The 12 Best Places to Visit in Italy That Capture Its Romantic Soul

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Places to visit in Italy are more than just postcards of crumbling ruins, gondolas, and gelato. For literature students, film enthusiasts, cultural wanderers, and foodies, this country isn’t just a destination; it’s a text to be read, a movie to be watched, a dish to be savored. You don’t come here to escape reality; you come here because Italy is reality, with all its contradictions: beauty and decay, art and politics, passion and disillusion.

What people often see are the same highlights — Rome’s Colosseum, Florence’s Duomo, Venice’s canals. But Italy has layers that aren’t for just everyone’s eyes. There are quiet towns where James Joyce once nursed his hangovers. In these villages, Fellini made history, piazzas where politics and poetry share the same café table, and kitchens where recipes have been passed down from generations.

This isn’t a list of clichés. It’s an invitation to step into Italy the way a curious student, a restless cinephile, or a hungry traveler would.

Why Choose Italy? Top Places to Visit on Your Dream Vacation

“Oh, Italy! Thou who hast the fatal gift of beauty.”
– Byron

Italy is a contradiction that works. The geography alone is so cool: snowy Alps, golden Tuscan hills, volcanic islands, chaotic coastlines. History is written on every stone, but so is scandal and corruption. You’ll hear church bells and political protests in the same square. That tension — between ancient and modern, light and dark — is what makes the places to visit in Italy totally irresistible.

If you’re after authenticity, you’ll find it not in perfectly staged piazzas, but in the messy vitality of real towns. Places where literature, cinema, food, and daily life collide. There are things to see in Italy that are more than just marveling at cathedrals. And for travelers today, apps like Explurger make the discovery personal. It’s social media built for those who don’t just visit, but live the journey. There are  places to visit in Italy for all kinds of Romantics:

• Literature students find echoes of Dante, Leopardi, Shakespeare and Ferrante in real streets and landscapes.
• Film students see Fellini’s dreamscapes, Neorealism’s raw streets, and modern auteurs all remind us that here, movies are not just watched, they are lived.
• Cultural enthusiasts feel at home in medieval towns, Renaissance chapels, and living traditions.
• Foodies discover that pasta is not “pasta everywhere” but a code for regions, identities, even political history, and also Italy is more than pizza and pasta!

“When you live here, in Naples, you feel you are always in danger, yet you can never abandon it. Italy is inside us, even when it hurts.”

-Elena Ferrante – My Brilliant Friend (2011)

Places to Visit in Italy Beyond the Postcards

If you’re not just passing through but looking to understand the layers of Italian life, here are the Italy places to visit that will speak directly to your passion.

Places to Visit in Italy for Literature Students

1. Trieste

Trieste doesn’t look like the Italy of postcards. It feels closer to Vienna or Ljubljana, with Austro-Hungarian architecture and a restless, windswept port. James Joyce lived here, wrote here, and taught English here, finding in its gray skies a paradoxical freedom. For literature students, this city is a lesson in exile, in liminality, in how geography shapes words.

Trieste isn’t “Italian” in the generic sense — it’s been Austrian, Slovenian, and Italian all in one.

But Trieste is also a city scarred by politics—Fascist violence, shifting borders, ethnic tensions. Walking its streets, you feel both its beauty and its unease. This is among those places to visit in Italy that represent a perfect classroom for those who know literature is never divorced from history.

Notable places include: Castello di San Giusto & Cathedral of San Giusto, Piazza Unità d’Italia, Castello di Miramare, Grotta Gigante and Vittoria Light (Faro della Vittoria)

Best time to visit: April to June and September to October, when the bora winds are less ferocious.

Transport: Connected by train from Venice; buses reach the Slovenian border in under an hour.

2. Recanati

For anyone who has read Giacomo Leopardi, Italy’s great Romantic poet, Recanati is a pilgrimage. His childhood home is preserved, his library intact. The surrounding Marche hills are soft and pastoral, but Leopardi turned them into symbols of longing, of infinity, of unattainable beauty. Recanati is among the best places to visit in Italy for literature buffs. 

Yet this town isn’t stuck in nostalgia. Recanati is also a reminder of Italy’s forgotten provinces—places bypassed by economic booms, where youth often leave, where poetry lingers like a ghost. Literature students will see both inspiration and consequence here.

Notable places include: Villa Colloredo Mels / Civic Museum & Pinacotheca and Marche Emigration Museum

Best time to visit: May–June, when the hills are green.

Transport: Nearest train stations are Ancona or Loreto; local buses connect to Recanati.

3. Naples

Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels put Naples on every reader’s map. And Naples delivers: chaotic, noisy, alive with contradictions. You go to Naples because it gave the world pizza, and biting into that delicious saucy dough makes you feel truly alive and connected to the Earth. You go because the streets are alive with theater: scooters zipping through alleys, laundry strung between crumbling balconies, markets spilling with octopus and lemons the size of fists. The beauty is intoxicating- the bay, the sunlight, the Vesuvius backdrop. But the darkness is just as real: poverty, crime, corruption, inequality.

Naples is by no means underrated but it is again, one of those places to visit in Italy which you just can’t miss out on. But Naples’ literary history goes deeper. It was once a hub for Enlightenment thinkers and later a backdrop for writers grappling with southern Italy’s so-called “problem of the Mezzogiorno.” Authors like Roberto Saviano, with Gomorrah, exposed the Camorra’s grip on everyday life, mixing journalism with storytelling that shook Italy to its core.

Notable places to visit in Italy Naples include: Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Napoli Sotterranea / Napoli Underground, Sansevero Chapel, Pompeii (day-trip)

Best time to visit Italy Naples: October–November for fewer tourists and warm weather.

Transport: Naples has an international airport, high-speed trains from Rome, and ferries to the islands.

Places to Visit in Italy for Film Students

4. Turin 

Turin is often overshadowed by Milan, but for film students, it’s gold. The National Cinema Museum inside the Mole Antonelliana is one of the best in the world, a shrine to global and Italian cinema alike, and definitely among the best places to visit in Italy. Turin was the birthplace of Italian cinema before Rome stole the limelight.

This is also an industrial city, scarred by economic decline, immigration tensions, and labor struggles. Its grit makes it perfect for understanding Italian Neorealism’s roots—cinema born not in glamour, but in necessity.

Notable places to visit in Naples: Parma Cathedral, Palazzo della Pilotta with all 3 museums, Opera house, and you can also take a food tour.

Best time to visit: September, during the Turin Film Festival.
Transport: High-speed trains connect from Milan and Rome; local trams and buses are efficient.

5.  Matera

Matera’s cave dwellings, once symbols of poverty and backwardness, are now UNESCO treasures and cinematic backdrops. Pasolini shot The Gospel According to St. Matthew here; Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ followed. The town looks biblical, timeless, cinematic by default. Matera is goddamn surreal. 

But Matera’s beauty has a cost—tourism pushes locals out, and Airbnbs replace homes. Film students will see not just aesthetic wonder, but the politics of representation: how cinema can elevate or exploit.

Notable places to visit in Matera: Cave Church of Saint Mary of Idris, Casa Noha, and the UNESCO sites (The Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera)

Best time to visit: Late spring or early autumn.

Transport: Reachable by bus from Bari; no direct train line.

Places to Visit in Italy for Cultural Enthusiasts

6.  Urbino

Urbino is a hilltop town that feels like stepping into a Renaissance painting. Birthplace of Raphael, home to the Duke’s Palace, it is both a museum and a living town. Culture here is not abstract—it’s embedded in walls, streets, and traditions. 

But Urbino is also small, isolated, and economically fragile. Students move in and out, but opportunities are scarce. It’s a reminder that cultural preservation doesn’t always mean prosperity.

Notable places to visit in Urbino: Palazzo Ducale, Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, Raphael’s Birthplace / Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta

Best time to visit: June, during the Festa del Duca.

Transport: Nearest train stations are Pesaro and Fano; buses climb up to Urbino.

7. Palermo

Palermo is opera, street markets, Norman mosaics, mafia shadows, and resilience. Cultural enthusiasts will love its contradictions: Arab domes, Byzantine gold, Baroque façades, all in one city.

But Palermo’s dark side is as famous as its beauty: organized crime, poverty, inequality. Yet its culture thrives despite these struggles, or perhaps because of them. Letizia Battaglia’s famous work Shooting the Mafia covers this dark side as she dares to point her camera at the bloody and grizzly side of Cosa Nostra.

Notable places to visit in Palermo: Palermo Cathedral, Norman Palace & Palatine Chapel, Teatro Massimo, Street Markets: Ballarò, Capo, Vucciria

Best time to visit: Spring and autumn.

Transport: Palermo airport is well connected; buses and trains link to the city.

8. Ravenna

Ravenna is where Dante died, where his tomb still stands, and where Byzantine mosaics shimmer in basilicas that survived centuries. Culture here is eternal, shimmering, transcendent. Yet Ravenna is also a city that feels quiet, almost forgotten, compared to Florence or Venice. For cultural enthusiasts, that’s its gift: intimacy, space to breathe.

Notable places to visit in Italy Ravenna: Basilica di San Vitale (UNESCO site), Mausoleo di Galla Placidia, Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo / Arian Baptistery

Best time to visit: Early summer.

Transport: Well connected by train from Bologna.

Places to Visit in Italy for Artists

9. Parma

Parma is quieter than Naples or Palermo. But its contribution to food culture is massive: this is among those places to visit in Italy which is all about food with capital F: Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, Lambrusco wine. A foodie’s paradise, yes—but also a place where food is identity, politics, and pride. Visiting dairies and ham cellars shows the rigor and ritual behind each bite. 

But authenticity here comes with rules, laws, and bureaucracy. Tradition is both a strength and a straitjacket. Foodies need to learn how greatness comes with constraints.

Notable places to visit in Parma: Cattedrale di Parma + Baptistery, Teatro Farnese, Museo Glauco Lombardi / Botanical Garden / Camera di San Paolo

Best time to visit: September, during the Festival del Prosciutto.

Transport: Direct trains from Milan and Bologna.

10. Bologna

It’s “La Grassa” (the fat one) for a reason. You don’t go here for photo ops; you go here because food is religion. Markets like Quadrilatero still feel alive, not staged.

But it’s not all romantic. Bologna has seen its share of political protests, radical student movements, and economic struggles. Beneath the arches of Piazza Maggiore, conversations still tilt toward rebellion. That tension is what gives this city flavor. Food and politics mix here more than most Italian towns, and you taste that history in every dish.

Notable places to see in Italy  Bologna: The Salaborsa Library, Margherita Gardens for picnic, Archiginnasio and the Anatomical Theatre, The window of Via Piella, The Two Towers: Asinelli e Garisenda.

Best time to visit: September–November (for harvest and truffle season)

Transport: Direct train connections from Milan, Florence, or Venice. Easy to explore on foot.

Places to Visit in Italy for Foodies

11.  Lecce

Lecce, in Puglia, looks like someone poured too much sugar on a cake. Its Baroque churches are overloaded with detail — cherubs, swirls, angels stacked on angels. For an artist, that’s both intoxicating and suffocating. Walk the old town, and you’ll understand why they call it the “Florence of the South,” but unlike Florence, this is a city that never really got rich.

But there’s another side, unemployment is high, opportunities are low, and younger locals often leave for the north. For artists, that’s part of the lesson – beauty doesn’t guarantee prosperity.

Notable places to visit in Italy Lecce: Centro Storico (Old Town) + Piazza del Duomo, Basilica di Santa Croce and Roman Amphitheatre.

Best time to visit: April–June, September–October

Transport: Fly into Brindisi, then train/bus to Lecce. Best explored on foot.

12.  Genoa

Ah, the 2004 European Capital of Culture! For artists, Genoa forces a confrontation: beauty and decay sit side by side. The Palazzi dei Rolli — UNESCO-protected Renaissance palaces — stand tall but often crumbling, their faded grandeur telling stories of past wealth and present neglect. The Porto Antico, redeveloped by Renzo Piano, is slick and modern, yet walk a few blocks and you’re in areas that feel forgotten. Genoa doesn’t perform for you the way Florence or Venice does. It makes you sit with contradictions. Genoa gave the world Columbus, pesto, and a port that shaped Europe.

Notable places to visit in Italy Genoa:  Palazzi dei Rolli, Old Town “Caruggi” & Via Orefici / Via Luccoli, Galata Museo del Mare

Best time to visit: May–September (when the sea and weather soften the grit)

Transport: Connected by train to Milan, Turin, and Pisa. Within the city, it’s walkable but steep and hilly; funiculars and elevators help you climb.

So here you go, these are the 12 best cities to visit in Italy! Add them to your Bucket List on Explurger and make your travels seamless. 

Foods to Try in Italy (A Foodie’s Checklist)

• Parmigiano Reggiano in Parma
• Pizza Margherita in Naples
• Pistachio gelato in Bronte (Sicily)
• Cacio e Pepe in Rome

“If I’m in Rome for only 48 hours, I would consider it a sin against God to not eat cacio e pepe, the most uniquely Roman of pastas, in some crummy little joint where Romans eat. I’d much rather do that than go to the Vatican. That’s Rome to me.”

– Anthony Bourdain

• Pesto in Genoa
• Osso Buco in Milan
• Arancini in Sicily
• Risotto alla Milanese
• Sfogliatella in Naples
• Truffle dishes in Alba

Interesting Facts About Italy

• Italy has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country.
• Venice is sinking at about 1–2 millimeters per year.
• Pizza was considered a food for the poor until the late 19th century.
• Dante’s Divine Comedy shaped the Italian language itself.
• Matera was once called “the shame of Italy” before its rebirth.
• The Mafia originated in Sicily but now has global networks.
• Turin was the first capital of unified Italy.
• Italian dialects can be as different from each other as Spanish is from Portuguese.
• The Vatican is the world’s smallest country.
• Italy has more than 1,500 lakes.

The Real and Raw Places to Visit in Italy

“Italy is a dream that keeps returning for the rest of your life.”

—Anna Akhmatova

Italy isn’t a fairy tale. It’s not a museum frozen in time or a postcard you pin to a wall. It’s a living, breathing contradiction — sometimes chaotic, sometimes transcendent, often both in the same afternoon. For literature students, film buffs, cultural wanderers, artists and food lovers, the places to visit in Italy aren’t just about seeing landmarks; they’re about confronting reality: the poetry and the politics, the flavors and the failures, the art and the everyday grind.

And when you go, don’t just collect photos. Keep a record the way travelers once kept journals — or, in our age, with apps like Explurger that build your travelogue automatically, making your bucket list and marking the places that leave a mark on you. Because the best places to go in Italy are the ones that don’t just fill your camera roll, they stay with you long after you’ve gone home.

FAQs About Places to Visit in Italy