Historic Landmarks in Italy
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
credit: jonrawlinson
Italy is one of the countries in the world which is richest with historical landmarks for visitors to explore. Each different city throughout Italy has its own must-see landmarks which reveal the history of that particular location and the history of the country as a whole. If you’re going to be taking a tour of the entire country, you’ll want to make sure that you organize your itinerary in advance of the trip. If you don’t, you’ll surely miss out on some of Italy’s best landmarks. There are just so many to see that it’s easy to overlook some if you’re in a hurry to try to fit everything in.
Here’s a quick list of the major historic landmarks that you’ll want to see in cities across Italy:
Historic Landmarks in Florence, Italy
• Casa Buonarroti. This is the home of the grandson of famous artist Michaelangelo and a place that many people with an interest in Florence’s art history make sure to visit during their stay. Many of Michaelangelo’s works are on display here and you can see them by taking a guided tour through the home.
• Fortezza de Basso. A trip through historic Italy isn’t complete if you fail to visit a massive old fortress such as this one. There are gardens here today that you can enjoy walking through while learning about the centuries-old history of the place. There are also modern events here such as fashion shows and ethnic food events so you might get to have a little fun while seeing this historic landmark.
• Ponte Vecchio. The name means Old Bridge in Italian and that’s fitting since this is the oldest bridge in Florence. It is lined with shops that tourists can enjoy. You’ll experience the history of the area and be able to do souvenir shopping at the same time. Make sure that you walk the old secret passageway of this Medieval bridge while you’re here.
Historic Landmarks in Milan, Italy
• Duomo di Milano. This fourteenth century cathedral is one of the older churches in Milan and also one of the most famous. You’ll want to spend some time in the piazza out front where many artists have spent time doing their sketches and getting their inspiration. The building itself contains the world’s largest collections of marble statues.
• Castello Sforzesco. You should always try to see castles in the cities of Italy that you visit. This one was built in the fourteenth century and today is the home of several museums and art galleries.
• San Lorenzo Columns. Only a few columns remain from an old second century BC Roman building that once stood here. They are now lit up at night and make a great tourist attraction to Milan’s visitors. These columns are located in front of the Basilica of San Lorenzo, a fourth century church that you’ll also want to check out while you’re in Milan.
• Teatro Alla Scala. Italy is known for a few major things and one of them is the opera. This eighteenth century opera house is one of the most famous in the world and a must-see landmark for people interested in this aspect of the arts.
Historic Landmarks in Pisa, Italy
• Baptistery of St. John. This twelfth century religious building is the largest of its kind throughout Italy. Art historians love it because it has a design which shows the transition of churches from Romanesque to Gothic style architecture. Others love it for the rich history of the lives lived here over time.
• Botanical Gardens. It’s always enjoyable to visit botanical gardens since they’re so relaxing. However, these are also rich in history. Built in the sixteenth century, they are the oldest botanical gardens still standing in the world today.
• Camposanto Monumentale. If you have any interest at all in historic cemeteries then you’ll want to make sure that you check out this one since it’s reported to be the most beautiful cemetery in the world. There are multiple chapels, numerous arches and many things to learn at this historic landmark.
• Leaning Tower of Pisa. You’ve heard about it all of your life so don’t neglect to check it out when you’re taking your tour through the historic landmarks of Italy. You’ll learn about the history of this twelfth century bell tower and you’ll get to see how it leans.
Historic Landmarks in Rome, Italy
• Colosseum. When we talk about ancient Rome, we often think about the Roman gladiators. This is the place where their battles occurred and it’s one of the most impressive historic monuments in the city. There are museum artifacts and specific monuments to see here but just getting a chance to explore the amphitheater itself will take you back in time.
• Trajan Market. It sounds like something modern but this is actually a set of ruins you can explore in order to gain an understanding of what the marketplace was like in ancient Rome. Built in the second century, they were the center of much life in Rome during historic times.
• Pantheon. This is a place of historic importance to the city of Rome in terms of its architecture and the role that it played in the art history of the city. It was built as a temple to the gods that were worshipped during ancient times.
• Underground Rome. There is an entire ancient city built beneath the city that is standing today. It’s one of the most popular and most interesting historic landmarks anywhere in Italy.
Historic Landmarks in Venice, Italy
• Canals. One of the major reasons that people go to Venice is to stroll along the canals that have been important to the city throughout its long history. Make sure to take the time to walk along many of the historic bridges here in order to get a sense of the architecture of the water.
• Doge’s Palace and Bridge of Sighs. The Doge’s Palace was built in the ninth century to serve as a place for elected officials to convene. A bridge connecting the interrogation room here to the prison next door is called the Bridge of Sighs and remains a favorite place for people to come check out this aspect of Venice history.
• St. Mark’s Basilica and Square. The church is historically important but the square itself is one of the most well-known tourist attractions in Venice. It has been the site of numerous events since it was first built in the ninth century.
Different Methods of Seeing Historic Landmarks in Italy
As you can tell, this itinerary assumes that you will be making your way through all (or most) of Italy with the goal of seeing as many different types of historic landmarks as possible. However, there are other methods of organizing your itinerary. One popular option is to focus on just one or two Italian cities so that you can see not only these major historic landmarks but also some of the lesser-known historic sites that each place holds. Another option is to focus on seeing only specific types of historic landmarks. For example, you might do a tour of all of the historic churches in each city that you visit. Any of these options will work; just make sure that you plan it all out in advance so that you don’t miss seeing the things that you’ll want to see during your historic tour of Italy.
Print This Post
Email This Post
RSS Feed
Post a comment