.
 The lake is famous for the
attractive villas which have been
built here since Roman times.
 Many have admirable gardens
which benefit from the mild
climate and are able to include
tropical as well as temperate
plants.

43. PIAZZA DEL CAMPO
 One of Europe’s greatest
medieval squares, the Piazza
del Campo is the principal
public space of the historic
center of Siena, Tuscany.
 It is renowned worldwide for its
beauty and architectural
integrity.
 The Palazzo Pubblico and its
famous tower, as well as
various palazzi signorili
belonging to the wealthiest of
Siena families surround the
shell-shaped piazza.
 The twice-per-year horse-race,
Palio di Siena, involves circling
the Piazza del Campo, on
which a thick layer of dirt has
been laid, three times and
usually lasts no more than 90
seconds.

44. SANTA MARIA DEL FIORE
 Begun in 1296 in the Gothic
style and completed in 1436.
 The Basilica di Santa Maria
del Fiore is Florence’s
beautiful cathedral and symbol
of the city.
 The exterior of the basilica is
faced with polychrome marble
panels in various shades of
green and pink bordered by
white.
 The basilica is one of Italy’s
largest churches, and until the
modern era, the dome was the
largest in the world. It remains
the largest brick dome ever
constructed.