Cities in Italy worth visiting

Siena, the grand central square in particular.

Bologna, with beautiful arcades and porticoes.

Not a city, but the Amalfi coast is stunning.

Milano, speaks for itself but you'll find a lot of people dislike the city, just go with an open mind

Bolzano, interesting mix between Austrian and Italian influences, as it was part of the Austrian Empire)

Trento, charming town with some really interesting museums and overall a lovely vibe

Rome, for obvious reasons

Florence, " " "

Venice (in Winter only - bring high rubber boots)

Bologna

Siena

Pompeii/Herculaneum (Ruins)

^^also Palermo. I love it's run down, faded glamour, odd features and rough trade

I've never been, but I'd love to go to Trieste for its Central European flavour.

Mostly off the beaten, not mobbed with tourists path:

Venice

Siena

Trieste

Genoa, then take the ferry to

Cagliari (Sardinia)

Palermo

Trapani, then take the ferry to

Pantelleria (Island)

Agree about Siena. Beautiful city.

And the Amalfi Coast is indeed perfect. Try and stay a night in Positano, and make sure you swim in the sea. Looking back at the town from the sea is quite something.

Another vote for Siena, which I prefer to Florence. And give Naples a chance.

What's Parma like?

Siena

Palermo

Milan

Italy is home to some of the most beautiful cities in the world. Even those run down cities and towns still possess some faded charm. I'd stick to the larger ones though if travelling alone.

Sicily is a must. More about Palermo rough trade please

Orvieto is one of the most magical places in Italy.

I know this is on *NOBODY'S* list, but Naples (OK nobody but R8) All of the good stuff from Pompeii and the Herculaneum is in the museum there. You will see very little more than brick walls at the actual site (Yes, some lesser mosaics and frescoes are there, but not the really good stuff.)

Positano deserves more than one night, but go in the off-season. It is hell in season.

Turin is spectacularly beautiful, the capital of Italian Baroque. It's simply majestic.

Genoa, as R6 has mentioned, is also monumental and has one of the most impressive harbour districts you will ever see.

Close to venice you have Padua, Vincenza, Verona, Ferrara and Mantua, which are all extremely different from each other and yet, exceptionally beautiful all the same. Verona in particular has the Arena, a Roman amphitheatre that dominates its city centre and rivals the Colosseum in majesty. Still, each city has so much to offer than it's impossible to fixate on merely one thing.

Those who have mentioned Naples are also right - it is a strange mix of monumentality, glorious beauty and utter decay. The city centre, the sites of Herculanum and Pompeii and the Royal Palace of Caserta make it worth a visit.

Still, it's impossible to go anywhere in Italy and not find several impressive things. Also, take into account that the different regions of Italy are extremely different culturally, and this is reflected in the architecture and layout of each town. For example, very few people know about Urbino, a SPECTACULAR city in the Marche region that flourished during the Renaissance and has monuments and buildings that can easily compete with Florence and Venice... Then again, that can be said of almost every city in Italy.

COMO is worth a side trip if you're in Milan. The one thing that stood out for me is the cable car that takes you up above the town (not especially busy or touristy). Suddenly you're on a country road in the mountains with cooler weather, the whole bit. I love shit like that. Stroll along and find a place to have lunch. I'm sure there are other great things there. There's the Villa D'Este where we stayed, very fancy pantsy but I think of an other era, something was missing, maybe the chic people. There are a few though, who only use it for the restaurant.

R6, have you been to Venice within the past several decades?

I'm going to a wedding at Villa d'Este next year and I can't wait to stay there again. It was wonderful 10 years ago and fingers crossed the years - and the effects of lockdown- won't have changed it too much.

Torino is so elegant and well preserved. I used to go shopping there at the sales in winter. Just strolling around the baroque squares and arcades, having light things to eat in the super chic cafes. Nobody goes to Turin but the Italians - so all this display is just for their self enjoyment. I don't find it to be internationalized at all, with little catering to the tourist trade.

Padua (Padova in Italian) is where the Renaissance started. It is beautiful.

The chapel at Padua (forget it's proper name at the moment) is nothing short of SPECTACULAR

No one's mentioned Pisa? The town is not remarkable, but the tower and its church are worth seeing.

Lucca was worth a visit as well.

Pisa is not that great, r21.

Interesting that nobody has mention Capri. I have always imagined it a being the worst of The Hamptons and Sylt in Germany.

Oh, no, Capri is absolutely beautiful. Yes, it's fashionable and expensive but to compare it to the boring Hamptons is just ridiculous.

If you are planning to stay in Positano, check out La Fenice. They call it a hotel, but when I stayed there it was really a B&B. Many of the rooms are built on the side of the mountain and overlook the sea and have private balconies or terraces. There's a pool, and access to the beach below.

Sitting casually looking out at the sea, enjoying Italian coffee with homemade butter and fig jam on freshly baked bread. A leisurely cigarette with coffee, a light breeze, and the exquisite view. One of my favorite and most comforting memories.

Bellissimo.

(Don't obsess about the cigarette; it was a while ago.)

Those in the know, go to Ravello.

I came back from Italy month ago. I obviously loved Rome. But other interesting cities - I adored Sperlonga. White historical center, sea, great views, and grotto of Tiberius for those who like ancient history. I loved Ischia and Gardens of Poseydon - lovely place with dozens of pools full of thermal water. I loved Capri - spectacular, but very crowded. And I loved Pompei.

In my previous travels in Italy I especially liked Siena, Bologna, and little city of Monza.

Where are the hottest gays?

[quote]Oh, no, Capri is absolutely beautiful. Yes, it's fashionable and expensive but to compare it to the boring Hamptons is just ridiculous.

It may be beautiful, but what about the people? Both The Hamptons and the island of Sylt attract the worst type of people. Wealthy, but generally horrid.

Capri is beautiful for the scenery. A day or 2 is sufficient.

R23, Capri, particularly Anacapri, is beautiful and is nothing like either place you mentioned.

I spent 3 days in Capri and there was plenty to do and see there in that time.

Palermo, Sicily. Hugely underrated.

BTW, Sorrento is very overrated. The only city in Italy that was disappointing to me. But it's good for one-day visit to Capri.

In Capri, there's the Blue Grotto, faulous beaches, Anacapri, Axel Munthe's incredible villa (which I strongly suggest a tour of), a boat trip around the island, and Malaparte. People should spend more than a measly day there.

R35 Beaches in Capri? Where?

R26 Jackie and Gianni must have been good sex.

[quote]Mostly off the beaten, not mobbed with tourists path: Venice

Other hidden Mediterranean gems for those who really want to get away from it all: Mykonos and St Tropez.

Marina Grande is a "beach" in Capri. Pebbled coast and a working marina, you can still enter the water easily, comfortably, safely. It's shallow, too.

R38 obviously has both reading comprehension and sight issues. Did you not see/understand the word [bold]M O S T L Y[/bold]????

I hear Barcelona is a sleepy undiscovered gem.

If you want beaches in Italy, Ischia is your choice.

Alassio has a sandy beach. Calm late 19th, early 20th century town with middle class Italians. Very relaxing and mostly local.

I wasn't suggesting going to Capri for beaches. There are many other things it offers.

Italy in general is, to me, the most beautiful country in the world to visit.

Rimini has an immense beach. Famous party town, mostly middle class.

Well if one goes to Italy in the summer, it's always nice to get into the sea.

Italy doesn't need to be a non stop multiple visits a day tour. It's a great country to just go to a city and blend in for two weeks or two months. Then you get to enjoy the beauty of the culture and daily life.

I would suggest, if one can, multiple trips to Italy over the course of years in which you take sections of the country to visit. It's practically all gorgeous.

If you go to Bologna you must visit Ferrara, which is really close too. Siena along with Florence.

Verona compulsory with Venice.

Lake Como

Lecce in the heel of the country is beautiful - gorgeous Baroque buildings, a Roman amphitheatre and very close to the stunning seaside town of Gallipolli. Very hot in summer but not overly touristy which is strange considering its beauty.

The towns around Lago di Garda are heaven on earth.

Everyone keeps mentioning a different area to see, which proves my point that the entire country is beautiful.

[quote]Pisa is not that great, [R21].

Which is why I said "The town is not remarkable." Or did you miss that?

Any recos for places not too hot in July?

We loved Perugia.

And if Capri isn’t your scene, there are other islands nearby.

In Sicily, Erice (it's gorgeous and idyllic) and Agrigento.

Bologna: it has the oldest university and has plenty of streets given over to pedestrians. An easy walk to the train station and from there go to Venice. November is acqua alta but other months are better.

Varenna and Bellagio in the north.

No love for the South Tirol or the Dolomite Alps.?

How to dress for Cortina

Another vote for Ferrara for charm and great food. I feel similarly towards Parma. The are both beautiful without being overwhelming. I have a soft spot in my heart for Ravenna, which has gorgeous mosaics and an interesting history. I don’t think many Americans go there, but there may still be Germans tourists.

My favorite part of Sicily was Cefalu. It has a glorious beach.

And of course Cremona is a must visit if you are traveling with a violinist.

For scenery I'd say the village of Atrani on the Amalfi Coast. I don't know that there's much in the way of cosmopolitan activities there, but for seaside relaxation it'd be hard to beat.

Cinque Terre

5 beautiful villages

If you're driving from Rome to Florence and would like a stop along the way, Siena and San Gimignano are worth a visit.

Medici Chapel (Tomb) in Florence. One of the great wonders of the world. The most astonishing thing I have ever seen or imagined. (And I have traveled widely and can imagine an awful lot).

According to NBC News the gays are streaming into Milan in celebration of Queer con Leonardo da Vinci.

Naples is quite amazing, it’s a bit surreal and the movie Hand of God captures that really well and is like a love letter to the city. Of course it you want pizza, its Naples where you want to go. And if you have even the smallest interest in opera, it’s an amazing place to see a production. And the museums are spectacular and the place to see late era Caravaggio.

Westport is nice.

R67

Which Napoli museum has Caravaggio?

I visited Italy I think six or seven times, and see so many new cities suggested for future travels. What a beautiful country.

One is in the Capodimonte Museum, one’s in a church and another is own by a bank.

I always wanted to visit Lucca and Sam Gimignano

Another vote for both Ravenna and Verona.

R71

Thank you. I am not a fan of Napoli, but it's very good center point to visit other places in Italy. But I guess I need to check the museums at least.

Yet another vote for Siena, it is stunning. We visited during the semi-annual Palio di Siena in July so that was a treat as well. And even though it's been over 10 years, it wasn't too hot for us at all. That may have changed with climate change though, although Wikipedia states the average temp in July is 72 degrees.

I would love to go back to Tuscany.

Naples' Archaelogical Museums is one of the best museums in the world. It contains Pompeii's artworks.

Here's more info on the Palio di Sienna. It's an extraordinary event.

And for the gays, the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown is based on the one in Siena. True story.

[quote]A contest was held to design a structure to commemorate the Pilgrims' landing, and over 150 entries were submitted. The winning design, by Boston architect Willard T. Sears, was based upon the Torre del Mangia in Siena, Italy, designed by Agostino and Agnolo da Siena in 1309.

[quote]The design was controversial because of its lack of any obvious relevance to the Pilgrim Fathers. One Boston architect derided it, saying "If all they want is an architectural curiosity, then why not select the Leaning Tower of Pisa and be done with it?" It was also noted that Boston itself already had a copy of the same tower: Boston's fire tower. The fire tower is made of brick like the Italian original, was built in 1892 by Edmund March Wheelwright, is 156 feet (48 m) tall, was originally designed as part of the central fire station and used as a fire lookout, and later became part of the Pine Street Inn, a shelter for Boston's homeless.

Sheesh, who did those Midicis think they were?

[quote]those Midicis

Oh, caro.

R72 I preferred Lucca to San G. There was more to do.