What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy?
Italy is a country known internationally for its historical, artistic and panoramic beauty. Our peninsula, a very popular destination with travelers from all over the world, is home to truly extraordinary tourist attractions, unique cities in the world, postcard-worthy coastlines, museums and works of art, charming medieval villages, valleys, sensational mountains and much more. So: what are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? Here at Your Travel to Italy with Ana Patricia you make the trip of your dreams! ALSO: see our “Accommodation in Italy – Tips for your holidays!”
Our Introduction
Let’s see together What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? Italy is known as “il Bel Paese” (“The Beautiful Country”), for its history and for its artistic-literary culture, however, it is not simple to make a classification of the most beautiful cities in Italy, because its artistic heritage is immense. In this list of cities, today we will travel in imagination to the most acclaimed destinations.
In relation to the first 10 cities, I will make a simple recap since I already talked about them a lot in a previous post, so from the eleventh city I will be more detailed – Also read: Ten Most Visited Cities in Italy!
1) What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? ROME
The first city could not fail to be the capital, Rome. It is not afraid of competition and definitely leaves tourists breathless. Rome emanates history and grandeur everywhere, the experience of visiting it is an immersion in the Italian lifestyle, which is already part of the collective imagination of the entire planet. Learn more about Rome clicking HERE!
2) What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? VENICE
The second one is Venice: the most romantic city in the world, which attracts thousands of tourists and couples in love every year. Venice, with its famous canals, gondolas, monuments and the sensational Piazza San Marco (St Mark’s Square), is certainly one of the pearls of Italy. Learn more about Venice clicking HERE!
3) What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? MILAN
In third place is the city that is a symbol of fashion and “Made in Italy”: the great Milan. Italian capital of fashion and economy, Milan is very loved by young people and foreigners who will, even with the snow during the winter, find a shopping paradise and the imposing cathedral, the largest Gothic work in Italy. Find out more about Milan clicking HERE!
4) What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? FLORENCE
The fourth city that definitely deserves a visit is Florence, the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. It offers a lot to see and is therefore considered a cultural tourism option in Italy. A heap of works of art, Florence is a city much loved by tourists; in addition, this is where the most visited Italian museum is located: the Uffizi Gallery. Learn more about Florence clicking HERE!
5) What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? BOLOGNA
The fifth city is Bologna, the “erudite”. Home to the oldest university in the world, Bologna could not fail to be a city dedicated to culture. Bologna is home to Piazza Grande (“Great Square”), the oldest university in the world and one of the most beautiful bell towers in Italy: the Asinelli towers. Learn more about Bologna clicking HERE!
6) What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? NAPLES
The sixth most visited Italian city is Naples, the largest and most visited of all cities in southern Italy. Naples is full of contradictions about its reputation; but despite this, the city has a hidden charm to be discovered, which reflects a lot on the lively and colorful character of its residents. Learn more about Naples by clicking HERE!
7) What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? SORRENTO
The seventh city is Sorrento, the city of citrus plantations. Sorrento is one of the many pearls of the Amalfi Coast. Built on a volcanic shore, it contains unique features in the world, natural, cultural, artistic and folk. Find out more about the Amalfi Coast clicking HERE!
8) What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? VERONA
The eighth city that deserves a visit is Verona, which is perhaps one of the most beautiful cities in Italy – as certified by UNESCO, which declared it a World Heritage Site for its structure and urban architecture. Famous for being the city of Romeo and Juliet, Verona has the most beautiful balcony in Italy. Find out more about Verona by clicking HERE!
9) What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? SIENA
The ninth most visited city is the city of the Palio, we are talking about the magnificent Siena. A city rich in traditions, where beauty is concentrated in its old streets and alleys. It is very pleasant to stroll through the historic center, between the markets and shops, enjoying a “ciaccino” (typical Tuscan street food). It is surprising to admire the beauty of Piazza del Campo (“Field Square”), one of the most beautiful in the world. Learn more about Siena clicking HERE!
10) What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? SYRACUSE
The tenth city is the beautiful Syracuse, we are going to Sicily to find out more about this amazing region, a candidate for the European capital of culture. Syracuse is fascinating, urban architecture is of Greco-Roman origin, but Sicilian Baroque predominates; and the Ortigia Square is radiant for its beauty. Learn more about Syracuse clicking HERE!
11) What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? PALERMO
Let us start with the eleventh city, which is Palermo, a charming, mysterious city, with a complex history that reflects in its exceptional monuments. It has Arabic, Norman features, some Gothic-Catalan marks and Baroque influences. It is a noisy and colorful city, as well as its fairs scattered through the streets of the historic center, rich in perfumes and ancient flavors that are also found in its cuisine.
Its Monuments
The Arab-Roman itinerary, recognized by UNESCO, consists of nine monuments and seven of them are in Palermo – like the Royal Palace with the Palatine Chapel, the Church of St John of the Hermits, that of Saint Mary of the Admiral (known as Martorana), the church of Saint Catald (Palermo Cathedral) and the Palace of Zisa. These last two are cathedrals, with their respective convents, Cefalù and Monreale. Learn more about Palermo clicking HERE!
12) What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? ALGHERO
To talk about the twelfth city, Alghero, we are going to Sardinia. Alghero is a charming city in northwestern Sardinia, considered one of the gates to the island (thanks to its airport). It is the tourist pearl of the Mediterranean, also known as “Barceloneta” (little Barcelona) or “Riviera del Corallo” (“Coral Coast”). WHAT TO DO IN ITALY IN 15 DAYS?
Its natural landscape is very varied, from beaches with fine sand to the slopes with flat and pointed rocks. It is a historic city that transforms itself with incredible charm in its walls and epic architecture, strongly influenced by the Catalan-Aragonese domain. Learn more about Alghero clicking HERE!
13) What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? TURIN
To talk about the thirteenth city, we will return to Northern Italy, precisely Turin. The Piedmontese capital is a city of singular charm, where many emperors have lived. Here, kingdoms were created and power left indestructible marks. Today Turin is a metropolis that observes the past, pointing to the future, with the ambition of a city that from a small village has become the capital of a kingdom and a nation, and then became the capital of cinema and the automobile. Turin must be experienced, so you will find out something you did not expect. Find out more about Turin clicking HERE!
Piazza Vittorio in Turin
14) What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? GENOA
Another city that deserves to be visited is certainly Genoa, Ligury. In the past, the port represented the main “door” to the city, a meeting point for diverse peoples and cultures. The Lighthouse, 76 meters high, is perhaps the most suggestive symbol of what the sea was like, and is the main element in the history of Genoa.
Nowadays, the Lighthouse of Genoa houses a museum that, in a less traditional way, wants to convey the true spirit of “genovesity”. Another gem of the city that attracts thousands of visitors each year is the Aquarium of Genoa, where fun and spectacle come together in favor of knowledge and environmental education, to offer a complete program, suitable for all ages. Find out more about Genoa clicking HERE!
15) What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? TRIESTE
The fifteenth city to which we will go to is Trieste, with its monuments from different eras, its historic cafes (which in the past were a meeting point for writers and scholars), its port and the imposing art nouveau architecture… all this makes it a city of great splendor.
A charming art-city facing the sea, surrounded by spectacular karst relief. You cannot miss the imposing Lighthouse of Vittoria, built on the hill of Gretta, a modern monument in white stone from Orsera, dedicated to soldiers killed during the First World War. Learn more about Trieste clicking HERE!
16) What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? FERRARA
The sixteenth city that deserves a visit is Ferrara, the city of the Este family. Among its main characteristics, we can mention: the tangle of medieval alleys and the geometric open, light and airy spaces. It is certainly an elegant and comfortable city, where life passes slowly, aboard a bicycle, between palaces, mansions, churches and castles.
Ferrara was chosen and loved by the Este family. Supporters of an elegant and refined aristocracy, the Este family made Ferrara one of the most attractive cities of the 15th century in the entire European continent. The refined administrative conduct, not only in the political field, but mainly in artistic terms, attracted painters like Piero della Francesca, Andrea Mantegna and Biagio Rossetti. Learn more about Ferrara clicking HERE!
17) What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? PISA
In the seventeenth place is Pisa, the city with the leaning tower. Certainly, much of Pisa’s popularity is due to one of the most famous and representative monuments in our country: the Tower of Pisa, which attracts tourists from all corners of the world. Pisa is an open-air museum, but also a living and modern city, whose rhythms and daily life are articulated by an intense young life.
The grandeur of the ancient maritime republic of Pisa is reflected in the bridges, palaces and frescoes, forming a collection of great importance, which is expressed in the Museum of Arts of the Cathedral, the Museum of the Graphics, the Royal Palace and the Monastery of Certosa. The medieval center is rich in churches, porticoes and bars. Pisa is the birthplace of famous painters and is still an important center of contemporary art. Learn more about Pisa clicking HERE!
18) What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? LECCE
We will go south to find another city with great beauty: Lecce. City of indescribable charm, both for its landscape and for its monuments and museums. A perfection still unknown, as well as its origins. Salentine cultural base, Lecce is among the most beautiful art-cities in southern Italy.
Known as the “Florence of the South”, it knows how to surprise and delight tourists and visitors. Its ancient messaphic origins and ruins of the Roman domain are mixed with the richness and exuberance of the Baroque (typical of the 17th century) of the churches and palaces of the center. Learn more about Lecce clicking HERE!
19) What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? CATANIA
We reached the penultimate place on our list, which belongs to the city of Catania. A real treasure in the neoclassical baroque style, with its wonderful Piazza Domo, headquarters of the Palace of the Elephants, the Fountain of the Amenano and the beautiful Via dei Crociferi.
Among other places worth mentioning are: the Abbey of Saint Agatha, the Collegiate Basilica, the Benedictine Monastery, the Biscari Palace and the Bellini Garden (from the 18th century, on Via Etnea). Learn more about Catania by clicking HERE!
20) What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? MANTUA
In the twentieth place we returned to Northern Italy to visit the city of Mantua. Aristocratic and rich in art and history, it is a city surrounded by an environment of extraordinary naturalistic value. It was transformed by the Gonzaga family (1328-1707) into a royal city of great splendor.
At every corner of the historic center, the city provides memories of its prestigious history and its rich traditions, as well as porches, squares, courtyards and charming places that preserve the splendor of the 16th century court. Renaissance palaces are the monuments that most testify to the creative dynamism of the Gonzaga family and its domain. Find out more about Mantua clicking HERE!
General facts about Italy
Did you know that Rome is the most important city in the country? However, if we talk about the financial center, the most important Italian city is Milan. The north of Italy, in fact, is well developed and industrialized and, almost all, dominated by private companies, which moves the economy and makes the regions the most rich in the country.
Rome is the oldest city in the country and is officially estimated to have 2,771 years of history!
Italy is in the European continent and borders four countries: France, Slovenia, Switzerland and Austria; the country is bathed by four Seas: Adriatic, Ionian, Mediterrenean, and the Tyrrhenian Seas
- Italy has active volcanoes, such as Vesuvius and Etna, both located in the south of the country.
From November 2023, the ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) digital visa will be mandatory for some citizens! You can access the link above for more information. Another mandatory item is travel insurance: essential for your trip to be peaceful and for you not to worry about doctors or hospitals if you need assistance!
- Italy and France always compete for the first place of the biggest wine producers in the world; remember that all Italian regions produce their own wine!
- The predominant religion in Italy is Catholicism, with almost 90% of the population declaring themselves Catholic, but other religions are also found in the country: 4.6% Orthodox, 0.6% Protestant, 1.5% other Christians; 2.6% are from other non-Christian religions and 11.7% declared themselves non-religious – 7.5% atheists and 4.2% agnostic.
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Conclusion
What are the 20 most visited cities in Italy? It is difficult to imagine a country with a richer history and with as many beautiful cities as Italy. Still, this is only a small part of the beauty that we can see here. I made this list in order to give a small sample of the many wonders that Italy has at its disposal.
And if you feel insecure, have no time, and need help to organize your trip, don’t hesitate to contact me! I will love to help you make your dream trip to Italy come true. And how can I do that? Keep reading this post until the end and you will understand how we make your life and your trip much easier.
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