10 Places to Visit in Italy Beyond Rome, Florence and Venice

Bologna’s main square brings its civic buildings, San Petronio and the surrounding porticoes together. Walk east towards Santo Stefano, with lunch among the Quadrilatero’s food shops. Two or three nights make Bologna a good base for the city itself and rail trips to Ferrara or Ravenna.

Santo Stefano is a group of linked churches and courtyards tucked behind one square. The interest is in moving between the different spaces, rather than viewing a single grand interior. It makes a natural stop on a walk through Bologna’s porticoes.

San Petronio’s unfinished façade dominates Piazza Maggiore. Inside, the scale of the nave gives a different impression from the busy square outside. Visit the basilica and square together before continuing towards Santo Stefano.

Bologna’s covered market brings produce stalls, cheese counters and places to eat under one roof. Come for a browse and lunch on a walk through the centre. The evening restaurant scene is a different visit from the daytime food market.

Ferrara’s moated castle was the seat of the Este court. Its interior gives the city’s Renaissance history a setting; the moat and exterior are worth seeing even on a shorter visit. The cathedral square is a short walk away.

Ferrara Cathedral’s façade combines Romanesque arches with Gothic decoration. It anchors the square on the walk south from the castle. Restoration has affected interior access; Palazzo Schifanoia offers a fuller art visit nearby.

The Hall of the Months is the reason to visit Schifanoia: Renaissance frescoes linking the Este court with the seasons and zodiac. It lies beyond the immediate castle area, so make it a destination on your Ferrara walk rather than a passing stop.

San Vitale’s apse mosaics are the centrepiece of a Ravenna visit. Look for the imperial figures and the detail in their clothing and faces. Galla Placidia is next door; together they make a strong beginning to a day of mosaics.

A small brick exterior conceals mosaics beneath a deep-blue, star-filled ceiling. The contrast is much of the appeal. Visit alongside neighbouring San Vitale, then continue through Ravenna to Sant’Apollinare Nuovo.

Long mosaic processions run along the nave, giving this basilica a different feel from San Vitale’s concentrated apse scenes. These three central monuments fit into a full Ravenna day. Sant’Apollinare in Classe is a separate site outside the centre.

Mantua’s Palazzo Ducale is an extensive complex of rooms and courtyards built for the Gonzaga court. The Camera degli Sposi is a highlight and needs a timed reservation. An overnight stay gives the palace and Palazzo Te a day between them.

Sant’Andrea adds Renaissance architecture to Mantua’s central squares. Visit between the Ducal Palace and a walk south towards Palazzo Te, with lunch in the old centre. The basilica fits naturally into the town walk.

Giulio Romano’s palace is best known for its painted rooms, especially the enveloping scene in the Hall of the Giants. It stands south of Mantua’s old centre. Make it the second major visit after Palazzo Ducale, rather than squeezing both into a brief stop.

Lucca’s cathedral is a good counterpoint to the outdoor wall walk, with carved detail on its façade and art inside. Visit on a day in the old town, between the southern walls and the central streets.

Trees grow on Guinigi Tower’s rooftop above Lucca’s tiled roofs. The view is the reward for the stair climb. Choose this for a high vantage point; the city walls offer a gentler view of the town’s layout.

Striped stonework and a richly decorated interior make Siena Cathedral a major visit in its own right. The Piccolomini Library adds another reason to go inside. Spend the rest of the day between the cathedral quarter and Piazza del Campo.

The former hospital opposite Siena Cathedral brings historic painted rooms and museum collections into one building. It adds the city’s civic life to a day otherwise centred on churches and the Campo. Choose it if you want a second substantial indoor visit.

The tower rises above Piazza del Campo, Siena’s shell-shaped main square. Climb for the view over the city, or enjoy the square from a café below. The Campo is the natural break between visits around the cathedral.

Orvieto’s cathedral faces the town with a mosaic façade; inside, the San Brizio Chapel holds Renaissance frescoes. Give the hilltop centre a full day or stay overnight. The railway station is below town, so the journey up belongs in your arrival plans.

St Patrick’s Well has two spiral stairways, one for descending and one for returning. The engineering is as interesting as the depth. It sits near Orvieto’s hilltop arrival area and makes an easy first or last stop in town.

A guided underground tour reveals the caves and passages beneath Orvieto. It adds a different perspective to the cathedral and streets above. Book a departure in your preferred language; this is a tour through enclosed spaces with steps.

The carved fountain stands in Piazza IV Novembre at the heart of Perugia’s historic centre. Look at the reliefs before continuing into Palazzo dei Priori. A gallery visit and a walk through the surrounding lanes make a full hilltop day.

Perugia’s medieval civic palace houses the National Gallery of Umbria. Go inside for the art collection, then return to Piazza IV Novembre and the old-town streets. It is the main indoor stop for an art-focused day in Perugia.

The surviving fortress passages make an unusual entrance into Perugia’s historic centre. Walk through the vaulted spaces on the way towards the main squares. Escalators handle part of the ascent from the lower town.

Santa Croce’s carved stone façade is one of Lecce’s main baroque sights. Look closely at the figures and ornament before heading inside. From here, the cathedral square and Roman amphitheatre fit into a walk through the centre.

The Roman amphitheatre sits below street level in Piazza Sant’Oronzo, surrounded by the modern city. View the excavated remains from the square on the walk between Lecce’s baroque sights. It is a short stop with a very different history.