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Tourism in Italy is one of the largesteconomic sectors of the country. With 60 milliontourists per year (2024),Italy is thefifth-most visited country ininternational tourism arrivals. According to 2018 estimates by theBank of Italy, the tourism sector directly generates more than five per cent of the nationalGDP (13 per cent when also considering the indirectly generated GDP) and represents over six per cent of the employed.[7][8]
People have visited Italy for centuries, yet the first to visit the peninsula for tourist reasons were aristocrats during theGrand Tour, beginning in the 17th century, and flourishing in the 18th and 19th centuries.[9] This was a period in which European aristocrats, many of whom were British and French, visited parts of Europe, with Italy as a key destination.[9] For Italy, this was in order to study ancient architecture, local culture and to admire the natural beauties.[10]
Nowadays the factors of tourist interest in Italy are mainlyculture,cuisine,history,fashion,architecture,art, religious sites and routes, naturalistic beauties, nightlife, underwater sites and spas. Winter and summer tourism are present in many locations in theAlps and theApennines,[11] while seaside tourism is widespread in coastal locations along theMediterranean Sea.[12] Small, historical and artistic Italian villages are promoted through the associationI Borghi più belli d'Italia (literally "The Most Beautiful Villages of Italy"). Italy is among the countries most visited in the world by tourists during theChristmas holidays.[13]Rome is the 3rd most visited city in Europe and the 12th in the world, with 9.4 million arrivals in 2017[14] whileMilan is the 5th most visited city in Europe and the 16th in the world,[15][16] with 8.81 million tourists.[17] In addition,Venice andFlorence are also among the world's top 100 destinations. Italy is also thecountry with the highest number ofUNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world (61).[18] Out of Italy's 61 heritage sites,55 are cultural and 6 are natural.[19]
TheRoman Empire,Middle Ages,Renaissance and the following centuries of thehistory of Italy have left many cultural artefacts that attract tourists.[20] In general, the Italiancultural heritage is the largest in the world since it consists of 60 to 75 percent of all the artistic assets that exist on each continent,[21] with over 4,000 museums, 6,000 archaeological sites, 85,000 historic churches and 40,000 historic palaces, all subject to protection by theItalian Ministry of Culture.[22] As of 2018, the Italian places of culture (which include museums, attractions, parks, archives and libraries) amounted to 6,610. Italy is the leading cruise tourism destination in the Mediterranean Sea.[23]
In Italy, there is a broad variety of hotels, going from 1-5 stars. According toISTAT, in 2017, there were 32,988 hotels with 1,133,452 rooms and 2,239,446 beds.[24] As for non-hotel facilities (campsites, tourist villages, accommodations for rent, agritourism, etc.), in 2017 their number was 171,915 with 2,798,352 beds.[24] The tourist flow to coastal resorts is 53 percent; the best equipped cities areGrosseto forfarmhouses (217),Vieste for campsites and tourist villages (84) andCortina d'Ampezzo mountain huts (20).[25][26]
People have visited Italy for centuries, yet the first to visit the peninsula for touristic reasons were aristocrats during theGrand Tour, beginning in the 17th century, and flourishing in the 18th and the 19th century.[9]
Rome, as the capital of theRoman Empire, attracted thousands to the city and country from all over the empire, which included a great part of Europe, Western Asia and Northern Africa. Traders and merchants came to Italy from several different parts of the world.When the empire fell in 476 AD, Rome was no longer the epicentre of European politics and culture; on the other hand, it was the base of thepapacy, which then governed the growingChristian religion, meaning that Rome remained one of Europe's major places of pilgrimage. Pilgrims, for centuries and still today, would come to the city, and that would have been the early equivalent of "tourism" or "religious tourism".[27] The trade empires of Venice, Pisa and Genoa meant that several traders, businessmen and merchants from all over the world would also regularly come to Italy. In the 16th and early 17th centuries, with the height of the Renaissance, several students came to Italy to study Italian architecture.[28]
Real "tourism" only affected Italy in the second half of the 17th century, with the beginning of theGrand Tour. This was a period in which European aristocrats, many of whom were British, visited parts of Europe, with Italy as a key destination.[9] For Italy, this was in order to study ancient architecture, local culture and to admire the natural beauties.[10] The Grand Tour was in essence triggered by the bookVoyage to Italy, by Roman Catholic priest Richard Lassels, and published in 1670.[29][30]Due to the Grand Tour, tourism became even more prevalent – making Italy one of the most desired destinations for millions of people.[31] Once inside what would be modern-day Italy, these tourists would begin by visiting Turin for a short while. On the way there, Milan was also a popular stop, yet a trip to the city was not considered essential, and several passed by or simply stayed for a short period of time. If a person came via boat, then they would remain for a few days in Genoa. Yet, the main destination in Northern Italy was Venice, which was considered a vital stop,[29] as well as cities around it such as Verona, Vicenza and Padua.
As the Tour went on, Tuscan cities were also very important itinerary stops. Florence was a major attraction, and other Tuscan towns, such as Siena, Pisa, Lucca and San Gimignano, were also considered important destinations. The most prominent stop in Central Italy, however, was Rome, a major centre for the arts and culture, as well as an essential city for a Grand Tourist.[29] Later, they would go down to the Bay ofNaples,[29] and after their discovery in 1710,Pompeii andHerculaneum were popular too. Sicily was considered a significant part of the trail, and several, such asGoethe, visited the island.
Throughout the 17th to 18th centuries, the Grand Tour was mainly reserved for academics or the elite. Nevertheless, circa 1840,[29] rail transport was introduced and the Grand Tour started to fall slightly out of vogue; hence, the first form of mass tourism was introduced. The 1840s saw the period in which the Victorian middle classes toured the country. Several Americans were also able to visit Italy, and many more tourists came to the peninsula. Places such as Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples and Sicily still remained the top attractions.
Like many other Europeans, Italians rely heavily on public transport. Italy is a relatively small country and distances are reduced.[32]
As the century progressed, fewer cultural visits were made, and there was an increase in tourists coming for Italy's nature and weather. The first seaside resorts, such as those on the Ligurian coast, around Venice, coastal Tuscany and Amalfi, became popular. This vogue of summer holidays heightened in thefin-de-siècle epoch, when numerous "Grand Hotels" were built (including places such asSanremo,Lido di Venezia,Viareggio andForte dei Marmi). Islands such as Capri, Ischia, Procida and Elba grew in popularity, and the Northern lakes, such as Lake Como, Maggiore and Garda were more frequently visited. Tourism to Italy remained very popular until the late-1920s and early-1930s, when, with the Great Depression and economic crisis, several could no longer afford to visit the country; the increasing political instability meant that fewer tourists came. Only old touristic groups, such asthe Scorpioni, remained alive.
After a big slump in tourism beginning from approximately 1929 and lasting afterWorld War II, Italy returned to its status as a popular resort, with theItalian economic miracle and raised living standards; films such asLa Dolce Vita were successful abroad, and their depiction of the country's perceived idyllic life helped raise Italy's international profile. By this point, with higher incomes, Italians could also afford to go on holiday; coastline resorts saw a soar in visitors, especially inRomagna. Many cheap hotels andpensioni (hostels) were built in the 1960s, and with the rise of wealth, by now, even a working-class Italian family could afford a holiday somewhere along the coast. The late 1960s also brought mass popularity to mountain holidays and skiing; in Piedmont and the Aosta Valley, numerous ski resorts and chalets started being built. The 1970s also brought a wave of foreign tourists to Italy in search of a sentimental trip,[33] since Mediterranean destinations saw a rise in global visitors.
Despite this, by the late 1970s and early 1980s, economic crises and political instability meant that there was a significant slump in the Italian tourist industry, as destinations in the Far East or South America rose in popularity.[34] Yet, by the late-1980s and early-1990s, tourism saw a return to popularity, with cities such as Milan becoming more popular destinations. Milan saw a rise in tourists since it was ripening its position as a worldwidefashion capital.
Several popular tourism destinations in Italy – includingVenice, theVatican City, and theCinque Terre[35] – have reported issues withovertourism.
In particular, Venice's overtourism problem has received widespread media coverage. The causes of overtourism in Venice are numerous but the main factors include the volume ofcruise ship passengers, excessiveday trip visitors – which far outnumber residents and overnight guests – and an increase inpeer to peer home-sharing platforms which are squeezing local people out of the housing market.[36]
In 2023, less than 50,000 residents lived in Venice's Centro Storico. In the 1970s it is reported the old city centre housed 175,000 residents.[37] On busy days, day trippers can number up to 85,000 per day.[38]
A total of 30% of available residential apartments are occupied by tourist rentals.[37]
Since 2021, large cruise ships have been banned from entering the historic centre afterUNESCO threatened to put Venice on its endangered list as a result of damage to thelagoon.[39] In 2024, Venice authorities introduced an entry fee for day trippers on peak days between April and June to deter visitors; however, in late 2024 it was reported that this was not successful in reducing numbers.[37]
Italy is located insouthern Europe and it is also considered a part ofwestern Europe,[40] between latitudes35° and47° N, and longitudes6° and19° E. To the north, Italy bordersSwitzerland,France,Austria andSlovenia and is roughly delimited by theAlpine watershed, enclosing thePo Valley and theVenetian Plain. To the south, it consists of the entirety of theItalian Peninsula crossed by theApennines and the twoMediterranean islands ofSicily andSardinia, in addition tomany smaller islands. The sovereign states ofSan Marino and theVatican City areenclaves within Italy,[41][42] whileCampione d'Italia is an Italianexclave in Switzerland.[43]
Italy is part of theNorthern Hemisphere. The country's total area is 301,230 square kilometres (116,306 sq mi), of which 294,020 km2 (113,522 sq mi) is land and 7,210 km2 (2,784 sq mi) is water.[44] Including islands, Italy has a coastline of 7,900 km (4,900 mi) on theAdriatic Sea,Ionian Sea,Tyrrhenian Sea,Ligurian Sea,Sea of Sardinia andStrait of Sicily, and borders shared with France (488 km (303 mi)), Austria (430 km (267 mi)), Slovenia (232 km (144 mi)) and Switzerland (740 km (460 mi)). San Marino (39 km (24 mi)) and Vatican City (3.2 km (2.0 mi)), both enclaves, account for the remainder.[44]
Theclimate of Italy is influenced by the large body of water of theMediterranean Sea that surrounds Italy on every side except the north. These seas constitute a reservoir ofheat andhumidity for Italy. Within the southern temperate zone, they determine a particular climate calledMediterranean climate with local differences due to thegeomorphology of the territory, which tends to make its mitigating effects felt, especially inhigh pressure conditions.
Because of the length of the peninsula and the mostly mountainous hinterland, the climate of Italy is highly diverse. The inland northern areas of Italy (for exampleTurin,Milan, andBologna) have a relatively cool, mid-latitude version of theHumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa), while the coastal areas ofLiguria and the peninsula south ofFlorence generally fit theMediterranean climate profile (Köppen climate classification Csa).[45]
Conditions on the coast are different from those in the interior, particularly during winter months when the higher altitudes tend to be cold, wet, and often snowy. The coastal regions have mild winters and warm and generally dry summers, although lowland valleys can be quite hot in summer. Between the north and south there can be a considerable difference in temperature, above all during the winter: on some winter days it can be −2 °C (28 °F) and snowing in Milan, while it is 8 °C (46.4 °F) inRome and 20 °C (68 °F) inPalermo. Temperature differences are less extreme in the summer.
Transport infrastructure in Italy is well developed.Italy's paved road network is widespread, with a total length of about 487,700 km (303,000 mi).[47] It comprises both an extensivemotorway network (7,016 km (4,360 mi)), calledautostrade, mostlytoll roads, and national and local roads. TheStrade Statali is the Italian national network ofstate highways. The total length for this network is about 25,000 km (16,000 mi).[48]Strade Regionali ("regional roads") are a type ofItalian road maintained by theregions they traverse. A regional road is less important than a state highway, but more important than aStrada Provinciale ("provincial road"). A provincial road is more important than aStrada Comunale ("municipal road").
Thenational railway network is also extensive, especially in the north, totalizing 16,862 km of which 69% are electrified and on which 4,937 locomotives and railcars circulate. It is the12th largest in the world, and is operated by state-ownedFerrovie dello Stato, while therail tracks and infrastructure are managed byRete Ferroviaria Italiana. While a number of private railroads exist and provide mostlycommuter-type services, the national railway also provides sophisticatedhigh-speed rail service that joins the major cities.
Italy's metro systems offer efficient urban transport in cities likeMilan andRome. Milan’s Metro, with five lines, connects major areas, while Rome's three-line Metro facilitates access to landmarks like theColosseum andVatican. These metro systems are integral to Italy's public transport network, providing a quick and convenient way to navigate the cities.[49]
Italy is the fifth in Europe by number of passengers by air transport, with about 148 million passengers or about 10% of the European total in 2011.[50] There are approximately130 airports in Italy, of which 99 have paved runways (including the twohubs ofLeonardo Da Vinci International in Rome andMalpensa International in Milan).
In 2004 there were 43 major seaports including thePort of Genoa, the country's largest and thethird busiest by cargo tonnage in theMediterranean Sea. Due to the increasing importance of the maritimeSilk Road with its connections to Asia and East Africa, the Italian ports forCentral andEastern Europe have become important in recent years. In particular, the deep water port ofTrieste in the northernmost part of the Mediterranean Sea is the target of Italian, Asian and European investments.[51][52] The national inland waterway network comprises 1,477 km (918 mi) of navigable rivers and channels. In the northern regions ofLombardy andVeneto, commuter ferry boats operate onLake Garda andLake Como to connect towns and villages at both sides of the lakes.
Seven Italian cities havemetro systems:
| City | Name | Lines | Length | Stations | Opening |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brescia | Brescia Metro | 1 | 13.7 km (8.5 mi) | 17 | 2013 |
| Catania | Catania Metro | 1 | 8.8 km (5.5 mi) | 10 | 1999 |
| Genoa | Genoa Metro | 1 | 7.1 km (4.4 mi) | 8 | 1990 |
| Milan | Milan Metro | 5 | 102.5 km (63.7 mi) | 119 | 1964 |
| Naples | Naples Metro | 2 | 20.3 km (12.6 mi) | 23 | 1993 |
| Rome | Rome Metro | 3 | 60 km (37 mi) | 75 | 1955 |
| Turin | Turin Metro | 1 | 15.1 km (9.4 mi) | 23 | 2006 |
The peaks of tourist flows in Italy are recorded in winter, due to theChristmas andNew Year's Day holidays,[53] in spring, due to theEaster holidays,[54] and in summer, due to the favourable climate.[55]
For internal tourism, peaks of tourist flows are also recorded on the occasion of the three national civil holidays, theFesta della liberazione (25 April), theFesta dei lavoratori (1 May) and theFesta della Repubblica (2 June),[56][57] as well as for three religious holidays, theFerragosto (15 August),[58] theOgnissanti (1 November)[59] and theFesta dell'Immacolata Concezione (8 December).[60]
 |
Most visitors arriving in Italy in 2023 were citizens of the following countries:[64]
| # | Country | Arrivals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Germany | 13.534.624 |
| 2 |  United States | 7.553.297 |
| 3 |  France | 5.070.455 |
| 4 |  United Kingdom | 3.588.655 |
| 5 |  Switzerland | 3.432.264 |
| 6 |  Austria | 2.954.193 |
| 7 |  Netherlands | 2.377.835 |
| 8 |  Spain | 2.349.955 |
| 9 |  Poland | 2.115.376 |
| 10 | .svg) Other European countries | 1.502.321 |
| 11 |  Belgium | 1.327.329 |
| 12 |  Australia | 1.326.986 |
| 13 | .svg) Other Asian countries | 1.276.831 |
| 14 |  Canada | 1.152.652 |
| 15 |  China | 1.141.851 |
| 16 |  Brazil | 1.119.696 |
| 17 |  Czech Republic | 1.095.067 |
| 18 |  Romania | 1.059.288 |
| 19 | .svg) Other Latin America countries | 841.639 |
| 20 |  South Korea | 799.939 |
| 21 |  Hungary | 702.037 |
| 22 |  Denmark | 700.794 |
| 23 |  Israel | 697.781 |
| 24 | .svg) Other Middle East countries | 697.730 |
| 25 |  Sweden | 674.568 |
| 26 |  Mexico | 657.081 |
| 27 |  Ireland | 617.775 |
| 28 |  Argentina | 573.034 |
| 29 |  Turkey | 534.378 |
| Total arrivals | 127.234.085 |
| Rank | Country | Nights spent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 58.699.396 |
| 2 | United States | 16.302.928 |
| 3 | France | 13.842.473 |
| 4 | United Kingdom | 13.674.263 |
| 5 | Switzerland | 10.806.529 |
| 6 | Netherlands | 10.320.382 |
| 7 | Austria | 9.520.238 |
| 8 | Poland | 6.203.982 |
| 9 |  Russia | 5.819.444 |
| 10 | Spain | 5.789.755 |
| 11 | China | 5.355.907 |
| 12 | Belgium | 4.751.383 |
| 13 | Czech Republic | 4.127.567 |
| 14 | Denmark | 3.058.530 |
| 15 | Australia | 2.881.036 |
| 16 | Brazil | 2.824.686 |
| 17 | Romania | 2.765.252 |
| 18 | Canada | 2.665.209 |
| 19 |  Japan | 2.544.362 |
| 20 | Sweden | 2.372.891 |
| 21 | Hungary | 2.210.468 |
| 22 | Ireland | 1.815.223 |
| 23 |  Norway | 1.247.398 |
| 24 |  Greece | 903.868 |
| Extra-European countries | 17.437.507 | |
| Other European countries | 5.311.276 | |
| Total | 220.662.684 |
Italy overall had 420.63 million visitor nights in 2017, of which 210.66 million were of foreign guests (50.08 per cent). With 37.04 million nights spent in hotels, hostels or clinics, theMetropolitan City of Venice has the most visitors.[65]
According to regional data, in 2018 tourism presences in Italy amounted to 436 million (216 million residents and 220 million non-residents).[66]
With 71 million nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments,Veneto has the highest number of visitors and ranks sixth in Europe.[67][68]
Below is a table with the most visitedregions in Italy (data as of 2019)
| # | Region | Total nights | Resident | Non resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Veneto | 71.236.630 | 23.068.000 | 48.168.630 |
| 2 |  Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol | 52.074.506 | 20.941.947 | 31.132.559 |
| 3 |  Tuscany | 48.077.301 | 22.317.283 | 25.760.018 |
| 4 |  Emilia-Romagna | 40.647.799 | 29.748.437 | 10.611.605 |
| 5 |  Lombardy | 40.482.939 | 16.229.378 | 24.253.561 |
| 6 |  Lazio | 39.029.255 | 14.637.466 | 24.391.789 |
| 7 |  Campania | 22.013.245 | 11.383.367 | 10.629.878 |
| 8 |  Apulia | 15.441.469 | 11.598.644 | 3.842.825 |
| 9 |  Sardinia | 15.145.885 | 7.418.767 | 7.727.118 |
| 10 |  Sicily | 15.114.931 | 7.483.403 | 7.631.528 |
| 11 |  Liguria | 15.074.888 | 8.932.884 | 6.142.004 |
| 12 |  Piedmont | 14.889.951 | 8.351.424 | 6.538.527 |
| 13 |  Marche | 10.370.800 | 8.647.855 | 2.417.288 |
| 14 |  Calabria | 9.509.423 | 7.315.264 | 2.194.159 |
| 15 |  Friuli-Venezia Giulia | 9.052.850 | 3.898.039 | 5.154.811 |
| 16 |  Abruzzo | 6.176.702 | 5.383.234 | 793.468 |
| 17 |  Umbria | 5.889.224 | 3.810.497 | 2.078.727 |
| 18 |  Aosta Valley | 3.625.616 | 2.113.001 | 1.512.615 |
| 19 |  Basilicata | 2.733.969 | 2.392.796 | 296.230 |
| 20 |  Molise | 448.600 | 127.283 | 341.173 |
 Italy | 436.739.271 | 216.076.587 | 220.662.684 |
Below is a table with the most visitedprovince/metropolitan cities in Italy (data as of 2017)
| Rank | Province/Metropolitan City | # of nights in 2017[65] | of whom foreign visitors[65] | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Venice | 37,042,454 | 27,477,075 | Veneto |
| 2 | Bolzano/Bozen | 32,400,662 | 22,125,350 | Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol |
| 3 | Rome | 29,833,225 | 7,046,098 | Lazio |
| 4 | Trento | 17,776,030 | 7,412,103 | Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol |
| 5 | Verona | 17,293,792 | 13,388,082 | Veneto |
| 6 | Rimini | 15,967,490 | 3,808,354 | Emilia-Romagna |
| 7 | Milan | 15,468,199 | 9,291,198 | Lombardy |
| 8 | Florence | 14,716,466 | 10,780,968 | Tuscany |
| 9 | Naples | 13,161,395 | 7,247,964 | Campania |
| 10 | Brescia | 10,463,688 | 7,472,887 | Lombardy |
| 11 | Livorno | 8,663,572 | 3,491,172 | Tuscany |
| 12 | Sassari | 7,492,538 | 4,162,225 | Sardinia |
| 13 | Turin | 7,046,219 | 1,842,052 | Piedmont |
| 14 | Ravenna | 6,698,702 | 1,381,666 | Emilia-Romagna |
| 15 | Salerno | 6,029,649 | 2,098,781 | Campania |
| 16 | Savona | 5,717,487 | 1,471,811 | Liguria |
| 17 | Grosseto | 5,714,546 | 1,601,673 | Tuscany |
| 18 | Padua | 5,479,110 | 2,426,489 | Veneto |
| 19 | Udine | 5,371,339 | 3,027,318 | Friuli-Venezia Giulia |
| 20 | Forlì-Cesena | 5,357,398 | 1,027,558 | Emilia-Romagna |
| 21 | Lecce | 5,048,739 | 949,521 | Apulia |
| 22 | Siena | 4,928,092 | 2,880,531 | Tuscany |
| 23 | Perugia | 4,689,356 | 1,699,019 | Umbria |
| 24 | Bologna | 4,607,456 | 2,101,001 | Emilia-Romagna |
| 25 | Foggia | 4,503,604 | 697,073 | Apulia |
| 26 | Genoa | 4,082,817 | 1,945,743 | Liguria |
| 27 | Belluno | 3,806,806 | 1,208,331 | Veneto |
| 28 | Aosta/Aoste | 3,599,402 | 1,434,422 | Aosta Valley |
| 29 | Lucca | 3,546,044 | 1,696,020 | Tuscany |
| 30 | Messina | 3,493,859 | 2,153,932 | Sicily |
| 31 | Teramo | 3,419,387 | 523,718 | Abruzzo |
| 32 | Pesaro and Urbino | 3,295,759 | 729,067 | Marche |
| 33 | Cosenza | 3,290,418 | 369,693 | Calabria |
| 34 | Imperia | 3,202,619 | 1,324,925 | Liguria |
| 35 | Verbania | 3,095,668 | 2,443,754 | Piedmont |
| 36 | Como | 3,088,807 | 2,375,038 | Lombardy |
| 37 | Pisa | 3,032,756 | 1,632,412 | Tuscany |
| 38 | Ferrara | 3,020,136 | 1,142,220 | Emilia-Romagna |
| 39 | Palermo | 2,981,947 | 1,703,615 | Sicily |
| 40 | Ancona | 2,954,206 | 536,167 | Marche |
| rest of Italy | 79,247,316 | 42,531,760 | ||
| Total | 420,629,155 | 210,658,786 | ||
Below is a table with the most visitedcities in Italy (data as of 2019)[69]
Below is a table with the most visited archaeological sites andmuseums in Italy (data as of 2019)[70][71]
Below is a table with the most visited churches in Italy[72]
There are many factors that drive tourism interest to Italy.[73]
.jpg)
Italy is considered one of the birthplaces ofwestern civilization and acultural superpower.[77] Divided by politics and geography for centuries untilits eventual unification in 1861, Italy's culture has been shaped by a multitude of regional customs and local centres of power andpatronage.[78] Italy has had a central role in Western culture for centuries and is still recognised for its cultural traditions and artists. During theMiddle Ages and theRenaissance, a number ofcourts competed to attract architects, artists and scholars, thus producing a legacy of monuments, paintings, music and literature. Despite the political and social isolation of these courts, Italy has made a substantial contribution to the cultural and historical heritage of Europe.[79] The country has had a broad cultural influence worldwide, also because numerousItalians emigrated to other places during theItalian diaspora.
The country boasts several world-famous cities.Rome was the ancient capital of theRoman Empire, the seat of thePope of theCatholic Church, the capital of reunified Italy and the artistic, cultural and cinematographic centre of world relevance.Florence was the heart of the Renaissance, a period of great achievements inthe arts at the end of the Middle Ages.[80] Other important cities includeTurin, which used to be the capital of Italy and is now one of the world's great centres of automobile engineering.Milan is the industrial and financial capital of Italy and one of the world'sfashion capitals.Venice, the former capital of amajor financial and maritime power from the Middle Ages to the early modern period, with its intricate canal system attracts tourists from all over the world, especially during theVenetian Carnival and theBiennale.Naples, with the largest historic city centre in Europe and the oldest continuously active public opera house in the world (Teatro di San Carlo).Bologna is the main transport hub of the country, as well as the home of theoldest university in the world and of aworldwide famous cuisine.[81]
Italian art has influenced several major movements throughout the centuries and has produced several great artists, including painters, architects and sculptors. Italy has a vast and important historical heritage,[82] both in terms of the number of artefacts, as well as in terms of conservation, and in terms of intrinsic artistic-cultural value. For example, Italy boasts the largest number of sites indicated in theUNESCOWorld HeritageList.[83] In general, the Italiancultural heritage is the largest in the world since it consists of 60% to 75% of all the artistic assets that exist on each continent,[21] with over 4,000 museums, 6,000 archaeological sites, 85,000 historic churches and 40,000 historic palaces, all subject to protection by theItalian Ministry of Culture.[22]
In 2013, the value of the artistic and cultural heritage alone was estimated at 5.4% of ItalianGDP, approximately€75.5 billion, capable of employing approximately 1.4 million workers.[84] According to theEurostat report of 2019, Italian tourism is first in Europe in terms of the number of jobs generated (4.2 million) and third for the average visitor expenditure and the share of revenues of the national sector compared to the European total (€48 billion, 12% of the total).[85][86]
There are numeroustechnology parks in Italy such as the Science and Technology Parks Kilometro Rosso (Bergamo), theAREA Science Park (Trieste), The VEGA-Venice Gateway for Science and Technology (Venezia), the Toscana Life Sciences (Siena), the Technology Park of Lodi Cluster (Lodi), and the Technology Park of Navacchio (Pisa),[87] as well asscience museums such as theMuseo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci inMilan, theNatural History Museum in Milan, theCittà della Scienza inNaples and theInstitute and Museum of the History of Science inFlorence.
Four different seas surround Italy in theMediterranean Sea from three sides: theAdriatic Sea in the east,[88] theIonian Sea in the south,[89] and theLigurian Sea and theTyrrhenian Sea in the west.[90] Including islands, Italy has a coastline of over 8,000 kilometres (5,000 mi).[91] There are numerous famous coastal stretches.[92]
TheItalian Riviera includes nearly all of the coastline ofLiguria, extending from the border with France nearVentimiglia eastwards to Capo Corvo, which marks the eastern end of the Gulf ofLa Spezia.[93][94] Italian coasts also include theAmalfi Coast,Cilentan Coast,Cinque Terre,Coast of the Gods,Costa Verde,Riviera delle Palme,Riviera del Brenta,Costa Smeralda, andTrabocchi Coast, in addition to the baysVenetian Lagoon,Augusta Bay,Bay of Naples andLiscia di Vacca.
Notable beaches includesBaia Domizia inSessa Aurunca andCellole,Citara inForio,Cala Fuili inCala Gonone,Poetto inCagliari,Spiaggia del Bacan inVenice, Cala Goloritze inBaunei, Baia delle Zagare inVieste, Cavoli Beach inElba, La Sorgente Beach inPortoferraio, Cala dei Gabbiani inBaunei, Cala Cipolla beach inChia, Cauco Beach inMaiori.[95]
Noteworthy seaside locations includesTaormina,Alghero,Positano,Otranto,Tropea,Porto Santo Stefano,Sirolo,Vieste,Sperlonga,Cesenatico,Sestri Levante,Vasto,Termoli,Maratea,Bibione,Muggia,Amalfi,Atrani,Camogli,Capo Rizzuto,Castiglioncello,Cefalù,Gallipoli,Lerici,Manarola,Monterosso al Mare,Pisciotta,Polignano a Mare,Portofino,Praiano,Ravello,Sciacca,Scilla,Sorrento,Vernazza.[92][96]
Beaches and cliffs are dotted with various accommodation facilities, such as bathing establishments, hotels and restaurants, resorts, agritourism, night and day gathering centres, parks, piers and marinas, as well as numerous historic and artistic centres, which combine an interest in the bathing activities to those for leisure, nature and art.
The Italian seaports are docking points for cruise tourism.[23] Italy is the leading cruise tourism destination in the Mediterranean Sea.[23] Italian seaseaports most frequented by cruise passengers who sail the Mediterranean Sea areCivitavecchia,Genoa,Palermo,Bari,Naples,Savona,Trieste,Monfalcone,Taranto andLa Spezia.[97]
There aremore than 1000 lakes in Italy,[98] the largest of which isGarda (370 km2 or 143 sq mi). Other well-known subalpine lakes areLake Maggiore (212.5 km2 or 82 sq mi), whose most northerly section is part of Switzerland,Como (146 km2 or 56 sq mi), one of thedeepest lakes in Europe,Orta,Lugano,Iseo, andIdro.[99] Other notable lakes in the Italian peninsula areTrasimeno,Bolsena,Bracciano,Vico,Varano andLesina inGargano andOmodeo in Sardinia.[100]
Many Italian lakes are dotted with various accommodation facilities, such as hotels, restaurants and resorts, agritourism, parks, piers and marinas, as well as numerous historic and artistic centres. On the Italian lakes, it is possible to gowindsurfing,canoeing andsailing, fishing andscuba diving, while in their surroundings it is possible to gohiking, either on foot or by bicycle.[101] Lakeside noteworthy locations includeMergozzo,Cannero Riviera,Cannobio,Avigliana,Orta San Giulio,Torno,Bellano,Menaggio,Castellaro Lagusello,Tignale,Malcesine,Gardone Riviera,Molveno,Tenno,Ledro,Panicale,Bolsena,Nemi,Trevignano Romano,Civitella Alfedena andGavoi.[102]
TheItalian Lakes are provided with a navigation service by boats.[103][104] By boat onLake Maggiore it is possible to visit theBorromean Islands, theRocca Borromeo di Angera,Laveno Mombello, theSanta Caterina del Sasso andLuino, while onLake Iseo it is possible to visitMonte Isola.[105] OnLake Como by boat it is possible to go toComo,Lecco,Varenna,Bellagio,Tremezzina,Menaggio andCernobbio, while onLake Garda it is possible to visit theScaligero Castle and theGrottoes of Catullus ofSirmione, and theVittoriale degli italiani ofSalò.[105] Also onLake Orta there is a navigation service, thanks to which it is possible to visit theSan Giulio Island.[106]
International lake tourism in Italy has been able to establish due to the sounding board created by some celebrities of the internationaljet set, well known by the general public.[107] The purchase of a holiday residence alongLake Como by actorGeorge Clooney was very publicized in 2001, as well as the marriage ofTom Cruise andKatie Holmes in 2006 in theCastello Orsini-Odescalchi, alongLake Bracciano.
In Italy, there is both winter and summer mountain tourism. Despite a not particularly harsh climate compared to other countries located at more northern latitudes, Italy manages to attract tourists who practice winter sports due to the presence of numerous mountain ranges (thepercentage of mountainous territory is around 35%).[109]
Among these are theAlps, thehighest mountain range in Europe, and theApennines, equipped with numerous winter sports and accommodation facilities. In the north the most famous ski resorts are inSestriere,Livigno,Bormio,Ponte di Legno, in theDolomites (especiallyCortina d'Ampezzo), as well as in theAosta Valley (especiallyBreuil-Cervinia), while in the center-southAbruzzo is the mountainous region with major ski resorts inRoccaraso,Ovindoli,Pescasseroli andCampo Felice.[110] These resort usually offer to turists, among others, a package known asSettimana bianca ('white week'), a week-long retreat during the winter season.
As for mountain summer tourism, noteworthy locations includesCourmayeur,Val di Fassa,Abetone andCeresole Reale.[111] During the summer, in the Italian mountains, there are itineraries and paths, both on foot and by bicycle, where it is possible to admire naturalistic beauties, historic and artistic centres, glaciers, lakes, as well as practice numerous sports activities such asmountaineering,paragliding,rafting andhang gliding.[112] In the Italian mountains there are a large number of agritourism locations,baite and resorts, as well as hotels and restaurants.[113]
Thevolcanism of Italy is due chiefly to the presence, a short distance to the south, of the boundary between theEurasian Plate and theAfrican Plate.Italy is avolcanically active country, containing the only active volcanoes inmainland Europe (while volcanic islands are also present inGreece, in thevolcanic arc of the southern Aegean). The active Italian volcanoes that attract tourists areEtna,Vesuvius andStromboli, while the extinct Italian volcanoes that are most visited by tourists areMonte Vulture,Monte Amiata andAlban Hills.[114]
Italy has apredominantly hilly territory (equal to 41.6% of the total area).[109] The best known Italian hilly areas in the world areLanghe,Montferrat,Brianza,Berici Hills,Euganean Hills,Chianti,Colline Metallifere,Alban Hills,Gargano andMurge,[115] while notable locations includeErice,Civita di Bagnoregio,Maratea,Ravello,Urbino,Brisighella,Cortona,Asolo,Ostuni andCervo.[116] The attraction of tourists to the Italian hills is mainly due to the mild climate, natural beauty and landscape, and historic and artistic centres, with agritourism, resorts, hotels and restaurants that are widespread in these territories.[117]
Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato is aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site comprising "five distinct wine-growing areas with outstanding landscapes" plus theCastle of Grinzane Cavour in theregion ofPiedmont,Italy.[118] The site, which extends over hilly areas ofLanghe andMontferrat, is one of the most importantwine producing zones in Italy. Located in the centre of the Piedmont region (North-West of Italy), the site is inscribed as a "cultural landscape", since it is a result of the combined work of nature and man. The site is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List thanks to the outstanding value of its wine culture, which has shaped the landscape over the centuries.[119] These sites are the result of a coexisting process between humans and the environment. As a result of its heartfelt attitude to the environment, this wine region has preserved an incredible cultural heritage that has become a model for other wine districts throughout the world.[120]
Italian rivers and canals attract tourists, who can travel along them both in their navigable sections withhouseboats and ships, and in non-navigable sections thanks to the use ofcanoes andkayaks.[121] Along the Italian rivers there are naturalistic beauties, villages and cities, historical monuments andpilgrimage routes.[122] Some Italian rivers such as theTicino, theOrba, theDora Baltea and theElvo stream are frequented by tourists who try their hand as amateurgold prospectors, given the presence in the form of specks of this metal in the waters of these waterways.[123]
The most important Italian river that can be navigated is thePo, which with its 652 km (405 mi) in length is the longest river in Italy and which is navigable fromTurin to the mouth.[121] Along the Po there are 12 ports, 111 berths (3 inPiedmont, 39 inLombardy, 36 inEmilia-Romagna, 33 inVeneto) and about 20 river operators who provide boat rental services and organize excursions and river cruises.[121] Noteworthy is its delta mouth, which is one of the largest wetlands in Europe and the Mediterranean area, and which is rich in naturalistic beauties.[121] From the river Po it is possible to reach, directly or indirectly by sailing along its tributaries, the cities ofCremona,Mantua,Parma,Padua andVerona.[121]
TheBrenta river is navigable from Padua toVenice, where it has its mouth.[121] Another noteworthy Italian river is theSile, which is navigable fromTreviso to the mouth, which is located nearJesolo.[121] Also important is the network of rivers and artificial canals are present betweenFriuli-Venezia Giulia and theVenetian Lagoon, which is formed by 109 km (68 mi) of navigable canals.[121] Also noteworthy is the Padana waterway, which connects Mantua to the sea via theMincio river and the Po.[121]
As far as the navigable canals are concerned, worthy of note is the touristic navigation service of the LombardNavigli, which is an urban transport network in theMilan area integrated by some lines of boats along these canals.[124] The tourist lines connect thedock of Milan with numerouscomuni that rise along theNaviglio Grande up toAbbiategrasso andTurbigo.[124] Tourist navigation is also present along theNaviglio Martesana, in the stretch fromTrezzo sull'Adda toVaprio d'Adda.[124]
TheMarine Protected Areas of Italy restrict human activity for a conservation purpose, to protect natural resources or archaeological sites. There were twenty-seven suchmarine protected areas, and a further two "Submerged Archaeological Parks" (Italian:parchi sommersi); in 2018, two new marine protected areas were created. these areas help safeguard in total some 228,000 hectares (2,280 km2) of the seas around Italy as well as some 700 kilometres (430 mi) of its coastline, corresponding to 12% of the Italian coasts.[125]
Underwater tourism, both of a naturalistic type and linked tounderwater archaeology, is also present.[126] For the naturalistic underwater type, noteworthy seaside locations include the Portofino Marine Protected Area (located between the municipalities ofCamogli,Portofino andSanta Margherita Ligure), theisland of Giglio, theisland of Capraia, and theMaddalena archipelago.[126]
For the underwater archeology type, noteworthy seaside locations includeTaormina,Capo Passero,Ustica,Noto,Marettimo,Marzamemi,Santa Maria di Castellabate,Baiae,Gaiola,Ischia,Campi Flegrei,Pantelleria,Syracuse,Gnatia,Tremiti Islands,Manduria andIsola di Capo Rizzuto.[126][127]
Notable Italian lakes that attract underwater tourism, both archaeological and naturalistic type, areLake Iseo,Lake Como,Lake Garda,Lake Maggiore,Lake Idro,Lago di Levico,Lago di Lases,Lago di Tovel,Lago di Caldonazzo,Lago Grande andLake of Capodacqua.[128][129][130][131][132]
Christmas in Italy begins on 8 December, with theFeast of the Immaculate Conception, apublic holiday in Italy and the day on which traditionally theChristmas tree is mounted and ends on 6 January, of the following year with theEpiphany.[133] 26 December (Saint Stephen's Day, in ItalianGiorno di Santo Stefano), is also a public holiday. The tradition of thenativity scene comes from Italy. What is considered the first nativity scene in history (a living nativity scene) was set up bySt. Francis Of Assisi inGreccio in 1223.[134] It seems that the firstChristmas tree in Italy was erected at theQuirinal Palace at the behest ofQueen Margherita, towards the end of the 19th century.[133] In Italy, the oldestChristmas market is considered to be that ofBologna, held for the first time in the 18th century and linked to the feast ofSaint Lucy.[135]
Italy is among the countries most visited in the world by tourists during theChristmas holidays.[13] The attraction factors are the not too harsh climate, the cultural offer of the cities including museums, exhibitions and party initiatives, the rich gastronomy as well as the more affordable prices compared to other countries.[13] Italy is the second European country most visited by European tourists during the Christmas holidays behindSpain and ahead ofPortugal,France and theUnited Kingdom.[13] The Italian cities most visited by international tourists during the Christmas holidays are, in order,Milan,Rome,Naples,Catania,Palermo andCagliari.[13] Milan, in particular, is the favourite destination by European tourists forGermans,British andPortuguese tourists and the second forFrench,Spaniards andDutch tourists.[13]
Easter in Italy (Italian:Pasqua) is one of thecountry's major holidays.[136] Easter in Italy entersHoly Week withPalm Sunday,Maundy Thursday,Good Friday andHoly Saturday, concluding withEaster Day andEaster Monday. Each day has a special significance. TheHoly Weeks worthy of note in Italy are theProcessione dei Misteri di Trapani, theHoly Week in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto and theHoly Week in Ruvo di Puglia. Italy is one of the most visited countries in the world during theEaster holidays.[137] Italy is the second European country most visited by international tourists during the Easter holidays behindSpain and ahead ofFrance andGreece.[137] The Italian cities most visited by international tourists during the Easter holidays are, in order,Rome,Milan,Venice,Naples,Florence andBologna.[137]
Italy is also a destination forshopping tourism.[138]Italian fashion hasa long tradition. The shops that attract the most tourists are those of clothing, leather goods and cosmetics and perfumery, while the most visited Italian cities for this type of tourism are, in descending order of visits,Milan,Florence,Rome,Venice andTurin.[139]
In Milan the most important shopping streets areVia Monte Napoleone,Via della Spiga,Via Manzoni,Corso Venezia,Via Sant'Andrea, Corso Vittorio Emanuele,Corso Buenos Aires, Corso di Porta Ticinese, Via Torino and Corso XXII Marzo,[140] while in Florence they areVia de' Tornabuoni, Via dei Calzaiuoli, Via del Corso, Mercato di San Lorenzo and Via Santo Spirito.[141]
In Rome the most important shopping streets areVia Condotti,Piazza di Spagna,Via del Babuino, Via Borgognona, Via Frattina,Via del Corso, Via del Campo Marzio, Via del Pellegrino, Via del Boschetto, Via Cola di Rienzo, Via del Governo Vecchio, Viale Guglielmo Marconi, Via Appia Nuova and Via Tuscolana,[142] while in Venice they are Le Mercerie,Piazza San Marco, Campo San Paolo,Burano andMurano.[143]
In Turin the most important shopping streets are Via Garibaldi, Contrada dei Guardinfanti, Galleria Subalpina, Via Roma,Piazza San Carlo a large number of visitors for, Piazza Carignano, Via Cesare Battisti, Piazza Carlo Alberto, Piazza Bodoni, Via Mazzini, Via Lagrange, Via Carlo Alberto, Piazza Carlo Felice, Via Po and Piazza Vittorio.[144]
Shopping tourism in Italy is also aimed atoutlet stores. The outlets that attract the most tourists are located inSerravalle Scrivia,Castel San Pietro Romano,Barberino di Mugello,Noventa di Piave andMarcianise.[145]
Italy has one of the largest number ofspas in the world,[146] and are appreciated internationally for the quality and effectiveness of the services and treatments offered.[147] This is also due to secondary volcanic phenomena that give rise to the emission of water, vapours and mud enriched by substances present in the Italian subsoil.[148]
Its origins are very remote, it is known that theancient Greeks had already discovered its healing properties,[149] but the greatest admirers of antiquity were undoubtedly theancient Romans who made it an aspect of their social life.[150]
The most renowned Italian spas are located in the localities ofAbano Terme,Cortina d'Ampezzo,Bibione,Chianciano Terme,Montepulciano,Saturnia,Montecatini Terme,Contursi Terme,Castellammare di Stabia,Bagni San Filippo,Sirmione,Bormio,Viterbo,Pantelleria,Vulcano,Montegrotto Terme,Pescantina,Salsomaggiore Terme andIschia.[151][152]
Italy is the second-most popular destination in the world for wedding tourism after theMaldives and beforeBali.[153] In 2022, 11,000 weddings were celebrated in Italy by foreign citizens who came to stay in the country to organize the wedding ceremony.[153] The length of stay of married couples and their guests to the ceremony is on average 3.3 nights.[153] In 2022, there were a total of 619,000 arrivals and over 2 million tourists connected to wedding tourism, with a turnover of around €599 million.[153] Italy hosts three of the top five European honeymoon destinations for wedding tourists:Positano,Rome and theAmalfi Coast.[153]
The Italian region chosen for marriage in Italy by foreign couples the most wasTuscany, with 21% of the total, followed byLombardy,Campania,Apulia,Sicily,Lazio andPiedmont.[153][154]
In 2022, 57% of marriages celebrated in Italy by foreign couples were connected to spouses and guests from other European countries, while the main country of origin (29.2%) of foreign couples who decided to celebrate their wedding in Italy was the United States, followed by the United Kingdom, Germany and France.[153][154] Domestic wedding tourism is also noteworthy, given that in 2022 there were around 7,160 weddings of Italian couples celebrated in a region other than their own.[153]
Weddings of famous foreign couples include those betweenDavid Bowie andIman Abdulmajid in Florence in the American church of San Giacomo, betweenTom Cruise andKatie Holmes onLake Bracciano, betweenGeorge Clooney andAmal Alamuddin atPalazzo Papadopoli in Venice, betweenKim Kardashian andKanye West atForte Belvedere in Florence and betweenJustin Timberlake andJessica Biel atBorgo Egnazia in Apulia.[153]
There are numerouspilgrimage destinations in Italy, first of allRome, the residence of thePope (who is itsbishop) and the seat of theCatholic Church. The city is a pilgrimage destination especially during the main events of Catholic religious life, especially during theJubilees. Although his figure is not officially recognized by the faithful of otherChristian denominations, the presence of the Pope in Rome also attracts others and is an important figure within the Christian creed.[155]
TheSeven Pilgrim Churches of Rome areBasilica of St. John Lateran (Major Papal archbasilica),St. Peter's Basilica (Major Papal basilica),Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls (Major Papal basilica),Basilica of St. Mary Major (Major Papal basilica),Basilica of Saint Lawrence outside the Walls (Minor Papal basilica),Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem (Minor basilica),Sanctuary of Our Lady of Divine Love (Shrine).[156][157] In addition to theHoly See, there are numerous pilgrimage sites given by the presence ofrelics and remains of important figures linked to Christianity, rather than by the memory of events that have occurred that the faithful considermiraculous.[158]
Notable churches that are a destination for pilgrimages, in addition toSt. Peter's Basilica inRome, includeSanctuary of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina inSan Giovanni Rotondo,Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi,Basilica della Santa Casa inLoreto,Shrine of the Virgin of the Rosary of Pompei,Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua,Basilica santuario Madonna delle Lacrime inSyracuse,Church of St. Mary of Mount Berico inVicenza,Basilica of San Vitale inRavenna,Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna andSanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca inBologna.[159]
TheVia Francigena is an ancient road andpilgrimage route running from thecathedral city ofCanterbury in England, through France and Switzerland, toRome[160] and then toApulia, Italy, where there were ports of embarkation for theHoly Land.[161] Inmedieval times it was an important road andpilgrimage route for those wishing to visit theHoly See and the tombs of theapostlesPeter andPaul. Today the Via Francigena is travelled by pilgrims, especially in the last stretch of the road, the one in Italian territory.[159] Along the Via Francigena there are numerous places of worship such as sanctuaries, convents and churches that attract pilgrims and tourists, also for their artistic and architectural beauties.[159]
TheCammino Celeste ("Celestial Way") is also very popular with pilgrims.[159] It is a network of pilgrimage routes that connects the places of worship ofAquileia in Italy,Maria Saal in Austria and Brezje in Slovenia with the Sanctuary of Monte Lussari, located in theJulian Alps in the Italian municipality ofTarvisio, made official as an international pilgrimage route in the summer of 2006.[162] Its name derives from the union of the numerous places of ancientMarian devotion it passed through.[163]
In Italy, there are several protected areas of various types: natural, mountain or marine parks, regional or local parks, and natural, wildlife or zoological reserves. In addition to this, there are numerous natural sites not necessarily protected by a park.
The parks of Italy include areas of land, sea, rivers and their banks, lakes and their environs which have environmental or naturalistic importance and are often valued for their landscape features and for representing particular local traditions.National parks of Italy cover about 5% of the country,[164] while the total area protected by national parks,regional parks of Italy and nature reserves covers about 10.5% of the Italian territory,[165] to which must be added 12% of coasts protected byMarine Protected Areas of Italy.[125]
Italy has one the highest levels offaunalbiodiversity in Europe, with over 57,000 species recorded, representing more than a third of all European fauna.[166] Thefauna of Italy includes 4,777endemic animal species,[167] which include theSardinian long-eared bat,Sardinian red deer,spectacled salamander,brown cave salamander,Italian newt,Italian frog,Apennine yellow-bellied toad,Italian wall lizard,Aeolian wall lizard,Sicilian wall lizard,Italian Aesculapian snake, andSicilian pond turtle. In Italy there are 119mammals species,[168] 550bird species,[169] 69reptile species,[170] 39amphibian species,[171] 623 fish species[172] and 56,213 invertebrate species, of which 37,303 insect species.[173]
Theflora of Italy was traditionally estimated to comprise about 5,500vascular plant species.[174] However, as of 2005[update], 6,759 species are recorded in theData bank of Italian vascular flora.[175] Italy has 1,371 endemic plant species and subspecies,[176] which includeSicilian Fir,Barbaricina columbine,Sea marigold,Lavender cotton andUcriana violet.
Italy has manybotanical gardens andhistoric gardens, some of which are known outside the country.[177][178] TheItalian garden is stylistically based on symmetry, axial geometry and on the principle of imposing order over nature. It influenced thehistory of gardening, especiallyFrench gardens andEnglish gardens.[179] The Italian garden was influenced byRoman gardens andItalian Renaissance gardens.
TheItalian caves attract around 1.5 million tourists every year.[180] Main concentration of Italian caves is close to theAlps and theApennins, principally due tokarst.[181] Notable Italian caves areCastellana Caves,Frasassi Caves,Pertosa Cave,Giant Cave,Castelcivita Cave,Toirano Caves,Pastena Caves,Borgio Verezzi Caves,Grotto Calgeron,Grotta del Cavallone,Ear of Dionysius,Grotta del Gelo,Grotta di Ispinigoli,Paglicci Cave,Grotta dell'Addaura,Arene Candide,Castelcivita Caves,Fumane Cave,Neptune's Grotto,Nereo Cave,Pertosa Caves,Grotta dello Smeraldo andBlue Grotto.
Business tourism enlivens entrances to the country and constitutes a fundamental part of the sector. Businessmen who travel to Italy also take advantage of their stay to visit the country.[182] This type includes those who use the accommodation facilities for business trips or to participate in events related to the production or marketing of various goods developed within the most disparate economic sectors. Businessmen who travel to Italy also take advantage of their stay to visit the country.[182] By way of example, some events that attract businessmen to Italy are reported:
Italian cuisine is one of the best known and most appreciatedgastronomies worldwide.[215] Italian cuisine includes deeply rooted traditions common to the whole country, as well as all theregional gastronomies, different from each other, especially betweenthe north andthe south of Italy, which is in continuous exchange.[216][217][218] Many dishes that were once regional have proliferated with variations throughout the country.[219][220] Italian cuisine offers an abundance of taste, and is one of the most popular and copied around the world.[221] Italy is the world'slargest producer of wine, as well as the country with the widest variety of indigenousgrapevine varieties in the world.[222][223]
One of the main characteristics of Italian cuisine is its simplicity, with many dishes made up of few ingredients, and therefore Italian cooks often rely on the quality of the ingredients, rather than the complexity of preparation.[224][225] The most popular dishes and recipes, over the centuries, have often been created by ordinary people more so than bychefs, which is why many Italian recipes are suitable for home and dailycooking, respecting regional specificities, privileging only raw materials and ingredients from the region of origin of the dish and preserving its seasonality.[226][227][228]
Italian meal structure is typical of theEuropean Mediterranean region and differs from North, Central, and Eastern European meal structure, though it still often consists ofbreakfast (colazione),lunch (pranzo), andsupper (cena).[229] However, much less emphasis is placed on breakfast, and breakfast itself is often skipped or involves lighter meal portions than are seen in non-Mediterranean Western countries.[230] Late-morning and mid-afternoon snacks, calledmerenda (pluralmerende), are also often included in this meal structure.[231]
TheMediterranean diet forms the basis of Italian cuisine, rich inpasta, fish, fruits and vegetables.[232]Cheese,cold cuts andwine are central to Italian cuisine, and along withpizza andcoffee (especiallyespresso) form part of Italiangastronomic culture.[233] Desserts have a long tradition of merging local flavours such ascitrus fruits,pistachio andalmonds with sweet cheeses likemascarpone andricotta or exotic tastes as cocoa, vanilla and cinnamon.Gelato,[234]tiramisù[235] andcassata are among the most famous examples of Italian desserts, cakes and patisserie.
Italian cuisine relies heavily on traditional products; the country has a large number oftraditional specialities protected underEU law.[236] From the 1950s onwards, a great variety of typical products of Italian cuisine have beenrecognized as PDO, PGI, TSG and GI by theCouncil of the European Union, to which they are added to theIndicazione geografica tipica (IGT), theregionalProdotti agroalimentari tradizionali (PAT) and themunicipalDenominazione comunale d'origine (De.C.O.).[237][238] In theoenological field, there are specific legal protections: theDenominazione di origine controllata (DOC) and theDenominazione di origine controllata e garantita (DOCG).[239]Protected designation of origin (PDO) andProtected Geographical Indications (PGI) have also been established in olive growing.[240]
Milan is home to the oldest restaurant in Italy and the second in Europe, theAntica trattoria Bagutto, which has existed since at least 1284.[214] The cuisine is therefore often a reason for tourism in the peninsula, perhaps combined with one or more reasons previously described.[241] There are countless food festivals and fairs spread throughout the area, from small agricultural centres to large metropolises.[242] The hospitality sector is slowly updating by including cultural food and wine elements in its offer to tourists, both in traditional hotels and in specially created structures such asagritourisms.[243] In 2018 the food and wine expenditure by foreign tourists amounted to 9.23 billion euros, with an average expenditure of 117 euros each.[244]
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Sport in Italy has a long tradition. In several sports, both individual and team, Italy has good representation and many successes.Football is the most popular sport in Italy.[246] Italy has won four FIFA World Cups championship (1934,1938,1982 and2006), and is (along withGermany) currently the second most successful football team in World Cup history, afterBrazil.Basketball,volleyball, andcycling are the next most popular/played sports, with Italy having a rich tradition in all three. Italy also has strong traditions inswimming,water polo,rugby union,tennis,athletics,fencing, andFormula One.
Tourism linked to sporting events is capable of attracting fans of various disciplines who, in several cases, then decide to stay to visit the country.[247] In addition to events of a global nature, capable of attracting a large number of visitors for a longer period of time (among the major ones the1960 Summer Olympics, the2006 Winter Olympics and the1990 FIFA World Cup), minor events also contribute to the development of this factor of tourism, such as individual international matches of various sports (for example the home matches of Italy during theSix Nations Championship or the matches of clubs of various sports involved in continental competitions) or tournaments of more local importance.[248]
TheSerie A is a professional league competition forfootball clubs located at the top of theItalian football league system and the winner is awarded theScudetto and theCoppa Campioni d'Italia. Serie A is regarded as one of the best football leagues in the world and it is often depicted as the most tactical and defensively sound national league.[249] Serie A was the world's strongest national league in 2020 according toIFFHS,[250] and is ranked third among European leagues according toUEFA's league coefficient, behindLa Liga and thePremier League and ahead of theBundesliga andLigue 1, which is based on the performance of Italian clubs in theChampions League and theEuropa League during the previous five years. Serie A led the UEFA rankingfrom 1986 to 1988 and from 1990 to 1999.[251]
TheItalian Grand Prix is the fifth oldest nationalGrand Prix (after theFrench Grand Prix, theAmerican Grand Prize, theSpanish Grand Prix and theRussian Grand Prix), having been held since 1921. In 2013 it became the most-held Grand Prix (the2021 edition was the 91st). It is one of the two Grands Prix (along with theBritish) which has run as an event of theFormula One World Championship Grands Prix every season, continuously since the championship was introduced in 1950. Every Formula One Italian Grand Prix in the World Championship era has been held atMonza except in1980, when it was held atImola.
TheGiro d'Italia is an annualmultiple-stagebicycle race primarily held inItaly, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries.[252] The first race was organized in1909 to increase sales of the newspaperLa Gazzetta dello Sport;[252][253] and is still run bya subsidiary of that paper's owner.[254][255] The Giro is aUCI World Tour event, which means that the teams that compete in the race are mostlyUCI WorldTeams, with some additional teams invited as 'wild cards'.[256][257] Starting in 1909, the Giro d'Italia is theGrands Tours' second oldest.[245]
TheMille Miglia was an open-road,motorsportendurance race established in 1927 by the young Counts Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi, which took place inItaly twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 (thirteen beforeWorld War II, eleven from 1947).[258] From 1953 until 1957, the Mille Miglia was also a round of theWorld Sports Car Championship. Since 1977, the "Mille Miglia" has been reborn as aregularity race forclassic andvintage cars. Participation is limited to cars, produced no later than 1957, which had attended (or were registered to) the original race. The route (Brescia–Rome round trip) is similar to that of the original race, maintaining the point of departure/arrival in Viale Venezia inBrescia.
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Traditions of Italy are some set oftraditions,beliefs,values, andcustoms that belongs within theculture ofItalian people. These traditions have influenced life in Italy for centuries, and are still practised in our modern days.
Notable traditional Italian events that attract tourists are the celebrations of theEpiphany in Rome, theFestival of Saint Agatha of Catania, theScoppio del carro in Florence, the Fish Festival ofCamogli, theInfiorate di Spello, the Festival ofSaint Rosalia ofPalermo, theNotte della Taranta ofSalento, the Chilli Festival ofDiamante, the Grape Festival ofMarino, theChristmas markets ofTrentino-Alto Adige, theNativity play ofSassi di Matera, theBattle of the Oranges ofIvrea, Almond Blossom Festival ofAgrigento, Tulip Festival ofCastiglione del Lago,May Day ofAssisi, Festival of the Knot of Love ofValeggio sul Mincio, Medieval Festivals ofBrisighella,Prosciutto di San Daniele Festival ofSan Daniele del Friuli,Festa del Redentore ofVenice,Macchina di Santa Rosa ofViterbo, Rice Fair ofIsola della Scala,Barcolana regatta ofTrieste,Regatta of the Historical Marine Republics and Nougat Festival ofCremona.[259][260]
Carnival in Italy plays a very important role inItalian folklore, traditionally linked to regional masks, and is celebrated in many cities, some of which are known throughout the world for the special celebrations they organize for this occasion. TheCarnival in Venice was first documented in 1296, with a proclamation by theVenetian Senate announcing a public festival the day before the start ofLent. Today, about 3 million people travel to Venice to take part in the famous Carnival.[261] TheCarnival of Viareggio is the second-most popular in Italy. The first Carnival of Viareggio parade was held in 1873.[262] Every year, the Carnival of Viareggio attracts more than 500,000 spectators.[263] TheCarnival of Ivrea is famous for its "Battle of the Oranges" fought with fruit between the people on foot and the troops of the tyrant on carts, to remember the wars of the Middle Ages,[264] allegory of struggle for freedom. It is the largestfood fight in Italy and surrounding countries.[265]
Traditional sports also attract tourists in Italy, such as thePalio, the name given in the country to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of acomune against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate some event or tradition of theMiddle Ages and thus often involvehorse racing,archery,jousting,crossbow shooting, and similar medieval sports.[266] ThePalio di Siena is the only one that has been run without interruption since it started in the 1630s and is definitely the most famous all over the world,[267] attracting tourists from every continent.[268]
Another traditional Italian sport that attracts tourists is theCalcio Fiorentino (also referred to ascalcio storico, "historic football"), an early form offootball (soccer andrugby) that originated during theMiddle Ages and is still played annually today in thePiazza Santa Croce inFlorence.[269][270] Other important Italian traditional competitions that attract tourists are thePalio di Asti, thePalio di Legnano, thePalio di Ferrara, theGiostra del Saracino and theGiostra della Quintana.[271]
Italy is the country with the highest concentration in the world of theUNESCO World Heritage Sites.[272][19] As of 2021[update], Italyhas a total of 58 inscribed sites, making it the country with the most World Heritage Sites just above China (56).[272][19] Out of Italy's 58 heritage sites, 53 are cultural and 5 are natural.[19] 50% of the tourists who visit the UNESCO heritage sites in Italy are foreigners, and of these, 75% are in Italy for a cultural holiday.[273]
Among the most famous Italian UNESCO World Heritage Sites there areSassi di Matera;Porto Venere,Palmaria,Tino,Tinetto andCinque Terre;Val d'Orcia; Early Christian Monuments ofRavenna;Valle dei Templi;Alberobello; Etruscan Necropolises ofCerveteri andTarquinia;Pompeii,Torre Annunziata andHerculaneum;Palmanova;Barumini nuraghes;Dolomites;Santa Maria delle Grazie andThe Last Supper;Castel del Monte;Royal Palace of Caserta,Aqueduct of Vanvitelli andSan Leucio Complex;Syracuse andNecropolis of Pantalica;Villa d'Este;Langhe-Roero andMontferrat;Aeolian Islands;Val di Noto;Amalfi Coast;Rhaetian Railway in theAlbula/Bernina Landscapes;Aquileia;Duomo and theLeaning Tower of Pisa;Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale;Residences of the Royal House of Savoy;Parco Nazionale del Cilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni,Paestum,Velia andCertosa di Padula;Scrovegni Chapel.[274][275][276]
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The historical and artistic Italian villages are attracting an increasing number of tourists.[277] A non-profit private association of small Italian towns of strong historical and artistic interest[278] namedI Borghi più belli d'Italia (English:The most beautiful Villages of Italy) and affiliated to the international associationThe Most Beautiful Villages in the World, was created in 2001 on the initiative of the Tourism Council of the National Association of Italian Municipalities[279] with the aim of preserving and maintaining villages of quality heritage.[279] Founded to contribute to safeguarding, conserving and revitalizing small villages and municipalities, but sometimes even individual hamlets, which, being outside the main tourist circuits, they risk, despite their great value, being forgotten with consequent degradation, depopulation and abandonment.[280] Itsmotto isIl fascino dell'Italia nascosta ("The charm of hidden Italy").[281]
As of November 2023, 361 villages in Italy have been listed in "The Most Beautiful Villages of Italy".[282] This association organizes initiatives within the villages, such as festivals, exhibitions,fetes, conferences and concerts that highlight the cultural, historical, gastronomic and linguistic heritage, involving residents, schools, and local artists.[283] The club promotes numerous initiatives on the international market.[284][285][286][287][288][289] In 2016, the association signed a global agreement withENIT,[290] to promote tourism in the most beautiful villages in the world.[291] In 2017, the club signed an agreement withCosta Cruises[292] for the enhancement of some villages, which are offered to cruise passengers arriving in Italian ports aboard the operator's ships.[293]
TheBandiera arancione is a tourist-environmental quality recognition conferred by theTouring Club Italiano (TCI) to small towns in the Italian hinterland (maximum 15,000 inhabitants) which stand out for their quality hospitality.[294] The idea was born in 1998 inSassello (inLiguria), from the need of the regional body to promote and enhance the hinterland.[295] The TCI, therefore, developed an analysis model (called territorial analysis model or MAT) to identify the first deserving localities.[296] Subsequently, the recognition was promoted on a national scale, identifying small places of excellence in each region.[296] The group, as of June 2021, includes 252 villages.[297] The project is the only Italian one included by theWorld Tourism Organization among the programs successfully implemented for the sustainable development of tourism worldwide.[298]
In Italy theheritage railway institute is recognized and protected by law no. 128 of 9 August 2017, which has as its objective the protection and valorisation of disused, suspended or abolished railway lines, of particular cultural, landscape and tourist value, including both railway routes and stations and the related works of art and appurtenances, on which, upon proposal of the regions to which they belong, tourism-type traffic management is applied (art. 2, paragraph 1).[299] At the same time, the law identified a first list of 18 tourist railways, considered to be of particular value (art. 2, paragraph 2).[299]
The list is periodically updated by decree of theMinistry of Infrastructure and Transport, in agreement with theMinistry of Economy and Finance and theMinistry of Culture, also taking into account the reports in the State-Regions Conference, a list which in 2022 reached 26 railway lines.[300] According to article 1, law 128/2017 has as its purpose: "the protection and valorisation of railway sections of particular cultural, landscape and tourist value, which include railway routes, stations and related works of art and appurtenances, and of the historic and tourist rolling stock authorized to travel along them, as well as the regulation of the use of ferrocycles".[299]
In July 2023,Ferrovie dello Stato established a new company, the "FS Treni Turistici Italiani" (English: FS Italian Tourist Trains), with the mission "to propose an offer of railway services expressly designed and calibrated for quality, sustainable tourism and attentive to rediscovering the riches of the Italian territory. Tourism that can experience the train journey as an integral moment of the holiday, an element of quality in the overall tourist experience".[301] There are three service areas proposed:Luxury trains,Express and historic trains, andRegional trains.[301]
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Thenightlife in Italy is attractive to both tourists and locals. Italy is known to have some of the best nightlife in the world.[303] The best known Italian destinations for nightlife are:[303]
Italy represented one of the main homosexual male tourist destinations between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.[305] In fact, in Italy there were no anti-homosexual laws, which were widespread in the countries of Northern Europe, such as the Germanparagraph 175 or the sentences suffered byOscar Wilde in theUnited Kingdom.[305] Places such asCapri,Taormina,Florence,Venice,Rome andNaples were the favourite places of homosexual tourism of the time.[305]
This type of tourism disappeared in Italy in the 1950s due to changed political and social conditions, which favoured other types of tourism, such as "family" tourism.[305] As a consequence, other Mediterranean cities (such asMykonos,Ibiza andSitges) took the place of the Italian ones forLGBT tourism.[305]
Today LGBT tourism in Italy is mainly an urban phenomenon, such as inMilan andRome due to the high variety of discos, pubs, bars, cruising, saunas, B&B, restaurants, which meet all needs. of the nightlife.[306][307] In summer, however, the first Italian gay resort isGallipoli which, with bars, discos, B&B and beaches, attracts people from all over Italy and abroad, taking away the primacy ofVersilia.[308] The naturist beaches of Spiaggia D'Ayala, Campomarino di Maruggio, Torre Guaceto andBrindisi attract LGBT crowds from all over the world.[309]
Luxury tourism in Italy is highly developed, corresponding to €25 billion (in particular €2 billion for catering and €14 billion for visits, excursions and shopping), a figure that increases, also considering the related activities and the indirect expenses of luxury tourists, to €60 billion, which corresponds to 3% of Italy's GDP.[310]
The companies operating in the luxury tourism sector in Italy are 1% of the accommodation businesses present in the country, corresponding to approximately 3% of the nights spent in Italian accommodation facilities, but generate 25% of the total expenditure of tourists who choose Italy as their destination, and 15% of the total turnover of accommodation facilities.[310] These data can be explained by considering some characteristics of luxury tourism where these tourists who travel to Italy spend nine times more than the average, and the most expensive hotels employ twice as many employees as an average quality hotel.[310]
Regarding luxury tourism, Italy ranks 1st in the world for artistic-cultural tourism and food and wine tourism, 2nd place for mountain tourism and tourism in large cities and 4th place for seaside tourism.[310] As for the most popular destinations for luxury tourists in Italy, in mountain tourism are theDolomites, especiallyCortina d'Ampezzo andMadonna di Campiglio,Trentino-Alto Adige, especiallySelva di Val Gardena, andAosta Valley, in particularCourmayeur, for lake tourismLake Como andLake Garda, in particularGardone Riviera, while for seaside tourism theCinque Terre andPortofino, theAmalfi Coast, in particularAmalfi,Ravello andPositano, the island ofCapri, theCosta Smeralda (especiallyPorto Cervo),Porto Ercole,Forte dei Marmi,Santa Margherita Ligure andTaormina.[311][312][313] As for the Italian cities, the most visited by luxury tourists areVenice,Milan,Florence andRome.[311]
In particular,Costa Smeralda is the most expensive location in Europe. House prices reach up to €300,000 ($392,200) per square metre.[314][315][316] Development of the Costa Smeralda started in 1961 and was financed by a consortium of companies led by PrinceKarim Aga Khan. Spiaggia del Principe, one of the beaches along the Costa Smeralda, was named after thisIshmaelite prince.[317]
The most visitedamusement park in Italy isGardaland, with 3 million visitors per year (2019).[318] Located inCastelnuovo del Garda, is adjacent toLake Garda. The entire complex covers an area of 445,000 m2 (4,789,940 sq ft), while the theme park alone measures 200,000 m2 (2,152,782 sq ft).[318] Gardaland is the eighth in Europe by the number of amusement park visitors (2019).[318] In June 2005 Gardaland ranked fifth in theForbes ranking of the top ten best amusement parks in the world.[319]
The second most visited Italian amusement park isMirabilandia, with 2 million annual visitors (2019).[318] Located in Savio, afrazione ofRavenna, with a total area of 850,000 m2 (9,149,324 sq ft) it is the biggest amusement park in Italy.[320] Other popular Italian amusement/theme parks areCinecittà World inRome,Zoomarine inTorvaianica,Cavallino Matto inMarina di Castagneto Carducci,Italia in miniatura inRimini,Cowboyland inVoghera,Pombia Safari Park inPombia,Aquarium of Genoa,Parco Natura Viva inBussolengo,Zoom Torino inCumiana andLe Cornelle inValbrembo.
Italy has experienced aconspicuous emigration to foreign countries followingItalian unification,World War I andWorld War II. By 1980, it was estimated that about 25,000,000Italians were residing outside Italy.[321] It is estimated that the number of their descendants, who are called "oriundi", is about 80 million worldwide.[322]
This includes about 60% of Argentina's population (Italian Argentines),[323][324] 1/3 of Uruguayans (Italian Uruguayans), 15% of Brazilians (Italian Brazilians, the largest Italian community outside Italy),[325] more than 5 million Venezuelans (Italian Venezuelans),[326] and people in other parts ofEurope (e.g.Italians in Germany,Italians in France andItalians in the United Kingdom), theAmericas (such asItalian Americans,Italian Canadians,Italian Colombians andItalians in Paraguay, among others),Australasia (Italian Australians andItalian New Zealanders), and to a lesser extent in theMiddle East.
This phenomenon has led to an important flow of tourists of Italian origin who visit the country and discover their roots.[327] The trip to Italy of these tourists is mainly about knowing the places, the language, the cuisine and the people to which their ancestors belonged.[328] In 2018, about 10 million tourists of Italian origin went to the country to rediscover their roots.[327]
Astudent exchange programme is a programme in which students from asecondary school (high school) or universitystudy abroad at one of their institution's partner institutions.[329] Italy is one of the destinations of secondary school students and university students participating in exchange programmes.[330][331] Students who go to study in Italy also take advantage of their stay to visit the country.[332][333]
Italy is one of the main destinations of theErasmus Programme, fifth in Europe afterSpain,Germany,France and theUnited Kingdom respectively.[334] The Erasmus Programme is aEuropean Union (EU) student exchange programme established in 1987.[335][336]Erasmus+, or Erasmus Plus, is the new programme combining all the EU's current schemes for education, training, youth and sport, which was started in January 2014.
The first five Italian universities that have hosted the largest number of students of the Erasmus Programme are, respectively, theUniversity of Bologna, theSapienza University of Rome, theUniversity of Florence, thePolytechnic University of Milan and theUniversity of Padua.[337] In particular, the University of Bologna, founded in 1088, is theoldest university in continuous operation in the world, and the first university in the sense of a higher-learning and degree-awarding institute, as the worduniversitas was coined at its foundation.[81][338][339][340] Also, University of Padua, founded in 1222, andUniversity of Naples Federico II, founded in 1224, are the oldest universities in Europe.[341][342] 33 Italian universities were ranked among the world's top 500 in 2019, the third-largest number in Europe after the United Kingdom and Germany.[343]
Home of theItalian Riviera, includingPortofino,Sanremo, and ofCinque Terre. There are many historic cities in this part of Italy:Turin, the manufacturing capital of Italy,Milan, the business and fashion capital of the country and the important port ofGenoa are the most popular tourist destinations of the area.
Other cities likeAosta,Bergamo,Brescia,Como andMantua have a rich cultural heritage, which shares the region's visitors with beautiful landscapes such as the lakesGarda (withGrottoes of Catullus andGardone Riviera),Como (withBellagio andVarenna) andMaggiore (withBorromean Islands andAngera). There are also important ski resorts likeSestriere,Courmayeur,Breuil-Cervinia,Livigno andBormio.
This part of Italy also boasts several important tourist attractions, such as the canal-filled city ofVenice, the cities ofVerona,Vicenza,Padua,Trento,Bolzano,Cremona,Bologna,Ferrara,Parma,Ravenna,Cesena,Rimini andTrieste.
There are also several mountain ranges such as the Dolomites, the Carnic and Julian Alps and first-class ski resorts likeCortina d'Ampezzo and Madonna di Campiglio. These four regions offer much to see and do. The area has a unique cuisine, including wines and dishes such asProsecco andTiramisu in Veneto andCotechino,Ragu andParma ham in Emilia Romagna,prosciutto di San Daniele andD.O.C. wines inValpolicella,Lake Garda,Valdobbiadene,Trentino andFriuli-Venezia Giulia.
This area is possibly the most visited in Italy and contains many popular attractions as well as sought-after landscapes.Rome boasts the remaining wonders of theRoman Empire and some of the world's best-known landmarks such as theColosseum.
Florence, regarded as the birthplace of theItalian Renaissance, isTuscany's most visited city, whereas nearby cities likeSiena,Pisa,Arezzo andLucca also have rich cultural heritage.Umbria's population is small but it has many important cities such asPerugia andAssisi. For similar reasons, Lazio and Tuscany are some of Italy's most visited regions and the main targets forEcotourism.
Other cities inMarche likePesaro,Fabriano andUrbino have a rich cultural heritage. This area is known for its picturesque landscapes and attracts tourists from all over the world, including Italy itself. Pristine landscapes serve as one of the primary motivators for tourists to visit central Italy, although there are others, such as a rich history of art.
Southern Italy (also calledMezzogiorno) is well known for its cuisine, which offers a wide choice of food at lower prices. It is also known for the pairing of Mediterranean climate with the beautiful beaches of each region, an important element for local tourism.Naples is the most visited city in the area, and the ruins ofPompeii are the most visited sights.
Other important tourist destinations include theAmalfi Coast,Ravello,Benevento,Caserta,Salerno andPozzuoli. The natural parks ofAbruzzo, the greenest region inEurope,[344] include theAbruzzo National Park, theNational Park of Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga theMaiella National Park andSirente-Velino Regional Park which attract thousands of visitors due to more than 30 protected Nature Reserves and the presence of 75% of allEurope's living species.[345]
Apulia, which includes the historical cities ofLecce andBari and villages composed oftrulli; like Calabria it is famous for its coasts.Basilicata is very famous for so-calledSassi di Matera. The main cities ofMolise areCampobasso andIsernia, the most important sight is the Basilica ofCastelpetroso.Calabria coasts are very appreciated by tourists; the capital city isCatanzaro but its most populated city isReggio Calabria.
Sicily, the largest island in the country, is a diverse and popular tourist island, famous for its archaeology, seascape and uniqueSicilian cuisine.Mount Etna, the beaches, the archaeological sites, and major cities such asPalermo,Catania,Trapani,Syracuse andRagusa are the favourite tourist destinations, but the old town ofTaormina and the neighbouring seaside resort ofGiardini Naxos draw visitors from all over the world, as do theAeolian Islands,Aegadian Islands,Erice,Terrasini,Castellammare del Golfo,Monreale,Cefalù,Agrigento, thePelagie Islands andCapo d'Orlando. An important sight isVal di Noto which offers a lot of Late Baroque cities built after the catastrophic earthquake of 1693.
Sardinia is a large island some 250 kilometres west of the Italian coastline. It includes several populartourist attractions and has several beaches and archaeological ruins. It is also known for its beaches, which are among the most beautiful in the world, and include the famous pink beaches in the archipelago ofLa Maddalena. The most popular cities inSardinia are:Cagliari,Sassari,Alghero,Olbia andPorto Cervo. Porto Cervo, located inCosta Smeralda, is a popular summer destination famous for its beaches and clubs among high-income earners.
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It was theancient Romans who invented the concept of "vacation".[346] The vacation was the prerogative of thepatricians, the wealthiest social caste, who owned villas outsideRome, mainly in theLatium hinterland and on theTyrrhenian coast.[347] The most popular place inRoman Italy to vacation wasNaples, an important cultural centre and a place that attracted artists, philosophers and scholars of the time.[347]
The ancient Romans also visited Italy to learn about their origins, especially in regards to the history, ancient legends and myths related to thefounding of Rome.[346] Among the most popular destinations for this type of vacation were theCirceo, where the jug was kept which, according to tradition, had been used byOdysseus during his stay with the sorceressCirce.[346] Another destination was a visit to the ship with which, according to tradition,Aeneas, a hero destined byfate to the founding of Rome, had arrived on the shores ofLatium.[346]
At the height of theimperial era, the city of Rome became a destination for aristocrats from all over theRoman province who visited the capital to admire its most important monuments such as theColosseum, theAra Pacis, thePantheon and theTrajan's Column.[346] However, the vacation resorts were numerous, from thelakes of Northern Italy toSicily. The most visited by the ancient Romans were thePhlegraean Fields,Pozzuoli, the hill ofPosillipo,Baiae,Cape Miseno and theisland of Capri.[346]
In particular, in Baiae, which was characterized by a favourable climate all year round, there were natural springs of sulphurous hot water with healing properties.[346] The city then became a famous seaside resort, embellished by the presence of spas and luxurious villas.[346] HereJulius Caesar,Pompey,Marcus Licinius Crassus,Cicero,Seneca the Younger,Caligula andNero owned a villa for vacationing.[346] Other important vacation localities of the ancient Romans werePompeii andHerculaneum, which were destroyed by theeruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.[346]
Rome is thecapital city ofItaly. It is also the capital of theLazioregion, the centre of theMetropolitan City of Rome, and a specialcomune namedComune di Roma Capitale. Rome is the country's most populatedcomune and thethird most populous city in theEuropean Union by population within city limits. Rome is located in the central-western portion of theItalian Peninsula, within Lazio (Latium), along the shores of theTiber.Vatican City (the smallest country in the world)[349] is an independent country inside the city boundaries of Rome, the only existing example of a country within a city; for this reason, Rome has sometimes been described as the capital of two states.[350][351]
Rome is often referred to as theCity of Seven Hills due to its geographic location, and also as the "Eternal City".[352] Rome is generally considered to be the "cradle of WesternChristian culture andcivilization", and the centre of theCatholic Church.[353][354][355]Rome's history spans 28 centuries. WhileRoman mythology dates thefounding of Rome at around 753 BC, the site has been inhabited for much longer, making it a major human settlement for almost three millennia and one of theoldest continuously occupied cities in Europe.[356] The city's early population originated from a mix ofLatins,Etruscans, andSabines. Eventually, the city successively became the capital of theRoman Kingdom, theRoman Republic and theRoman Empire, and is regarded by many as the first-ever Imperial city andmetropolis.[357] It was first calledThe Eternal City (Latin:Urbs Aeterna;Italian:La Città Eterna) by the Roman poetTibullus in the 1st century BC, and the expression was also taken up byOvid,Virgil, andLivy.[358][359] Rome is also called "Caput Mundi" (Capital of the World).
Rome has become increasingly popular as a tourist destination globally. 45.6% from 2006 (6.03 million), Rome hosted 8.78 million international tourists in 2014, placing itself as the 14th most visited city in the world.[360] Popular tourists attractions in the city include theColosseum,St Peter's Basilica, thePantheon and so on, all of which are part of the World Heritage property.[361] Other main sights in the city include, theTrevi Fountain,Piazza Navona,Roman Forum,[362]Castel Sant'Angelo, theBasilica of St. John Lateran,[363] theSpanish Steps,Villa Borghese park,Piazza del Popolo, theTrastevere and theJaniculum.[364]
Milan is a city innorthern Italy, capital ofLombardy, and thesecond-most populous city proper in Italy afterRome. Milan is considered a leading alphaglobal city,[365] with strengths in the fields ofart,commerce,design,education,entertainment,fashion,finance,healthcare,media,services,research and tourism. Its business district hostsItaly's stock exchange (Italian:Borsa Italiana), and the headquarters of national and international banks and companies. In terms ofGDP, Milan is the wealthiest city in Italy, it has thethird-largest economy among EU cities after Paris and Madrid and is the wealthiest among EU non-capital cities.[366][367][368] Milan is viewed along withTurin as the southernmost part of theBlue Banana urban development corridor (also known as the "European Megalopolis"), and one of theFour Motors for Europe.
Milan is one of Europe's most important tourist destinations, and Italy's second; with 6.05 million international arrivals as measured in 2014, it placed itself as the 24th most visited city in the world.[360] According to a particular source, 56% of international visitors to Milan are from Europe, whilst 44% of the city's tourists are Italian, and 56% are from abroad.[369] The most important European Union markets are theUnited Kingdom (16%),Germany (9%) andFrance (6%).[369] According to the same study, most of the visitors who come from theUSA to the city go on business matters, whilstChinese andJapanese tourists mainly take up theleisure segment.[370]
The city boasts several popular tourist attractions, such as the city'sDuomo andPiazza, theTeatro alla Scala, theSan Siro Stadium, theVittorio Emanuele II Gallery, theSforza Castle, thePinacoteca di Brera and theVia Monte Napoleone. Most tourists visit sights such asMilan Cathedral, theSforza Castle and theTeatro alla Scala, however, other main sights such as theBasilica of Sant'Ambrogio, theNavigli and theBrera district are less visited and prove to be less popular.[370]
The city also has numerous hotels, including the ultra-luxuriousTown House Galleria, which is the world's firstseven-star hotel, ranked officially by theSociété Générale de Surveillance, and one ofThe Leading Hotels of the World.[371] The average stay for a tourist in the city is of 3.43 nights, whilst foreigners stay for longer periods of time, 77% of which stay for a 2-5 night average.[370] Of the 75% of visitors who stay in hotels, 4-star ones are the most popular (47%), whilst 5-stars, or less than 3-stars, represent 11% and 15% of the charts respectively.
Naples is the regional capital ofCampania and the third-largest city ofItaly, afterRome andMilan. Founded by Greeks in thefirst millennium BC, Naples is one of the oldest continuously inhabited urban areas in the world.[374] In the ninth century BC, a colony known as Parthenope (Ancient Greek:Παρθενόπη) was established on theIsland of Megaride.[375] In the 6th century BC, it was refounded as Neápolis.[376] The city was an important part ofMagna Graecia, played a major role in the merging of Greek and Roman society, and was a significant cultural centre under the Romans.[377]
Its historic city centre is the largest in Europe and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[378] Naples is also near the famous volcano Vesuvius and the ruins of the ancient Roman towns ofPompeii andErcolano. Beforeitalian unification it was the capital ofKingdom of the Two Sicilies and the most important and populated city of Italy. Naples is well known forcuisine, especially forpizza. In the city there are many tourist attractions, such as theRoyal Palace, the basilica ofSanta Chiara, theGesù Nuovo (New Jesus) church,Castel dell'Ovo, theCastel Nuovo, theCastel Sant'Elmo, the city'sDuomo, theReal Teatro di San Carlo (the oldest continuously active opera house in the world), thePalace of Capodimonte, theNaples underground geothermal tunnels, theVia Tribunali,Spaccanapoli street, theVeiled Christ (one of the world's most remarkable sculptures), the various catacombs around the city (for example theCatacombs of San Gennaro, or theFontanelle cemetery, or theCatacombs of Saint Gaudiosus), theUmberto I Gallery and theVia Toledo with itsmetro considered one of the most beautiful of Europe.[379][380]
TheArchaeological Museum of Naples is the most important in the world regarding Roman history and also includes Egyptian and Greek finds. It is the home of theFederico II, the oldest public and secular university in the world, and ofL'Orientale, the oldest school of Sinology and Oriental Studies in Europe. Naples also boasts one of the most picturesque waterfront promenades and charming locations atGaiola Island and Marechiaro. Close to Naples, there is a myriad of world-renowned tourist attractions such as theAmalfi Coast,Capri island,Ischia island,Procida island, the picturesque city ofSorrento, and the city ofSalerno.
Florence is a city in Central-NorthernItaly and the capital city of theTuscanyregion. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,084 inhabitants in 2013, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.[382]
Florence was a centre ofmedievalEuropean trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of that era.[383] It is considered by many academics[384] to have been the birthplace of theRenaissance, becoming a major artistic, cultural, commercial, political, economic and financial center.[385] During this time, Florence rose to a position of enormous influence in Italy, Europe, and beyond.[386] Its turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerfulMedici family and numerous religious and republican revolutions.[387] From 1865 to 1871 the city served as the capital of theKingdom of Italy (established in 1861). TheFlorentine dialect forms the base ofStandard Italian and it became the language of culture throughout Italy[388] due to the prestige of the masterpieces byDante Alighieri,Petrarch,Giovanni Boccaccio,Niccolò Machiavelli andFrancesco Guicciardini.
The city attracts millions of tourists each year, and UNESCO declared theHistoric Centre of Florence aWorld Heritage Site in 1982. The city is noted for its culture,Renaissance art and architecture and monuments.[389] The city also contains numerous museums and art galleries, such as theUffizi Gallery and thePalazzo Pitti, and still exerts an influence in the fields of art, culture and politics.[390] Due to Florence's artistic and architectural heritage,Forbes has ranked it as the most beautiful city in the world.[391]
Florence plays an important role inItalian fashion,[390] and is ranked in the top 15fashion capitals of the world byGlobal Language Monitor;[392] furthermore, it is a major national economic centre,[390] as well as a tourist and industrial hub. It is the 4th richest Italian city.[393]
Venice is a city in northeasternItaly and the capital of theVenetoregion. It is built on a group of 118 small islands[395] that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges.[395][396] The islands are in the shallowVenetian Lagoon, an enclosed bay lying between the mouths of thePo and thePiave rivers (more exactly between theBrenta and theSile). In 2020, 258,685 people resided in theComune di Venezia, of whom around 55,000 live in the historical city of Venice (centro storico). Together withPadua andTreviso, the city is included in thePadua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area (PATREVE), which is considered a statistical metropolitan area, with a total population of 2.6 million.[397]
The name is derived from the ancientVeneti people who inhabited the region by the 10th century BC.[398][399] The city was historically the capital of theRepublic of Venice for over a millennium, from 697 to 1797. It was a major financial and maritime power during theMiddle Ages andRenaissance, and astaging area for theCrusades and theBattle of Lepanto, as well as an important centre of commerce—especially silk, grain, andspice, and of art from the 13th century to the end of the 17th. Thecity-state of Venice is considered to have been the first real international financial centre, emerging in the 9th century and reaching its greatest prominence in the 14th century.[400] This made Venice a wealthy city throughout most of its history.[401] After theNapoleonic Wars and theCongress of Vienna, the Republic was annexed by theAustrian Empire, until it became part of theKingdom of Italy in 1866, following a referendum held as a result of theThird Italian War of Independence.
Venice has been known as "La Dominante", "La Serenissima", "Queen of theAdriatic", "City of Water", "City of Masks", "City of Bridges", "The Floating City", and "City of Canals". The lagoon and a part of the city are listed as aUNESCO World Heritage Site. Parts of Venice are renowned for the beauty of their settings, theirarchitecture, and artwork.[395] Venice is known for several important artistic movements—especially during theRenaissance period—and has played an important role in the history of instrumental and operatic music, and is the birthplace ofBaroque composersTomaso Albinoni andAntonio Vivaldi.[402]
Although the city is facing some challenges (including an excessive number of tourists and problems caused by pollution, tide peaks and cruise ships sailing too close to buildings),[403][404][405] Venice remains a very popular tourist destination, a major cultural centre, and has been ranked many times the most beautiful city in the world.[1][2] It has been described by theTimes Online as one of Europe's most romantic cities[406] and byThe New York Times as "undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man".[407]
Apart fromRome,Milan,Naples,Venice, andFlorence are the top destinations for tourism in Italy. Other major tourist locations includeTurin,Verona,Bari,Padua,Bologna,Mantua,Messina,Perugia,Palermo,Genoa,Sicily,Sardinia, andSalento.
Two factors in each of these locations are history and geography. TheRoman Empire,Middle Ages,Renaissance and the following centuries of thehistory of Italy have left many cultural artefacts that attract tourists.[20] Winter and summer tourism are present in many locations in theAlps and theApennines,[11] while seaside tourism is widespread in coastal locations along theMediterranean Sea.[12]
Italy is home to60UNESCOWorld Heritage Sites, more than any other country, including many entire cities such asVerona,Siena,Vicenza,Ferrara,San Gimignano,Urbino,Matera,Pompei,Noto andSiracusa.Ravenna hosts an unprecedented eight different internationally recognized sites.
In Italy, there is a broad variety ofhotels, going from 1-5 stars. According toISTAT, in 2017, there were 32,988 hotels with 1,133,452 rooms and 2,239,446 beds.[24] As far as extra-hotel facilities (campsites, tourist villages, accommodations for rent, agritourism, etc.) are concerned, in 2017, there are 171,915 with 2,798,352 beds.[24] The tourist flow to coastal resorts is 53 percent; the best equipped cities[408] areGrosseto forfarmhouses (217),Vieste for campsites and tourist villages (84) andCortina d'Ampezzo for mountain huts (20).[25][26]
The number of hotels, according to their rating, in 2017, went like this:[409]
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{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Some 86% identify themselves as being of European descent, of whom 60% would claim Italian links
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