Top 6 cities to visit in Italy
Our first visit to Italy was for my birthday in 2017, the year I turned 52 years old. I had been fascinated by anything and everything Italian since I was a little girl, so finally getting to visit was a dream come true. Despite the very high expectations I had, Italy far exceeded them all and completely stole my heart. My heart soared seeing the impressive architecture and masterpieces in each museum we visited. Since Italy is roughly 32.5 times smaller than the US, I expected places to be more similar than different. Boy was I wrong; everywhere has its own character, so there’s a fresh experience around every corner.
Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy
Six years later and we’ve accumulated travel of at least a day or more in 18 different Italian cities, and a few of them twice or more. It shocks me that I’ve barely dented the surface of everything Italy has to offer. People ask where they should visit, and although there’s no place in Italy I’d tell people to skip, I decided to rank my top five cities…so far. It turned out that wasn’t possible, so instead, here are my top 6. My reasons for ranking them the way I did, in reverse order, are below. The city names have links to our video episodes if you want to learn more about them.
#6. Spello. Located just a stone’s throw from Assisi, Spello is easy to access by train. This city oozes with charm, and there is a ton of character in each shop and restaurant. That’s mainly because the people are so warm and welcoming. Spello is the city of flowers and each year there is an entire festival called Infiorate di Spello where nearly a thousand people gather to create mosaics that form a carpet of flowers. It’s the largest flower and art festival in Europe. It’s a quaint town with a small-town feel, but its hills and medieval vibe makes you feel as though you’re in a fairy tale come to life. It’s quite hilly, but that makes for incredible views. Nearly everything here is built from stone, and some of Italy's best preserved city walls are here.
#5. Lucca. I think everybody loves Lucca, which is in beautiful Tuscany. It’s the only fully walled city in all of Italy. It’s built with a series of stone, brick, and earth, and on top of the walls is a promenade of walking paths and parks. When I think of Roman walls, I think of small narrow roads, but these actually are quite large and bicyclists easily ride alongside pedestrians without either feeling squeezed. The parks on top of the wall are ideal for picnics, too. It’s a compact city, so only residents are allowed to park their cars inside its walls. Lucca attracted many pilgrims that came to the city to see relics of important saints. In the 11th century, it became wealthy due to the silk trade here. In the 1800s, Napoleon installed his sister here as “Princess of Lucca.” If you’re a fan of opera, Giacomo Puccini was born here and there’s an eponymous museum containing much of his memorabilia, including drafts and playbills for La bohème.
One of our favorite things about Italy and Lucca specifically are the expansive town squares, called piazzas, that are perfect areas for gathering people. We love to grab an aperitivo at either Piazza dell’Anfiteatro or Piazza Napoleone and people watch while we enjoy the laid-back atmosphere.
#4. Rome. I’m not a fan of the traffic or how sprawling Rome is, but its jaw-dropping ruins, architecture that will take your breath away, abundance of museums, and stunning churches makes this a place to include. Yes, there will be crowds. Yes, you will need to book early for tours. But there are few places in the world where your eyes get to feast as much as your stomach. Rome has more monuments than anywhere else in the entire world. Beauty and history leak out of everything, and that qualifies Rome for a spot on this list.
#3. Florence. At one time Florence was at the top of my list. It’s still super special, but we’re noticing a more touristy side than on our first visit. Michelangelo’s sculpture of David still gives me goosebumps, so I have to include it almost for that reason alone. But also, my creative side is inspired by the artists and famous historical people who spent time here and were influenced by Florence and in turn shaped the city. I hope that by being immersed here, some of their brilliance will rub off on me, too. There’s also something about the elegance of the fleur-di-lis, the official emblem of Florence that encapsulates its beauty, nobility, and pride, all symbolism for the white lily that is at the symbol’s center. And then there are bridges, particularly the Ponte Vecchio. Across the bridge is Gelateria La Carraia, where you can savor probably the best gelato in all of Italy. Gelato is everywhere here, so you can taste it all before making up your mind. There’s more to the Uffizi Gallery than the statue of David. Its outstanding collection of sculptures and masterpieces from the Middle Ages to modern is a priceless gem.
Wait, a TIE for first place? Isn’t that cheating? Uh oh! In compiling this list, I realized that the jury is still out and I can’t pick my favorite yet! At first I thought it might be Turin, but that could be because it’s where we visited most recently. We just wrapped up our episode from there, and it is an absolutely amazing place. but in compiling this article, I was also reminded about everything we love about Verona. We’ll require more time in each to determine a clear winner if that’s even possible. Read along and decide whether you have a preference between these two or whether there’s someplace else that’s captured your heart.
#1 Verona. Everyone comes to see Juliet’s balcony from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, so Verona is often referred to as the city of love. But it earns it in other ways, too. The colorful, wrought-iron balconied buildings give Verona charm and a ton of character. Often people skip Verona in favor of more popular Venice, which means that those who do visit tend to only take a day trip here. That’s great because it means fewer tourists overall in the early mornings and evenings. Al fresco dinners remind me of the scene captured in Van Gogh’s masterpiece, Cafe Terrace at Night.
At the center of the city is Piazza Erbe, the oldest public square. It originally was part of the Roman forum and was the hub for social activities, shopping, trading, and politics. It’s still where you can find vendors and restaurants and ancient beauty. In recent years, Verona expanded the number of pedestrian-only areas, so now parents can enjoy a leisurely stroll with their children without constantly fighting traffic. You can hop on one of the many bicycles available to rent and ride on the convenient bike paths and explore beyond Old Town. Arena di Verona, an amphitheater originally built in 30 AD, has remarkable acoustics and modern opera and international rock and pop bands still play here. Bring a pillow and book the ancient cheap seats and immerse yourself in almost 2000 years of history.
#1 Turin. We didn’t expect Turin to outrank Verona—we’re still not sure whether it does or not—but we were blown away on our most recent visit. It exceeded every expectation we had for it. We love that it’s conveniently located to other parts of Europe, so as a home base, it’s super easy to explore without losing too much time or spending too much money. We appreciate the massive amounts of green space, especially in Parco Del Valentino. There’s something so restorative and grounding by being in nature. The Po River is ideal for kayaking and paddle boating, but even when I’ve been on the bank of the river as an observer, I’ve noticed my troubles tend to float away and my spirits lift.
Did I mention that Gianduiotto, which is similar to Nutella but denser and uses higher quality ingredients, was invented here? And yes, Nutella was founded here too, as was the coffee manufacturer, Lavazza. The Italians perfected sweet red vermouth here and Barolo wine is also made in Turin. Prepare to be awed by Turin’s expansive piazzas and extravagant Renaissance, Baroque, and Neoclassic architecture. Turin is the capital of the Piedmont region in Northwest Italy, and this city reflects its regal history. There is beauty and creativity everywhere. The Egyptian museum is even older than the one in Egypt, and boasts a collection of 30,000 artifacts. And there are about 40 other museums you can pop into to expand your horizons.
I know that this is a contentious list and everyone has their favorite cities in Italy, which may or may not include any of the beauties I’ve mentioned. Are these the only five I’d revisit? Absolutely not. Naples and Sicily both have places in my heart and we want more time to explore them, including nearby cities. Our time in Lecce in the Puglia region was marred by frigid weather. We also want to experience more time back there, especially since the little towns are supposed to be the epitome of Italy. We only got a small taste of Genoa and didn’t have much familiarity with the Liguria region before visiting, so that’s another place for us to return.
Our bucket list has well over a dozen more villages and cities in Italy that are beckoning us, but for now, these were the most enchanting of them all. How does your list look? Is it equally challenging to rank them?
