Main works of art in Italy
must-see places to visit at least once in a lifetime and where to find them
a priceless heritage
Italy is a land rich in culture and artistic beauty, a custodian of an invaluable heritage that spans centuries of history, from classical antiquity to the Renaissance, Baroque, and contemporary art. Each city, each corner of the country hides masterpieces that have marked the evolution of culture and beauty.
In this article, we will explore the major works of art that every culture lover should see at least once in their life, with directions on where to find them: from Michelangelo to Caravaggio, from Leonardo da Vinci to Botticelli, we will uncover where these treasures are located, which not only represent the excellence of Italian art but also serve as enduring testimonies to human genius.
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the eternal city and its universal heritage
Rome
Great Masters of Art History
Rome is one of the richest cities in history and culture in the world, and its artistic heritage is a living testament to its glorious past. Walking through the city, one can admire an extraordinary collection of artworks, ranging from ancient masterpieces to the most significant works of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The Vatican Museums, the Borghese Gallery, and the Capitoline Museum host a variety of paintings, sculptures, and frescoes by some of the greatest masters in art history.
Main artists and works in Rome
Michelangelo Buonarroti
Creation of Adam – Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums, Vatican City
Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel – Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums, Vatican City
The Last Judgment – Sistine Chapel, Vatican City
Pietà – St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City
Raphael Sanzio
The School of Athens – Raphael Rooms, Vatican Museums, Vatican City
Transfiguration – Vatican Picture Gallery, Vatican City
Disputation of the Holy Sacrament – Raphael Rooms, Vatican Museums, Vatican City
Leonardo da Vinci
St. Jerome – Vatican Museums, Vatican City
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio
Calling of Saint Matthew – Church of San Luigi dei Francesi
The Deposition – Vatican Picture Gallery, Vatican City
Judith and Holofernes – Palazzo Barberini
Narcissus – Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica
Rest on the Flight into Egypt – Galleria Doria Pamphilj
Tiziano Vecellio
Sacred and Profane Love – Galleria Borghese
Giotto
Stefaneschi Polyptych – Vatican Museums, Vatican City
Gian Lorenzo Bernini
The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa – Santa Maria della Vittoria
Apollo and Daphne – Galleria Borghese
The Rape of Proserpina – Galleria Borghese
Fountain of the Four Rivers – Piazza Navona
Baldachin of St. Peter – St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City
Antonio Canova
Pauline Borghese as Venus Victorious – Galleria Borghese
Tomb of Pope Clement XIV – Basilica of the Holy Apostles
Giacomo Balla
“Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash” – National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art
Gino Severini
“The City” – National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art
Giorgio de Chirico
“Piazza d’Italia” – National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art
Carlo Carrà
“The Metaphysicians” – National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art
Mario Sironi
“Market” – Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana (EUR)
the heart of the Renaissance
Florence
Western art in its highest forms
Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance, is a must-visit for anyone looking to explore Western art in its highest forms. The Uffizi Gallery is one of the most important museums in the world, housing masterpieces like The Birth of Venus and Primavera by Botticelli, Michelangelo's Tondo Doni, and numerous works by Raphael. Each room tells a part of the extraordinary artistic evolution that developed in the city between the 14th and 16th centuries.
Main artists and works in Florence
Michelangelo Buonarroti
David – Galleria dell’Accademia
Tondo Doni – Galleria degli Uffizi
Battle of the Centaurs – Casa Buonarroti
Tomb of Giuliano de’ Medici and Tomb of Lorenzo de’ Medici – Medici Chapels
Raphael Sanzio
Madonna of the Goldfinch – Uffizi Gallery
Leonardo da Vinci
Annunciation – Uffizi Gallery
Adoration of the Magi – Uffizi Gallery
Baptism of Christ – Uffizi Gallery (in collaboration with Verrocchio)
Sandro Botticelli
The Birth of Venus – Uffizi Gallery
Primavera – Uffizi Gallery
Pallas and the Centaur – Uffizi Gallery
Adoration of the Magi – Uffizi Gallery
Madonna of the Magnificat – Uffizi Gallery
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio
Bacchus – Uffizi Gallery
Tiziano Vecellio
Venus of Urbino – Uffizi Gallery
Donatello
David – National Museum of Bargello
Saint George – National Museum of Bargello
Mary Magdalene – Museum of the Opera del Duomo
Giotto
Maestà – Museum of the Opera del Duomo
Cross of Santa Maria Novella – Church of Santa Maria Novella
Benvenuto Cellini
Perseus with the Head of Medusa – Loggia dei Lanzi, Piazza della Signoria
Andrea del Verrocchio
David – National Museum of Bargello
Christ and Saint Thomas – Orsanmichele
Giambologna (Jean de Boulogne)
The Rape of the Sabine Women – Loggia dei Lanzi, Piazza della Signoria
Flying Mercury – Bargello Museum
Filippo Brunelleschi
Crucifix – Basilica of Santa Maria Novella
Ottone Rosai
“The Cafe” – Gallery of Modern Art
The art that floats on water
Venice
Beauty and creativity of the Republic of Venice
City of unmatched beauty and a millennia of history, Venice is one of the world's capitals of art. Its alleys, canals, and squares hide some of the most famous masterpieces of painting, sculpture, and architecture, the result of the genius of renowned artists like Titian, Tintoretto, Canova, and many others. From the towering churches to the art galleries, Venice is an open-air museum, where every corner tells a story infused with beauty and creativity.
Main artists and works in Venice
Tiziano Vecellio
Assumption – Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
Pala Pesaro – Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
Giandomenico Tiepolo
The New World – Ca’ Rezzonico, Museum of Eighteenth-Century Venice
Jacopo Tintoretto
The Paradise, Doge’s Palace
Antonello da Messina
Saint Sebastian – Gallery of Ancient Art
Andrea del Verrocchio
Equestrian Monument to Bartolomeo Colleoni – Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo
Cosmè Tura
Pietà – Correr Museum
Giorgione
The Tempest – Gallerie dell’Accademia
Pietro Longhi
Family Portrait – Ca’ Rezzonico – Museum of Eighteenth-Century Venice
the art of innovation
Milan
The realm of contemporary art
Milano is the economic and financial capital of Italy, but also a cultural center in constant evolution. Here, the past perfectly blends with modernity. The city is famous for hosting Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, an absolute masterpiece of Renaissance art, housed in the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
But Milan is also the kingdom of contemporary art. The Museo del Novecento, with its collection of modern and futurist art, and the Fondazione Prada, are two examples of how the city looks to the future.
Main artists and works in Milan
Leonardo da Vinci
The Last Supper – Cenacolo, Santa Maria delle Grazie
Leonardo’s Horse (conceived but built posthumously) – San Siro Hippodrome
Michelangelo Buonarroti
Pietà Rondanini – Sforza Castle
Raphael
Marriage of the Virgin – Pinacoteca di Brera
Caravaggio
Basket of Fruit – Ambrosiana Art Gallery
Piero della Francesca
Brera Altarpiece – Pinacoteca di Brera
Andrea Mantegna
Dead Christ – Pinacoteca di Brera
Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo
The Fourth Estate – Museum of the 20th Century
Lucio Fontana
Spatial Concept – Museum of the 20th Century
Umberto Boccioni
Unique Forms of Continuity in Space – Museum of the 20th Century
Amedeo Modigliani
Self-Portrait – Jucker Collection, Museum of the 20th Century
the vibrant soul of the South
Naples
A fascinating chaos
Naples is a city that exudes energy and passion. Often regarded as a captivating chaos, this southern Italian city holds unexpected treasures. Neapolitan art and architecture are rooted in a millennia-old history, exemplified by the grand Cappella Sansevero, which houses the famous Veiled Christ by Giuseppe Sanmartino, one of the most extraordinary sculptures ever created.
Main artists and works in Naples
Michelangelo Merisi known as Caravaggio
Seven Works of Mercy – Pio Monte della Misericordia
Flagellation of Christ – Museo di Capodimonte
Titian
Danaë – Museo di Capodimonte
Portrait of Paul III with his Grandsons – Museo di Capodimonte
Unknown Artist
Venus Callipyge
Giuseppe Sanmartino
Veiled Christ – Cappella Sansevero
Unknown Artists
Mosaic of Alexander – National Archaeological Museum of Naples, from the House of the Faun in Pompeii
Elsewhere in Italy
Other locations with works that deserve to be explored
Assisi
Giotto
Frescoes of the Upper Basilica – Basilica of Saint Francis
Padua
Donatello
Altar of the Saint – Basilica of St. Anthony
Giotto
Chapel of the Scrovegni
Mantua
Andrea Mantegna
Chamber of the Newlyweds – Ducal Palace
Palermo
Antonello da Messina
The Annunciation – Palazzo Abatellis
Pisa
Nicola Pisano
Pulpit of the Baptistery – Baptistery of Pisa
Siena
Nicola Pisano
Pulpit of the Cathedral of Siena – Siena Cathedral
Urbino
Piero della Francesca
Flagellation of Christ – National Gallery of the Marche
Bologna
Giambologna (Jean de Boulogne)
Fountain of Neptune – Piazza Maggiore, Bologna
Pompeii and Herculaneum
Unknown Artists
Frescoes, paintings, mosaics, sculptures
Ravenna
Unknown Artists
Byzantine Mosaics
Cerveteri e Tarquinia
Unknown Artists
Ancient Etruscan funerary paintings
Reggio Calabria
Unknown Artist
Riace Bronzes – National Archaeological Museum
Trips in Italy
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Private Excursion Alberobello, Locorotondo, Monopoli
Italy Tours205,00€ – 485,00€The Private Tour to Alberobello, Locorotondo, and Monopoli is designed for those who wish to discover the tradition, architecture, and charm of the small villages of Puglia without giving up on relaxation.
Alberobello, Locorotondo, Monopoli | Private Excursion | Car&Drive | 8 h.
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Lake Como Private Boat Tour
Italy Tours169,00€ – 538,00€A trip to Lake Como is not just a journey to one of the most beautiful places in Italy, but an experience that enriches the soul and fills you with wonder
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A Day in the Dolomites from Venice – Private Tour
Italy Tours195,00€ – 438,00€This itinerary is designed for those seeking not just a day trip, but a deep immersion into the natural and cultural wonders that only Italy can offer
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Apulia Escorted Tour – 9 days
Italy Tours2.671,00€Discover Puglia in nine days, starting from Bari, Trani, Castel del Monte, Alberobello, Matera, Locorotondo, Ostuni, Otranto, Lecce, Gallipoli, Martina Franca, and Polignano a Mare. Puglia | Group Travel | 4 stars | Max. 15 people | 9 days
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Pilgrimage from Rome to Padre Pio, San Giovanni Rotondo
Holidays in Rome565,00€ – 1.261,00€By Private car and driver for 2 days to San Giovanni Rotondo
Lanciano - San Giovanni Rotondo | Private car/driver | 2 days
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Build your Holiday in Italy
Holidays in RomeBuilt your Italy Tour from Milan, Visit Milan, Rome, Venice, Florence, and optional tour to Pompeii, the Island of Capri, Sorrento Coast
Italy | 4 stars | High speed | 10 days
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Tour to San Giovanni Rotondo
Holidays in RomeTour to San Giovanni Rotondo, home of Padre Pio, by high speed train and transfers by car
San Giovanni Rotondo | City center | High-Speed Train | 3 days
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Luxury Florence City break
FlorenceEnjoy a Luxury Florence City break , capital of Italy‘s Tuscany region, home to many masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture.
Florence | Boutique Hotel | Private Tours | Private car | 4 days
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Italy Tour from Milan
Italy Luxury TripsItaly Tour from Milan, Visit Milan, Rome, Venice, Florence
Italy | 4 stars | High speed | 10 days
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Florence Art City Break
Florence295,00€ – 325,00€A memorable stay to discover the treasures of Florence, home to many great masterpieces of renaissance
Florence - Pisa| 3 Stars | Statue of David | 3 days
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Trip to Florence and Venice – 3 days
Florence3 days trip to Florence and Venice by high speed train, the ideal option if you want to discover a little bit of Florence and Venice
Florence-Venice | 3 - 4 stars | Guided Tours | High Speed | 3 days
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Tour of Tuscany and Cinque Terre – Private Car and Driver
Florence688,00€ – 1.010,00€6 days Tuscany region and Cinque Terre Private Tour on a confortable Van with driver
Tuscany - Cinque Terre | Local Guides | Private car/driver | 6 giorni
Experiences and travels in Italy