The best cities in Italy combine enchanting medieval architecture, ebullient Italian culture, and geographic convenience to enable brilliant day trips. These cities can be headline acts such as Rome or Venice, or lesser-known delights like Liguria’s stately capital of Genoa.
Not all of the best cities in Italy are large, either. Lecce and Lucca are prime examples of how Italy knocks it out of the park when it comes to smaller cities.
Read on to discover 13 of the best cities in Italy to visit.
Cagliari
Cagliari
If you’re in Cagliari, you’re on the island of Sardinia, which means you’re close to many of Italy’s most beautiful beaches. Handsome Cagliari, however, is much more than just a jumping-off point for a beach day.
The fascinating, pastel-hued city is capped by its Il Castello district—the historic center and its most atmospheric neighborhood. Once you’ve ticked off the must-see 13th-century cathedral and fortified towers, wander the city’s lanes taking in the overlapping cultures that unite harmoniously in this mid-Mediterranean paradise.
Cagliari
Cagliari is a wonderful city for understanding the nature of what it means to be Italian. The Sardinians, like the Sicilians, view themselves as part of Italy and yet distinct from it. This mindset runs through the mainland as well.
It’s a reminder that Italy’s unification took place only a little over 150 years ago; something to ponder while sinking your toes into the glassy shallows of Cagliari’s Poetto Beach.
Brindisi
Brindisi
An ancient port on Puglia’s sun-blessed Adriatic Coast, Brindisi is the destination point of the via Appia—the long-distance Roman road that’s become Italy’s latest UNESCO site. It’s also superbly located for trips to some of Puglia’s must-see destinations such as Ostuni, Lecce, and Alberobello.
The city’s colorful history runs deep, from the ancient Greeks through to the Crusades, with sun-bleached reminders of this remarkable past interwoven into the boutique-studded old town. However, some are more stand-out, such as the hulking Castello Alfonsino di Brindisi which has glowered at the harbor entrance for over 500 years.
Brindisi may have a vast amount of history, but this doesn’t get in the way of its vibrant nightlife. This is best experienced as you stroll along the Regina Margherita Promenade in the warm evening air, listening to the lap of the water and looking for a cozy place for aperitivo.
Catania
Catania
Sicily’s thriving second city lives in the shadow of Mount Etna, both literally and figuratively. The skyline is dominated by the volcano’s graceful slopes, and the city’s history has been shaped by the seismic forces Etna has unleashed over the centuries.
Comfort food is required, then. The origin point for Pasta alla Norma, a classic dish of the Sicilian recipe book, Catania is a superb stop for foodies. Fragrant and pungent open-air markets gather in its timeworn squares, the staccato hubbub of Sicilian-inflected commerce contrasting with the steady toll of the church bells.
Beat the heat with a cone of slushy lemon granita and explore Catania’s winding streets, stepping on pavements laid with volcanic stone. Look inside the Castello Ursino, a castle and museum visit in one. Choose from entrancing Renaissance artworks within, or find out more about Catania’s history, including the devastating 1693 earthquake.
Lecce
Lecce
Although considered one of the off-the-beaten-path gems in Italy, Lecce is a pearl of a city located in the country’s heel, the olive-rich region known as Puglia. Lecce is best known for its dazzling baroque city center, not unlike that of Florence.
However, this wonderful—and wonderfully sunny—small city offers far more than just elaborate medieval facades. Lecce is a gastronomic hub where the rustic flavors of the south are at their best in traditional trattorias as well as the Primitivo-heavy wine bars that line Via Umberto I.
See the modernist artworks in the Museo Provinciale for a baroque palate cleanser before dithering over whether to visit the Adriatic or head south to the Ionian for the finer dove-white sands of Torre Lapillo.
Syracuse
Syracuse
One of the best cities in Italy in which to get in touch with the classical world, stunning Syracuse has one foot in antiquity and another in the present day.
On the city limits, you’ll find one of Italy’s most unusual historic sites—the Ear of Dionysus. This ancient quarry is a tall and narrow cave famous for its acoustics. When Syracuse was the largest city in antiquity, Dionysus, its leader, would, so the legend goes, eavesdrop on his enemies held within.
Ear of Dionysus, Syracuse
Close to the Ear is the tomb of Archimedes, the city’s most famous son, and the well-preserved Greek Theater. A short walk takes you over the water and into Ortigia, the city’s white limestone historic center.
Take time out from admiring the baroque/Norman/ancient Greek architectural weave and taste fresh strawberries at a vibrant street market. Watch the fishing boats putter into dock while squeezing lemon over a pile of fritto misto at a waterfront restaurant. You’ll quickly figure out why this Sicilian town has been populated for so long; it’s incredible.
Florence
Florence
The “Cradle of the Renaissance”, Florence, the Tuscan capital, is one of the best cities in Italy for art and aperitivo lovers.
Its remarkable museums contain enough life-changing oil paintings, and its streets enough posturing sculptures, to last a lifetime, let alone a short stay. Unfortunately, Italian citizenship and relocation aren’t an option for many of us, so instead comes the difficult task that faces all who visit Florence: what to see and what to leave out.
Ponte Vecchio, Florence
If you haven’t made up your mind prior to arrival, consider your priorities while sipping a cocktail in one of Florence’s excellent rooftop bars. As the sunset paints the hills, maybe just commit to a return visit, order another round, and relax.
Afterward, go for an evening stroll through this treasure-packed city, past the mercantile palaces on via Tornabuoni that speak to the city’s medieval riches. Cross the Ponte Vecchio to trendy San Frediano, or turn back into the historic district to admire the Duomo’s serene exterior illuminated at night.
Siena
Siena
The historic rival of Florence, Siena is a mesmerizing enigma set in the Tuscan hills. It’s undoubtedly one of the best cities to visit in Italy. Life in Siena’s maze of sidestreets still feels utterly authentic; this is a city that hasn’t compromised despite its renown.
This beautiful Italian city is full of surprises. The Gothic Duomo is, for many, the most striking example of ecclesiastical architecture in Italy. Meanwhile, across town, there’s a saint’s skull on grinning display in the basilica.
Piazza del Campo, Siena
However, Siena is probably best known for its famed Palio horse race. The rivalry is so fierce that best friends from competing neighborhoods won’t associate with one another as race day approaches.
The Palio takes place in the city’s slanting, oval Piazza del Campo—again, unconventional. But for all of the city’s muscular independence, the hospitality you’ll encounter among the restaurants here is charming, warm, and wonderfully Italian. And the espresso is outstanding.
Lucca
Lucca
Just inland from the long, bronze beaches of the Tuscan coast, Lucca is one of Italy’s loveliest small cities.
With your carta di credito in hand, treat its gorgeous, walled historic center like the ultimate open-air mall. Modern styles are presented handsomely in window frames that first let in light centuries ago. The architecture is in proportion to Lucca’s dinky dimensions, offering intimate spaces in which to sip a Negroni or savor authentic Tuscan cuisine.
A perambulation around its deep and intact medieval walls is the best way to acquaint oneself with this alluring city. Relax amid the parks found here, or rent a bicycle for one of the most unique cycle tracks in Italy.
Read: Best Things to Do in Tuscany
Naples
Naples
Naples is the Italian city of the moment. Once a chaotic destination where visitors were shy to produce their cameras in certain streets, this coastal metropolis has since cleaned up its act.
The 16th-century Spanish Quarter is a prime example of this restoration; a former crime-ridden slum has become one of Naples’ most atmospheric neighborhoods. It’s full of history, murals, and tiny bakeries serving delicious cream-filled sfogliatelle pastries.
While there’s plenty in this city to discover, from the beaches to the stately buildings of its historic center, Naples is also a great jumping-off point for some major Italian destinations. Close by is UNESCO-listed Pompeii, while looking back across the azure Gulf of Naples is Sorrento, and, beyond that, the Amalfi Coast. And we haven’t even mentioned the pizza.
Venice
Venice
There’s nowhere like Venice. Some cities may try to claim reflected glory by positioning themselves as having “more canals than Venice” or something similar. However, the allure of this Adriatic sea port is a matter of more than just canalway mileage.
There’s the light, for one thing. How it glimmers on the lagoon is an effect that has fascinated painters for centuries. Venice’s Carnevale is Italy’s most famous and enchanting festival. The city’s St. Mark’s Square is easily one of the country’s most beautiful piazzi, especially while dining al fresco to the tune of a string quartet.
There’s the rarified La Serenissima, as Venice is known, and then there’s the cozy and unpretentious. This is abundantly available in the city’s bacari bars, where the delicious bite-size cicchetti snacks pair perfectly with an olive-topped Spritz Veneziano.
Bologna
Bologna
The Emilia-Romagna region of Italy is the source of some of the country’s most beloved exports: Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, prosciutto di Parma, also known as Parma ham, and balsamic vinegar from Modena.
In the regional capital of Bologna, these supreme lords of the pantry have for centuries played an important role in developing a local culinary culture on par with Rome’s. Foodies, welcome: this is your city.
Tagliatelle al Ragu
Of course, Bologna is more than mortadella-stuffed treats on the go, bowls of meaty tagliatelle al Ragu, and the home of mouthwatering green-sheeted lasagnas. There’s history too, hidden canals to uncover, weathered brick towers to climb, and ornate medieval gates that lead to interesting historical rabbit holes.
However, it is fair to say that in one of the best cities to visit in Italy, you’re always thinking about that next memorable meal.
Read: Things to Do in Bologna
Rome
Colosseum, Rome
All roads lead here, so it’s kind of hard to miss. Rome, once the center of an empire that encircled the Mediterranean, is one of the best cities in Italy for history and pretty much everything else.
Of course, there are the bucket list sites: the Colosseum, the Sistine Chapel, and the Roman Forum. However, the best part of Rome is getting away from the crowds and discovering its diverse neighborhoods, from the bars of trendy Monti to the trattorias of Trastevere.
Wander across travertine-clad bridges, marvel at the density of Vespa scooters, and duck into the twilight of its antique shops to find a piece of Rome’s rich past to bear home.
Genoa
Genoa
The capital of Liguria, Genoa was a great maritime power of the medieval era. The wealth that rolled in off the high seas created a city of fresco-adorned palazzi and left behind one of Europe’s largest, intact medieval centers.
Despite this being a city in the Italian Riviera, famous for its 300 days of sunshine, it’s rather shady in the tight, flag-stoned corridors of the medieval center. Some of the shops there seem to have been open for at least 500 years, selling nostalgic pieces and antiques. Shreds of open space are colonized by outdoor seating where you can linger and sample Genovese pesto in its hometown.
Genoa
Genoa is also a coastal city. Wander out of the center’s palm-shaded streets a small distance, and you reach Boccadasse—a former fisherman’s village that feels like the seed of a new Cinqueterre. Find a place to sit and watch the brightly painted gozzi putter out to catch bream, mackerel, and anchovies to be fried fresh that evening in the local restaurants.
While old rhythms stay strong in Genoa, there’s newness here too. The new Waterfront di Levante designed by starchitect Renzo Piano has reshaped the waterfront, further strengthening the city’s case as one of the best cities to visit in Italy.
Venice
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