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Basilica Santa Maria della Sanità & Catacomba di San Gaudioso
While we love the baroque paintings by Andrea Vaccaro and Luca Giordano – not to mention the two contemporary sculptures by Riccardo Dalisi – its the eerie, one-of-a-kind catacomb beneath this 17th-century basilica that makes the place so utterly unforgettable. Entered through the
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The Ghetto
In medieval times this Cannaregio outpost housed a getto (foundry). But it was as the designated Jewish quarter from the 16th to 18th centuries gave the word a whole new meaning. In accordance with the Venetian Republic’s 1516 decree, Jewish lenders, doctors and clothing merchants
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Complesso Museale di Santa Maria delle Anime del Purgatorio ad Arco
Consecrated in 1638, the engrossing chiesa delle cape di morte (the church of the skulls) sits on two levels. While the upper church boasts fine paintings – nominally Luca Giordanos The Death of St Alessio and Massimo Stanziones Virgin with the Souls of Purgatory – the lower church
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Eastern Zone
If you only have time to explore part of the Parco Valle dei Templi, make it the eastern zone, where youll find the parks three best-preserved temples. Overlooking the eastern ticket office, the 5th-century-BC Tempio di Hera , also known as the Tempio di Giunone (Temple of Juno), i
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Piazza della Signoria
The hub of local life since the 13th century, Florentines flock here to meet friends and chat over early-evening aperitivi at historic cafes. Presiding over everything is Palazzo Vecchio , Florences city hall, and the 14th-century Loggia dei Lanzi , an open-air gallery showcasing R
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Castel Nuovo
Locals know this 13th-century castle as the Maschio Angioino (Angevin Keep) and its Cappella Palatina is home to fragments of frescoes by Renaissance maverick Giotto; theyre on the splays of the Gothic windows. Youll find Roman ruins under the glass-floored Sala dellArmeria (Armour
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Monte Mottarone
The cable-car trip up Monte Mottarone (1491m) from the northwestern end of Stresa offers pretty views over Lake Maggiore, including Isola Bella and Isola Superiore. From the summit on a clear day you can see Lake Orta, several other smaller lakes and Monte Rosa, on the Alpine borde
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Chiesa e Chiostro di San Gregorio Armeno
Overstatement knows no bounds at this richly ornamented 16th-century monastic complex. The church packs a visual punch with its lavish wood and papier-mâché choir stalls, sumptuous altar by Dionisio Lazzari, and Luca Giordanos masterpiece fresco The Embarkation, Journey and Arrival
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Gola Su Gorropu
Sardinias most spectacular gorge is flanked by limestone walls towering up 400m in height. The endemic Aquilegia nuragica plant grows here, and at quieter times it’s possible to spot mouflon and golden eagles. From the Rio Flumineddu riverbed you can wander about 1km into the bould
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Ospedale degli Incurabili
Its at this 16th-century hospital and monastic complex that youll find the Museo delle Arti Sanitarie , a small museum packed with rare, historical surgical instruments, among them an 18th-century defibrillator, a portable pharmacy kit adorned with painted Roman landscapes, and an
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Isola Bella
Isola Bella took It’s hard to imagine that, prior to its construction, the island was little more than a chunk of rock inhabited by a handful of hardy fishing families. To this day, only 16 people live year-round on the island, but in summer the place looks like a scene from the No
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Piazza Vecchia
The Upper Towns beating heart is the cafe-clad Piazza Vecchia, lined by elegant architecture that is a testament in stone and brick to Bergamos long and colourful history. Its highlights include the Palazzo Nuovo, Palazzo del Podestà, Palazzo della Ragione and the Torre del Campano
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Duomo Nuovo
In 1339 the citys leaders launched a plan to enlarge the cathedral and create one of Italys largest places of worship. Known as the Duomo Nuovo, the remains of this unrealised project are on Piazza Jacopo della Quercia, at the eastern side of the main cathedral. The daring plan, to
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Paestums Temples
A Unesco World Heritage Site, these temples are among the best-preserved monuments of Magna Graecia, the Greek colony that once covered much of southern Italy. Rediscovered in the late 18th century, the site as a whole wasn’t unearthed until the 1950s. Lacking the tourist mobs that
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Catacomba di San Gennaro
Naples oldest and most sacred catacomb became a Christian pilgrimage site when San Gennaros body was interred here in the 5th century. The carefully restored site allows visitors to experience an evocative otherworld of tombs, corridors and broad vestibules, its treasures including
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Sistine Chapel
Home to two of the world’s most famous works of art – Michelangelo’s ceiling frescoes (1508–1512) and his Giudizio Universale (Last Judgment; 1535–1541) – the Sistine Chapel is the one part of the Vatican Museums that everyone wants to see, and on a busy day you could find yourself
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Cattedrale di Palermo
A feast of geometric patterns, ziggurat crenellations, maiolica cupolas and blind arches, Palermos cathedral has suffered aesthetically from multiple reworkings over the centuries, but remains a prime example of Sicilys unique Arab-Norman architectural style. The interior, while im
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Basilica di Santa Maria Novella
The striking green-and-white marble facade of 13th- to 15th-century Basilica di Santa Maria Novella fronts an entire monastical complex, comprising romantic church cloisters and a frescoed chapel. The basilica itself is a treasure chest of artistic masterpieces, climaxing with fres
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Torre del Candeliere
Climb to the top of this 13th-century, 74m-high tower for stupendous views over the old town.
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Museo della Cattedrale
This museum houses various artefacts from Ferraras Duomo, including a serene Madonna by Jacopo della Quercia, a couple of vigorous Cosimo Tura canvases, and some witty bas-reliefs illustrating the months of the year.
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