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🖼️ Italy's most important museums

100 places ordered by editorial score

  1. 1 Frescoed ceiling of the Gallery of Maps in the Vatican Museums in Rome Musei Vaticani e Cappella Sistina Rome · Lazio Founded in 1506 by Julius II, they house one of the world's largest art collections, including the Sistine Chapel. 98
  2. 2 High-angle view of the Uffizi Gallery building and courtyard in Florence Galleria degli Uffizi Florence · Tuscany Botticelli's Primavera, the young Leonardo and Caravaggio's Medusa in a building of offices. 95
  3. 3 Decorative frescoes and windows along the wall of the Cenacolo Vinciano in Milan Cenacolo Vinciano (Ultima Cena) Milan · Lombardy Fifteen minutes in front of the wall Leonardo painted between 1494 and 1498. 93
  4. 4 Exterior facade of the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence with visitors queuing on Via Ricasoli. Accademia Gallery and the David Florence · Tuscany Seven Michelangelos in a row and the David at the end, under De Fabris's skylight. 91
  5. 5 Entrance to the Museo Egizio in Turin featuring ancient Egyptian statues outside. Museo Egizio Turin · Piedmont Born in 1824 out of the Drovetti collection: 40,000 objects and the intact tomb of Kha. 90
  6. 6 Bust of one of the Riace Bronzes at the National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria. Riace Bronzes – Archaeological Museum Reggio di Calabria · Calabria Two Greek warriors of the fifth century BC, found on the seabed in 1972 and kept in Reggio Calabria. 90
  7. 7 Roman fresco depicting a wagon and draft animals at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Naples Museo Archeologico Nazionale Naples · Campania The Farnese marbles, the Pompeii mosaics and the Secret Cabinet, in a museum founded in 1777. 89
  8. 8 scavi archeologici di Ercolano — Ercolano scavi archeologici di Ercolano Ercolano · Campania The town sealed by the Vesuvius mud, dug through tunnels like a mine. 89
  9. 9 teatro alla Scala — Milan teatro alla Scala Milan · Lombardy Milan's opera house, designed by Piermarini and opened in 1778 with an opera Salieri composed for the occasion. 89
  10. 10 Palazzo Pitti — Florence Palazzo Pitti Florence · Tuscany Luca Pitti's palace became the grand dukes' residence; today it houses Raphael, Titian and the Boboli Garden. 87
  11. 11 Illuminated Mole Antonelliana at dusk in Turin, with snow-covered Alps in the background. Mole Antonelliana e Museo del Cinema Turin · Piedmont Begun as a synagogue, Antonelli's 167.5-metre tower now holds the National Cinema Museum. 86
  12. 12 Galleria Borghese — Rome Galleria Borghese Rome · Lazio Scipione Borghese's collection in his Pincio villa: six Caravaggios and the marbles of the young Bernini. 85
  13. 13 Musei Capitolini — Rome Musei Capitolini Rome · Lazio The world's first public museum, opened in 1734 on the Capitoline: Marcus Aurelius, the Wolf, the Dying Gaul. 85
  14. 14 Ötzi – Archaeology Museum — Bolzano Ötzi – Archaeology Museum Bolzano · Trentino-South Tyrol The home of Ötzi, Europe's oldest natural mummy who lived over 5,100 years ago, located in central Bolzano. 85
  15. 15 Gallerie dell'Accademia — Venice Gallerie dell'Accademia Venice · Veneto Venetian painting from Bellini to Canaletto in the Scuola della Carità, home of Leonardo's Vitruvian Man. 84
  16. 16 Selinunte — Castelvetrano Selinunte Castelvetrano · Sicily Europe's largest archaeological park preserves the grand Greek temples and ruins of ancient Selinus. 84
  17. 17 Stage and ornate classical proscenium facade of the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza. Teatro Olimpico Vicenza · Veneto Palladio's final masterpiece is the oldest modern indoor theatre, retaining its original perspective sets from 1585. 84
  18. 18 Museo nazionale del Bargello — Florence Museo nazionale del Bargello Florence · Tuscany Michelangelo's Bacchus, Giambologna's Mercury and Donatello's hall in Florence's medieval Bargello palace. 83
  19. 19 Palazzo degli Uffizi — Florence Palazzo degli Uffizi Florence · Tuscany Vasari's 1560 offices for Cosimo I, now Italy's most visited art museum and home of Botticelli and Raphael. 83
  20. 20 Vittoriano — Rome Vittoriano Rome · Lazio Giuseppe Sacconi's marble monument to Victor Emmanuel II, home to the Altar of the Fatherland and Unknown Soldier. 83
  21. 21 Coin-operated audio guide box with telephone handsets at Juliet's House in Verona Casa di Giulietta Verona · Veneto Verona's most visited monument is a medieval tower house famously transformed into a shrine to Shakespeare's Juliet. 82
  22. 22 Certosa di San Martino on the Vomero hill in Naples. Certosa di San Martino Naples · Campania Founded in 1325 on the Vomero hill, this monastery is a masterpiece of Neapolitan Baroque and a national museum. 82
  23. 23 Pinacoteca di Brera — Milan Pinacoteca di Brera Milan · Lombardy Milan's picture gallery, opened under Napoleon in 1809, with Raphael's Marriage of the Virgin and Caravaggio. 82
  24. 24 Galleria nazionale d'arte antica — Rome Galleria nazionale d'arte antica Rome · Lazio Two palaces, a single museum, and the Barberini collection that is no longer there. 80
  25. 25 Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea — Rome Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea Rome · Lazio The museum founded for living artists, and Palma Bucarelli's thirty years. 80
  26. 26 Museo nazionale di Capodimonte — Naples Museo nazionale di Capodimonte Naples · Campania A palace Charles of Bourbon had built on purpose for a collection he inherited. 80
  27. 27 Exterior view of the Violin Museum in Cremona with its front plaza and main entrance Violin Museum Cremona · Lombardy Housed in Cremona's Palazzo dell'Arte, this museum displays masterpieces by Stradivari and the city's greatest luthiers. 80
  28. 28 mausoleo di Teodorico — Ravenna mausoleo di Teodorico Ravenna · Emilia-Romagna The roof is a single stone of 230 tonnes, and nobody is sure how they got it up there. 79
  29. 29 Teatro di San Carlo — Naples Teatro di San Carlo Naples · Campania The oldest opera house in the world still working, and a receipt for 220 ducats. 79
  30. 30 Accademia Carrara — Bergamo Accademia Carrara Bergamo · Lombardy The count founded the gallery and the school together, so pupils could copy from life. 78
  31. 31 Entrance and exterior courtyard of MART, modern art museum in Rovereto. MART Rovereto · Trentino-South Tyrol Designed by Mario Botta, MART exhibits 20,000 modern works under a monumental steel and plexiglass dome in Rovereto. 78
  32. 32 Museo archeologico nazionale di Firenze — Florence Museo archeologico nazionale di Firenze Florence · Tuscany A palace built for a disabled princess, now Italy's Etruscan museum. 78
  33. 33 Palatino — Rome Palatino Rome · Lazio The hill that gave us the word palace, and under the gardens a palace never excavated. 78
  34. 34 piramide Cestia — Rome piramide Cestia Rome · Lazio The will gave the heirs 330 days to build it, or they lost everything. 78
  35. 35 Trullo Sovrano in Alberobello with a white whitewashed facade and traditional conical stone roofs. Trullo Sovrano Alberobello · Puglia With walls reaching 2.70 metres in thickness, the Trullo Sovrano is the supreme example of dry-stone architecture. 78
  36. 36 Accademia nazionale di San Luca — Rome Accademia nazionale di San Luca Rome · Lazio Founded to make artists more than craftsmen, it ended up deciding who counted as an artist. 77
  37. 37 Galleria Doria Pamphilj — Rome Galleria Doria Pamphilj Rome · Lazio It is still private and still in the family because a pope tied it down in law. 76
  38. 38 Museo Correr — Venice Museo Correr Venice · Veneto It stands where a church by Sansovino stood, replaced by the Napoleonic Wing. 76
  39. 39 Museo dell'Opera del Duomo — Florence Museo dell'Opera del Duomo Florence · Tuscany Michelangelo carved the David here, and here is the cathedral front that was pulled down. 76
  40. 40 Casa Buonarroti — Florence Casa Buonarroti Florence · Tuscany The Buonarroti house: the Madonna of the Stairs, the Battle of the Centaurs and the rooms that celebrate Michelangelo. 75
  41. 41 Museo nazionale etrusco di Villa Giulia — Rome Museo nazionale etrusco di Villa Giulia Rome · Lazio The nymphaeum where a pope dined in the cool ended up watering the vets' horses. 75
  42. 42 Corridoio Vasariano — Florence Corridoio Vasariano Florence · Tuscany The Medici's secret passage over the Ponte Vecchio, from Palazzo Vecchio to Pitti: reopened after eight years. 74
  43. 43 mausoleo di Cecilia Metella — Rome mausoleo di Cecilia Metella Rome · Lazio Almost nothing is known of her: the tomb celebrated the family more than the dead woman. 74
  44. 44 Palazzo Colonna — Rome Palazzo Colonna Rome · Lazio Rome's largest noble palace, still the Colonna's: the Baroque Gallery and the final scene of Roman Holiday. 74
  45. 45 Camposanto monumentale — Pisa Camposanto monumentale Pisa · Tuscany The Gothic cloister of the Miracoli square: Buffalmacco's Triumph of Death, Roman sarcophagi and Golgotha soil. 73
  46. 46 Gran Teatro La Fenice — Venice Gran Teatro La Fenice Venice · Veneto Venice's opera house, twice burned and twice reborn as it was: the premieres of Rossini, Bellini and Verdi. 73
  47. 47 Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna — Bologna Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna Bologna · Emilia-Romagna Five centuries of Emilian painting: Vitale da Bologna, Giotto, Raphael's Saint Cecilia and the Carracci. 73
  48. 48 Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele — Palermo Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele Palermo · Sicily Shut for twenty-three years, reopened in 1997: Italy's largest opera house. 73
  49. 49 Eraclea — Policoro Eraclea Policoro · Basilicata The Tarentine colony where Pyrrhus beat Rome: the acropolis, the potters' quarter and the Siritide museum. 72
  50. 50 Museo del Novecento — Milan Museo del Novecento Milan · Lombardy The Italian twentieth century in the Arengario: Boccioni, Morandi, Fontana's neon and the view of the Duomo. 72
  51. 51 Museo nazionale della scienza e della tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci — Milan Museo nazionale della scienza e della tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci Milan · Lombardy Italy's largest science museum in a monastery: Leonardo's machines, the submarine Toti and the trains. 72
  52. 52 castello del Valentino — Turin castello del Valentino Turin · Piedmont Madama Cristina's French-style château on the Po, now the Architecture faculty: the Zodiac Room. 71
  53. 53 catacombe dei Cappuccini — Palermo catacombe dei Cappuccini Palermo · Sicily Palermo's famous underground cemetery housing over a thousand preserved mummies inside 16th-century crypts. 71
  54. 54 Complesso museale di Santa Maria della Scala — Siena Complesso museale di Santa Maria della Scala Siena · Tuscany The thousand-year-old hospital facing Siena's Duomo: the frescoed Pellegrinaio and the original Fonte Gaia. 71
  55. 55 Galleria Estense — Modena Galleria Estense Modena · Emilia-Romagna Bernini's bust, the Velázquez and the Harp of the thousand-lire note: the Este collection in Modena. 71
  56. 56 La Zisa — Palermo La Zisa Palermo · Sicily A 12th-century Norman summer palace in Palermo housing the Museum of Islamic Art, listed by UNESCO. 71
  57. 57 Museo Stibbert — Florence Museo Stibbert Florence · Tuscany An English collector's villa in Florence: the Cavalcade, sixteen thousand arms and the samurai of Montughi. 71
  58. 58 teatro comunale di Bologna — Bologna teatro comunale di Bologna Bologna · Emilia-Romagna The world's first publicly owned opera house, Wagner's city in Italy and the slap given to Toscanini. 71
  59. 59 Triennale di Milano — Milan Triennale di Milano Milan · Lombardy Muzio's palace in Parco Sempione: the Museum of Italian Design and de Chirico's Mysterious Baths. 71
  60. 60 Civico museo archeologico di Milano — Milan Civico museo archeologico di Milano Milan · Lombardy A Roman tower in the cloister, the Trivulzio cage cup and the model of Mediolanum. 70
  61. 61 Galleria d'arte moderna di Milano — Milan Galleria d'arte moderna di Milano Milan · Lombardy Napoleon's villa in Milan and the Lombard nineteenth century: Hayez, Segantini, Pellizza and Van Gogh. 70
  62. 62 Galleria Sabauda — Turin Galleria Sabauda Turin · Piedmont The Savoy paintings in the Royal Museums: van Eyck, Memling, Rembrandt and Van Dyck's royal children. 70
  63. 63 Museo civico archeologico di Bologna — Bologna Museo civico archeologico di Bologna Bologna · Emilia-Romagna Etruscan Felsina and Egypt under the Pavaglione: the Certosa Situla and the reliefs of Horemheb. 70
  64. 64 Museo di Castelvecchio — Verona Museo di Castelvecchio Verona · Veneto The Scaliger castle remade by Carlo Scarpa: Cangrande smiling in the void, Pisanello and Mantegna. 70
  65. 65 Museo di storia naturale Giacomo Doria — Genoa Museo di storia naturale Giacomo Doria Genoa · Liguria A whale skeleton from 1878, four million insects and the library that burned in 1942. 70
  66. 66 Peggy Guggenheim Collection — Venice Peggy Guggenheim Collection Venice · Veneto Peggy's house on the Grand Canal: Pollock, Ernst, Magritte and Marini's Angel on the terrace. 70
  67. 67 teatro Farnese — Parma teatro Farnese Parma · Emilia-Romagna The Farnese wooden theatre in the Pilotta, inaugurated with a naval battle in the stalls. 70
  68. 68 Castello Normanno-Svevo — Bari Castello Normanno-Svevo Bari · Puglia Frederick II's fortress on the sea at Bari, wrapped in the Sforza walls: the eagle, the casts, Queen Bona. 69
  69. 69 Museo archeologico regionale Paolo Orsi — Syracuse Museo archeologico regionale Paolo Orsi Syracuse · Sicily One of Europe's major archaeological museums, housing Sicilian artifacts from prehistory to the early Christian era. 69
  70. 70 Museo d’Arte Orientale — Turin Museo d’Arte Orientale Turin · Piedmont Asia in a palace of the Quadrilateral: the Greek Buddhas of Gandhara, the thangkas and Ottoman velvets. 69
  71. 71 museo del vetro di Murano — Venice museo del vetro di Murano Venice · Veneto Seven centuries of glass in the palace of the bishops of Torcello: the Barovier Cup and the table garden. 69
  72. 72 Opera Carlo Felice Genova — Genoa Opera Carlo Felice Genova Genoa · Liguria Shelled in 1941, rebuilt by Aldo Rossi: Barabino's pronaos and a huge stage tower. 69
  73. 73 Pinacoteca Ambrosiana — Milan Pinacoteca Ambrosiana Milan · Lombardy Cardinal Federico's museum: Caravaggio's Basket, Leonardo's Musician and Raphael's cartoon. 69
  74. 74 Pinacoteca nazionale di Siena — Siena Pinacoteca nazionale di Siena Siena · Tuscany Four centuries of Sienese gold grounds: Duccio, Simone Martini, the Lorenzettis, the first landscapes. 69
  75. 75 Teatro Regio — Turin Teatro Regio Turin · Piedmont Mollino's red hall behind Alfieri's façade: the opera house where La bohème was born. 69
  76. 76 castello Maniace — Syracuse castello Maniace Syracuse · Sicily A 13th-century Swabian citadel built by Emperor Frederick II at the tip of Ortygia island to defend Syracuse. 68
  77. 77 Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica — Bologna Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica Bologna · Emilia-Romagna Father Martini's library in a frescoed palace: the first printed music book and Rossini's Barber. 68
  78. 78 anfiteatro romano di Pompei — Pompei anfiteatro romano di Pompei Pompei · Campania The oldest stone amphitheatre in the world: twenty thousand seats, the riot of AD 59 and Pink Floyd. 67
  79. 79 Galleria nazionale dell'Umbria — Perugia Galleria nazionale dell'Umbria Perugia · Umbria Umbria's picture gallery in the Palazzo dei Priori: Piero della Francesca, Fra Angelico and Perugino. 67
  80. 80 Museo archeologico dell'Alto Adige — Bolzano Museo archeologico dell'Alto Adige Bolzano · Trentino-South Tyrol Ötzi's home: the Iceman at six degrees below zero, with his copper axe and his hay-stuffed shoes. 67
  81. 81 Museo archeologico nazionale di Reggio Calabria — Reggio di Calabria Museo archeologico nazionale di Reggio Calabria Reggio di Calabria · Calabria Home of the Riace Bronzes and all Magna Graecia, in the first Italian building born to be a museum. 67
  82. 82 Museo archeologico regionale Antonino Salinas — Palermo Museo archeologico regionale Antonino Salinas Palermo · Sicily Home to one of Italy's top archaeological collections, featuring archaic Selinunte metopes and the Palermo Stone. 67
  83. 83 Museo di storia naturale di Venezia Giancarlo Ligabue — Venice Museo di storia naturale di Venezia Giancarlo Ligabue Venice · Veneto A Sahara dinosaur in the Fondaco dei Turchi: the museum where Venetians take their children. 67
  84. 84 Colosso di san Carlo Borromeo — Arona Colosso di san Carlo Borromeo Arona · Piedmont A copper statue 35 metres tall, blessed in 1698: you can climb inside it, right up into the saint's head. 66
  85. 85 Galleria civica d'arte moderna e contemporanea di Torino — Turin Galleria civica d'arte moderna e contemporanea di Torino Turin · Piedmont Italy's first public modern art collection: from Fontanesi and Pellizza to Casorati and Arte Povera. 66
  86. 86 Museo dell'automobile di Torino — Turin Museo dell'automobile di Torino Turin · Piedmont Two hundred cars of eighty makes on the Po: the first Fiat, the Peking-Paris Itala and racing Ferraris. 66
  87. 87 Museo di storia naturale sezione di zoologia La Specola — Florence Museo di storia naturale sezione di zoologia La Specola Florence · Tuscany Europe's oldest science museum: the anatomical waxes, the Boboli hippopotamus and Galileo's tribune. 66
  88. 88 Museo Horne — Florence Museo Horne Florence · Tuscany A Renaissance merchant's house rebuilt by an Englishman, with a Giotto hanging above the chest. 66
  89. 89 Palazzo Abatellis — Palermo Palazzo Abatellis Palermo · Sicily A Gothic-Catalan palace in Palermo housing the Galleria Regionale della Sicilia and Antonello da Messina's Annunciate. 66
  90. 90 pozzo di San Patrizio — Orvieto pozzo di San Patrizio Orvieto · Umbria The fleeing pope's well: fifty-four metres and two spiral stairs that never meet. 66
  91. 91 Scuola Grande di San Rocco — Venice Scuola Grande di San Rocco Venice · Veneto The Sistine Chapel of Venice: sixty canvases by Tintoretto, twenty-four years of work, all still in place. 66
  92. 92 teatro Regio — Parma teatro Regio Parma · Emilia-Romagna Marie Louise's theatre and Verdi's home, with the most demanding audience in Italy up in the gallery. 66
  93. 93 Dal Verme — Milan Dal Verme Milan · Lombardy The theatre where Puccini and Leoncavallo made their debuts, rebuilt after the bombs as a concert hall. 65
  94. 94 Museo del Cenacolo di Sant'Apollonia — Florence Museo del Cenacolo di Sant'Apollonia Florence · Tuscany Andrea del Castagno's Last Supper, hidden in an enclosed convent for four centuries, now free and empty. 65
  95. 95 Museo dell'Opera del Duomo — Siena Museo dell'Opera del Duomo Siena · Tuscany Duccio's Maestà and Giovanni Pisano's statues in the aisle of the cathedral Siena never finished. 65
  96. 96 Ospedale di Santa Maria Nuova — Florence Ospedale di Santa Maria Nuova Florence · Tuscany Europe's oldest working hospital: founded by Beatrice's father, with Leonardo teaching anatomy. 65
  97. 97 Osservatorio e museo "La Specola" — Padua Osservatorio e museo "La Specola" Padua · Veneto Ezzelino's prison tower turned observatory: the meridian room and the terrace above Padua. 65
  98. 98 Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli — Turin Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli Turin · Piedmont Twenty-five paintings on the Lingotto roof: the Agnelli Canalettos, seven Matisses and the test track. 65
  99. 99 Saepinum — Sepino Saepinum Sepino · Molise The Roman order forbidding locals to harass the shepherds crossing the town. 65
  100. 100 Gondolas on the Grand Canal and the Rialto Bridge at sunset in Venice Fondazione Querini Stampalia Venice · Veneto The Querini house with Carlo Scarpa's ground floor and the canvases of everyday Venice. 64