The Most Famous Italian Monuments to Visit at Least Once in a Lifetime
From the Colosseum in Rome to the Duomo in Milan, the Uffizi museum and Ponte Vecchio in Florence, passing through Piazza San Marco in Venice and to the infamous Leaning Tower of Pisa: the places to visit in Italy at least once in a lifetime are many and quite scattered throughout the peninsula.
If you don't know where to start to discover the wonders of the peninsula, here are the 6 unmissable Italian monuments that will make you fall in love with Italy, from north to south.
Photo: Vatican City
The Duomo of Milan: in construction for more than 500 years, a marvel in the city center
With a height of 158 meters and the famous statue of the Madonnina that watches over the city, the Duomo di Milano is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Italy: it would be enough to view the front of it to be amazed by the riot of spiers and statues that embellish the exteriors. However, even the interior of the Duomo will leave you breathless with its five large naves, the geometric decoration of the floor and the paintings that can be admired in every corner of the cathedral.
The construction of the Duomo began in 1386 under the command of Gian Galeazzo Visconti and was officially completed five centuries later, in 1965. It’s thanks to many interventions that have taken place century after century that today we can enjoy this monument of rare splendor.
Photo: Duomo di Milano, Piazza del Duomo, Milan, Metropolitan City of Milan, Italy
St. Mark's Square, elegance beyond measure
Napoleon Bonaparte called it "the most beautiful drawing room in Europe" and this is typically what tourists and visitors feel when they find themselves in front of the majesty of St. Mark's Square in Venice.
It is considered the symbolic place of the city and home to the most elegant and important buildings in Venice: the imposing bell tower dominates Piazza San Marco with the nearby Basilica, while along the interior perimeter the Palazzo Ducale, the Clock Tower and the Museo Correr, alternate with charming bars and locals ideal for an aperitif with a unique view.
Photo: St. Mark's Square
Torre di Pisa: the fascination of the leaning tower
Piazza dei Miracoli, officially Piazza del Duomo, is the symbolic place of the city of Pisa, designed to represent all the power of the Maritime Republic starting from the year one thousand. Towering over the square, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the best-known monuments of the city: it is the Torre di Pisa, known by all as the leaning Torre di Pisa.
It’s impossible not to ask yourself when standing in front of it: why is the Leaning Torre di Pisa crooked? The slope is linked to the subsidence of the land during its construction. With a height of 57 meters, it can be visited inside, but you have to walk up 294 steps to get to the panoramic terrace from which you can enjoy a unique view of the large square.
Photo: Torre di Pisa
The Uffizi in Florence: one of the most beautiful museums in Italy
The Uffizi Gallery in Florence, in the historic center of the city, will make you fall in love with art with its extraordinary collections of ancient sculptures and paintings ranging from the Middle Ages to the modern age. In the middle of one of the most beautiful historic centers in the world, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is impossible not to stop by.
Room after room among the works of art in the Uffizi Gallery you will find the most important collection of art from Raffaello and Botticelli, from Primavera to the Birth of Venus, but also The Annunciation and the Baptism of Christ by Leonardo Da Vinci, the Doni Tondo by Michelangelo and Giotto's Ognissanti Madonna.
Photo: Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy
Ponte Vecchio, the meeting point of Florentine socio-economic life
It’s one of the symbols of the Tuscan capital and the oldest stone bridge in Europe. Built in 1345, Ponte Vecchio in Florence has played an important role in the city's economy for centuries. This is due to the shops and workshops that follow on from one to another over the 95 meters length of the pedestrian crossing.
At one stage butchers carried out business here, but from 1593 at the behest of the Grand Duke Ferdinando this iconic place became the headquarters of the best jewelers in the city. To better appreciate what is one of the most stunning monuments of Florence, after crossing it, reach the nearby Ponte Santa Trinità to enjoy a unique panoramic view.
Photo: Ponte Vecchio in Florence
The Colosseum: symbol of Rome and the Roman world
It is one of the most visited monuments in the world, the symbol of Rome and one of the best preserved testimonies of the splendor of Ancient Rome. It is the Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheater from the name of the dynasty that began its construction in 70 AD and saw the emperors Vespasian, Titus and Domitian take turns. Since 1980, along with the entire historic center of the city, it has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The history of the Colosseum has seen alternating periods of great splendor, when it was used for gladiatorial shows and other public events, with long periods of abandonment and looting. Only thanks to the restoration work that began at the beginning of the 19th century did the Colosseum regain the splendor that everyone admires today.
Photo: Colosseum, Rome, Italy