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🏛️ Italy's most beautiful squares and old towns

100 places ordered by editorial score

  1. 1 Panoramic view of St Mark's Square and Basilica in Venice Piazza San Marco e Basilica Venice · Veneto The political and religious heart of Venice, dominated by its 98.6-metre campanile and the magnificent basilica. 97
  2. 2 Pisa Cathedral and the Leaning Tower of Pisa on the green lawn of Piazza dei Miracoli Piazza dei Miracoli e Torre Pendente Pisa · Tuscany Four monuments on a lawn, and a bell tower leaning since it was three storeys high. 95
  3. 3 View of the Sassi di Matera perched on the edge of the rocky Gravina canyon Sassi di Matera Matera · Basilicata Two quarters cut into limestone, emptied in the 1950s and lived in once more today. 94
  4. 4 The grand Trevi Fountain in Rome featuring baroque sculptures and clear water. Fontana di Trevi Rome · Lazio The largest Baroque fountain in Rome, fed by Agrippa's aqueduct since 19 BC. 93
  5. 5 Historic brick buildings and outdoor cafes surrounding Piazza del Campo in Siena, Italy. Piazza del Campo Siena · Tuscany The brick shell where Siena gathers and, twice a year, runs the Palio. 92
  6. 6 View of the iconic Ponte Vecchio bridge over the Arno River in Florence Ponte Vecchio Florence · Tuscany Three arches from 1345, goldsmiths installed by Medici decree and Vasari's corridor overhead. 90
  7. 7 Piazza della Cisterna in San Gimignano featuring a stone well and medieval towers. Centro storico e torri di San Gimignano San Gimignano · Tuscany Fourteen towers left of seventy-two, and the 1255 rule the Salvucci beat by building two of them. 89
  8. 8 Historical fresco and model showing a panoramic view of Ortigia in Siracusa. Ortigia e il Duomo Syracuse · Sicily The Doric columns of the temple of Athena still hold up the walls of the cathedral, on top of Ortigia. 89
  9. 9 Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal in Venice with boats moored in the foreground. Ponte di Rialto Venice · Veneto One arch, 28 metres of span, twenty-four shops: the design that beat Palladio in 1588. 88
  10. 10 Wooden boat and colorful historic buildings around the Piazzetta di Portofino in Liguria. Portofino Piazzetta Portofino · Liguria Its real name is piazza Martiri dell'Olivetta: painted houses, moored boats, Castello Brown above. 88
  11. 11 Conical stone roofs of traditional trulli in Rione Monti, Alberobello. Rione Monti Alberobello · Puglia The 1,030 trulli of Alberobello's larger quarter, laid dry-stone to dodge a tax. 88
  12. 12 High-angle view of Spaccanapoli cutting through the historic center of Naples toward modern skyscrapers. Spaccanapoli e centro storico Naples · Campania Carlo Celano measured it at 1128 paces: the straight cut that halves Greek Naples. 88
  13. 13 Scenic view of Bellagio and central Lake Como with colorful flowers in the foreground. Bellagio and mid-lake Como Bellagio · Lombardy Positioned at the fork of Lake Como, Bellagio combines Celtic and Roman history with a spectacular alpine landscape. 87
  14. 14 Facade and bell tower of the Church of San Donato in the main square of Civita di Bagnoregio. Civita di Bagnoregio Bagnoregio · Lazio Perched on an eroding tuff plateau, this ancient Etruscan settlement is accessible solely via a pedestrian footbridge. 87
  15. 15 View of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and Milan Cathedral in Piazza del Duomo Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II Milan · Lombardy Designed in 1861 by Giuseppe Mengoni, Italy's oldest active shopping arcade connects Piazza del Duomo to La Scala. 87
  16. 16 Town Hall building in Piazza Unità d'Italia, Trieste, with a central clock tower Piazza Unità d'Italia Trieste · Friuli Venezia Giulia Spanning 12,280 square meters, Trieste's main square is the largest in Europe to open directly onto the sea. 86
  17. 17 Piazza Vecchia in Bergamo's Città Alta featuring the historic Palazzo della Ragione. Città Alta and the Venetian Walls Bergamo · Lombardy A 6,200-meter wall built by Venice in the 16th century, this UNESCO World Heritage site encloses Bergamo Alta. 85
  18. 18 Elevated view of Piazza Maggiore in Bologna with the Basilica of San Petronio Piazza Maggiore e San Petronio Bologna · Emilia-Romagna The marble facade stops halfway, and Cassini's 66.8-metre meridian runs across the floor. 85
  19. 19 Coastal view of Chianalea in Scilla with traditional houses built right on the water and rocks. Chianalea Scilla · Calabria Houses on the water, one narrow street and the swordfish boats, under the castle. 84
  20. 20 Low-angle night view looking up at the Two Towers of Bologna, Asinelli and Garisenda. Le Due Torri Bologna · Emilia-Romagna Erected from 1109, this definitive symbol of Bologna includes the Asinelli, Italy's tallest leaning tower at 97.2m. 84
  21. 21 Sunlit square in Bari Vecchia with historic stone buildings and a parked scooter Bari Vecchia e la via delle orecchiette Bari · Puglia Bari's historic center sits on a peninsula, preserving its Byzantine layout and the Basilica of San Nicola. 83
  22. 22 Prato della Valle in Padua with statues along the canal and Santa Giustina Abbey in the background. Prato della Valle Padua · Veneto At 90,000 square meters, this monumental elliptical square is one of Europe's largest, ringed by 78 stone statues. 83
  23. 23 Arco di Costantino — Rome Arco di Costantino Rome · Lazio The three-bay arch of AD 315 by the Colosseum, assembled with reliefs from Trajan, Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius. 82
  24. 24 Piazza del Popolo in Ascoli Piceno featuring the Church of San Francesco and travertine arcades. Ascoli's Piazza del Popolo Ascoli Piceno · Marche A Renaissance square defined by local travertine, home to the Gothic church of San Francesco and a 16th-century loggia. 82
  25. 25 Whitewashed historic buildings in Ostuni, the famous White City of Apulia The White City Ostuni · Puglia Lime-washed alleys, a steep climb and a Gothic rose window above the olive groves. 82
  26. 26 High-angle view of Piazza del Duomo and the Elephant Fountain in Catania Piazza del Duomo e Fontana dell'Elefante Catania · Sicily The core of Catania, known for its lava stone elephant and the 4th-century Roman baths hidden 5 meters below. 81
  27. 27 Piazza IV Novembre featuring the Fontana Maggiore and Palazzo dei Priori in Perugia Piazza IV Novembre and Fontana Maggiore Perugia · Umbria The historic core of Perugia, featuring the 1278 Fontana Maggiore, a masterpiece of medieval sculpture and engineering. 81
  28. 28 High-angle view of Piazza delle Erbe in Verona showing the Gardello tower and Palazzo Maffei Piazza delle Erbe Verona · Veneto The Roman forum turned marketplace: towers, frescoed palaces and a fountain from 1368. 80
  29. 29 Panoramic view of Craco, the ghost town perched on a rocky cliff in Italy. Craco Ghost Town Craco · Basilicata Evacuated in 1963 due to a landslide, this striking ghost town overlooks the badlands and serves as a famous film set. 79
  30. 30 Colonna Traiana — Rome Colonna Traiana Rome · Lazio The column tells you how much hill Trajan took away to build his forum. 78
  31. 31 Foro di Traiano — Rome Foro di Traiano Rome · Lazio In the forum's drains lives a colony of crabs that nobody ever removed. 78
  32. 32 Pebble beach and colorful houses in the seaside village of Boccadasse in Genoa. Boccadasse Genoa · Liguria An old Genoese mariners' village saved from urban expansion, known for its pastel houses and narrow cobblestone paths. 77
  33. 33 Mausoleo di Galla Placidia — Ravenna Mausoleo di Galla Placidia Ravenna · Emilia-Romagna Not even the name is certain: perhaps it was never a mausoleum, and perhaps not hers. 76
  34. 34 Ponte Milvio — Rome Ponte Milvio Rome · Lazio They call it Ponte Mollo because when the Tiber rises it is the first to go under. 76
  35. 35 Ponte Sant’Angelo — Rome Ponte Sant’Angelo Rome · Lazio The pilgrims' bridge: everyone crossed here, and once the parapet gave way. 76
  36. 36 View of the old town of Termoli with the Swabian Castle and historic walls overlooking the sea. Old Termoli Termoli · Molise A walled Adriatic promontory featuring an 11th-century castle, a Romanesque cathedral, and historic wooden trabucchi. 75
  37. 37 fontana dei Quattro Fiumi — Rome fontana dei Quattro Fiumi Rome · Lazio Bernini won the competition by giving a silver model to the pope's sister-in-law. 74
  38. 38 piazza di Spagna — Rome piazza di Spagna Rome · Lazio Half the square was called Piazza di Francia: the Spanish name won only in the eighteenth century. 74
  39. 39 ponte dei Sospiri — Venice ponte dei Sospiri Venice · Veneto The enclosed bridge between the Doge's Palace and the Prisons: the legend of the sighs, Byron and the hidden corridors. 72
  40. 40 viadotto Polcevera — Genoa viadotto Polcevera Genoa · Liguria The Morandi Bridge fell on 14 August 2018; Renzo Piano's viaduct now crosses the valley. 72
  41. 41 piazza della Signoria — Florence piazza della Signoria Florence · Tuscany Florence's civic square: Arnolfo's tower, the Perseus, the David and the spot where Savonarola burned. 67
  42. 42 ponte di Tiberio — Rimini ponte di Tiberio Rimini · Emilia-Romagna The Roman bridge where the Via Aemilia began: five arches of Istrian stone, standing for two thousand years. 67
  43. 43 Arco dei Gavi — Verona Arco dei Gavi Verona · Veneto The arch a family built for itself, signed by its architect: dismantled by Napoleon, rebuilt in 1932. 66
  44. 44 ponte dell'Ammiraglio — Palermo ponte dell'Ammiraglio Palermo · Sicily Twelve Norman arches from 1131 above a river that no longer runs, and Garibaldi's way into Palermo. 66
  45. 45 fonte Aretusa — Syracuse fonte Aretusa Syracuse · Sicily The freshwater spring of Ortygia where papyrus grows, and where Nelson filled his casks in 1798. 65
  46. 46 monumento funebre dell'antipapa Giovanni XXIII — Florence monumento funebre dell'antipapa Giovanni XXIII Florence · Tuscany Donatello's tomb of the antipope in the Baptistery, with the quondam added to make peace with Rome. 65
  47. 47 piazza Grande — Modena piazza Grande Modena · Emilia-Romagna Modena's World Heritage square: the debtors' Preda Ringadora and the official measures on the Duomo. 65
  48. 48 Ponte dell'Accademia — Venice Ponte dell'Accademia Venice · Veneto The temporary wooden bridge of 1933, never replaced, with the view down the Grand Canal to the Salute. 65
  49. 49 ponte della Libertà — Venice ponte della Libertà Venice · Veneto The four-kilometre bridge with which Venice, in 1846, stopped being an island: the lagoon crossing. 65
  50. 50 ponte Pietra — Verona ponte Pietra Verona · Veneto Verona's Roman bridge, blown up in 1945 and rebuilt with the stones fished out of the Adige. 65
  51. 51 piazza Virgiliana — Mantua piazza Virgiliana Mantua · Lombardy A historic green square in Mantua featuring a grand Carrara marble monument dedicated to the Roman poet Virgil. 64
  52. 52 ponte della Costituzione — Venice ponte della Costituzione Venice · Veneto The fourth bridge over the Grand Canal, by Santiago Calatrava: steel, glass and a twenty-year argument. 64
  53. 53 Arco di Augusto — Rimini Arco di Augusto Rimini · Emilia-Romagna The oldest Roman arch left standing, with medieval battlements set on its top. 63
  54. 54 Crypta Neapolitana — Naples Crypta Neapolitana Naples · Campania The Roman tunnel bored through the tuff of Posillipo, with Virgil's and Leopardi's tombs above. 63
  55. 55 monumento alla Vittoria — Bolzano monumento alla Vittoria Bolzano · Trentino-South Tyrol Piacentini's fascist arch in Bolzano and the exhibition in its crypt that explains it. 63
  56. 56 piazza del Duomo — Milan piazza del Duomo Milan · Lombardy The space Milan opened by demolishing a district, and the architect who fell from the Galleria. 63
  57. 57 Macellum — Pompei Macellum Pompei · Campania The forum's covered market, where fish bones in the drain revealed what was sold. 62
  58. 58 Monumento equestre a Bartolomeo Colleoni — Venice Monumento equestre a Bartolomeo Colleoni Venice · Veneto Verrocchio's mounted condottiero, set where Venice wanted him: outside the piazza. 62
  59. 59 piazza Santo Stefano — Bologna piazza Santo Stefano Bologna · Emilia-Romagna Bologna's finest triangle and the seven churches that rebuild Jerusalem. 62
  60. 60 piazzale Loreto — Milan piazzale Loreto Milan · Lombardy The Milanese junction where fifteen political prisoners were shot in August 1944. 62
  61. 61 Ponte Santa Trinita — Florence Ponte Santa Trinita Florence · Tuscany The bridge with impossible arches, blown up in 1944 and reassembled piece by piece. 62
  62. 62 Arco di Trionfo di Genova — Genoa Arco di Trionfo di Genova Genoa · Liguria Twenty-seven metres of Istrian stone for Genoa's war dead, with Dazzi's friezes and a crypt below. 60
  63. 63 Cristo degli abissi — Camogli Cristo degli abissi Camogli · Liguria A bronze statue on the seabed off San Fruttuoso, lowered into the sea in 1954 in memory of a diver 60
  64. 64 piazza del Plebiscito — Naples piazza del Plebiscito Naples · Campania Naples' largest square, a car park thirty years ago, with a Pantheon at the far end. 60
  65. 65 ponte degli Scalzi — Venice ponte degli Scalzi Venice · Veneto The first bridge out of the station: twentieth-century stone on a single arch. 60
  66. 66 Arche scaligere — Verona Arche scaligere Verona · Veneto The Scaligeri tombs hung above the street, with Cangrande smiling on horseback. 59
  67. 67 piazza De Ferrari — Genoa piazza De Ferrari Genoa · Liguria Eleven thousand square metres Genoa uses to protest, to celebrate and to measure distances. 59
  68. 68 piazzale Michelangelo — Florence piazzale Michelangelo Florence · Tuscany The terrace built in 1869 precisely so Florence could be seen all at once. 59
  69. 69 ponte acquedotto di Pont d'Aël — Aymavilles ponte acquedotto di Pont d'Aël Aymavilles · Aosta Valley A Roman aqueduct bridge of 3 BC over the Grand Eyvia gorge: 66 metres of void and an inspection corridor. 59
  70. 70 ponte delle Guglie — Venice ponte delle Guglie Venice · Veneto Venice's only bridge with spires, thirty metres from the Ghetto's entrance. 59
  71. 71 Ponte di Castelvecchio — Verona Ponte di Castelvecchio Verona · Veneto The Scaligeri's private escape route, blown up in 1945 and rebuilt as it was. 59
  72. 72 statua del Redentore — Maratea statua del Redentore Maratea · Basilicata The twenty-one metre Christ that turns its back on the sea, above the gulf. 59
  73. 73 tomba del Tuffatore — Capaccio Paestum tomba del Tuffatore Capaccio Paestum · Campania The only Greek painting of the classical age to survive: a man diving into space. 59
  74. 74 Fontana delle 99 cannelle — L'Aquila Fontana delle 99 cannelle L'Aquila · Abruzzo The fountain of 1272 with spouts nobody manages to count the same way twice. 58
  75. 75 piazza Bra — Verona piazza Bra Verona · Veneto Verona's largest square, with the Arena and the worn pink marble of the Liston. 58
  76. 76 piazza del Duomo — Florence piazza del Duomo Florence · Tuscany Three buildings and three Tuscan marbles, with the largest masonry dome ever built. 58
  77. 77 Quattro Canti — Palermo Quattro Canti Palermo · Sicily Palermo's Baroque octagonal square at the intersection of its four historic quarters. 58
  78. 78 arco del Meloncello — Bologna arco del Meloncello Bologna · Emilia-Romagna The baroque arch where the world's longest portico leaps over the road. 57
  79. 79 piazza Dante — Naples piazza Dante Naples · Campania Vanvitelli's hemicycle built for a king, with Dante put in his place in 1871. 57
  80. 80 piazza dei Cavalieri — Pisa piazza dei Cavalieri Pisa · Tuscany Pisa's civic square remade by Vasari, with Ugolino's tower of Hunger. 56
  81. 81 Panoramic view of the Friulian countryside and Udine skyline with mountains in the distance. Arco Bollani Udine · Friuli Venezia Giulia Celebratory arch of 1556 attributed to Palladio, at the foot of the climb to Udine castle, with the lion of Saint Mark. 55
  82. 82 Borgo Bonsignore — Ribera Borgo Bonsignore Ribera · Sicily The rural village drafted on paper on Ribera's coast, today nearly empty. 55
  83. 83 View of the Nettuno coastline from the sea with mountains in the background Borgo medievale di Nettuno Nettuno · Lazio Nettuno's oldest quarter by the sea, with the Orsini walls, pedestrian lanes and the collegiate church of San Giovanni. 55
  84. 84 Borgo Storico Pantano — Rometta Borgo Storico Pantano Rometta · Sicily The abandoned Peloritani village, protected as knowledge, not as a monument. 55
  85. 85 Panoramic view of snow-covered Mount Etna and the peak of Rocca di Novara in Sicily. Casa Bossi Novara · Piedmont Alessandro Antonelli's residence in Novara of 1857-1859, second in the FAI «Luoghi del cuore» of 2010. 55
  86. 86 Panoramic view of snow-covered Mount Etna and the peak of Rocca di Novara in Sicily. Casa Della Porta Novara · Piedmont Gothic residence of Cardinal Ardicino della Porta with three pointed windows framed in terracotta. 55
  87. 87 Cippo di Perugia — Perugia Cippo di Perugia Perugia · Umbria Perugia's Etruscan cippus, a contract between two families in forty-six lines. 55
  88. 88 Fontana araba — Alcamo Fontana araba Alcamo · Sicily The Arab fountain of Alcamo, still working after more than a thousand years. 55
  89. 89 Virgil staircase and Roman column in Brindisi, Italy Fontana De Torres Brindisi · Puglia Monumental fountain of 1618 in piazza della Vittoria, Brindisi, built around a reused medieval basin. 55
  90. 90 View of the Nettuno coastline from the sea with mountains in the background Fontana del Nettuno Nettuno · Lazio Nettuno's emblematic fountain in piazza Mazzini, with the nineteenth-century statue of the god and a horse-drawn shell. 55
  91. 91 Entrance to the Archconfraternity of the Most Holy Sacrament in Foggia, Puglia Fontana del Sele Foggia · Puglia Fontana del Sele in Foggia, inaugurated on 21 March 1924 to celebrate the Apulian Aqueduct. 55
  92. 92 Piazza Libertà in Avellino with a large Christmas tree. Fontana di Bellerofonte Avellino · Campania Baroque fountain by Cosimo Fanzago in Avellino, called the three cannuóli: Partenio water flows from three mouths. 55
  93. 93 Panoramic dusk view of the coastline and cityscape of San Benedetto del Tronto Monumento al Gabbiano Jonathan Livingston San Benedetto del Tronto · Marche Mario Lupo's bronze seagull on the south pier of San Benedetto del Tronto, from Richard Bach's novel. 55
  94. 94 Virgil staircase and Roman column in Brindisi, Italy Monumento al Marinaio d'Italia Brindisi · Puglia Rudder-shaped monument about 53 metres high over Brindisi harbour, in carparo stone, opened in 1933. 55
  95. 95 Vintage postcard of a steam tram crossing the Tanaro Bridge in Alessandria Monumento equestre a Carlo Alberto Casale Monferrato · Piedmont Abbondio Sangiorgio's bronze in Piazza Mazzini, Casale Monferrato: Carlo Alberto on horseback, dressed as a Roman. 55
  96. 96 Panoramic view of the hills and countryside surrounding Lucca in Tuscany. Mura di Lucca Lucca · Tuscany Renaissance walls of Lucca, 4 kilometres and 223 metres long, well preserved, now a promenade above the city. 55
  97. 97 Panoramic dusk view of the coastline and cityscape of San Benedetto del Tronto Palazzina Azzurra San Benedetto del Tronto · Marche The Rationalist summer dance pavilion of San Benedetto del Tronto, now an exhibition space. 55
  98. 98 Piazza Di Vittorio in Nichelino with its modern light sculptures and clock tower in the background. Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi Nichelino · Piedmont The Savoy hunting lodge designed by Juvarra, a UNESCO site, with the bronze stag on its dome. 55
  99. 99 Piazza Cavalli in Piacenza featuring an equestrian statue and Palazzo del Governatore. Palazzo Farnese Piacenza · Emilia-Romagna Great Farnese palace of Piacenza designed by Vignola, home to the civic museums with the Etruscan liver and Botticelli. 55
  100. 100 Virgil staircase and Roman column in Brindisi, Italy Palazzo Granafei-Nervegna Brindisi · Puglia Renaissance palace of 1565 on via Duomo in Brindisi, later seat of the Court until 1976. 55