Palazzo VII Aprile

Western Sicily

　　This lovely arcaded palazzo, formerly known as the Palazzo Senatorio (Senatorial Palace), is now Marsala's town hall. ...

Museo degli Arazzi Fiammingi

Western Sicily

　　Tapestry fans should check out this tiny museum displaying eight 16th-century Flemish tapestries, woven in Brussels for Spanish King Philip II. ...

Complesso Monumentale San Pietro

Western Sicily

　　Housed in a beautifully restored 15th-century convent, this arts centre is home to an intriguing complex of small museums. Most noteworthy is the upstairs space devoted to Giuseppe Garibaldi, who landed in Marsala on 11 May 1860 with his army of 1000 redshirts in the first stage of their successful...

Porta Garibaldi

Western Sicily

　　This old town gate marks the southern edge of Marsala's historic centre. ...

Chiesa del Purgatorio

Western Sicily

　　This beautiful 18th-century church (1771), with showy, heavily sculpted facade, is a fine example of Sicilian baroque architecture – as is the ornate fountain piercing the cobbled square, Piazzetta Lombardo detta Purgatorio, that the church overlooks. ...

Piazza della Repubblica

Western Sicily

　　Marsala's most elegant piazza is dominated by the imposing Chiesa Madre. Just across the way, on the eastern side of the square, is the arcaded Palazzo VII Aprile, formerly known as the Palazzo Senatorio (Senatorial Palace) and now the town hall. ...

Porta Nuova

Western Sicily

　　This old town gate marks the western edge of Marsala's historic centre. ...

Museo Archeologico Baglio Anselmi

Western Sicily

　　Marsala's finest treasure is the partially reconstructed remains of a Carthaginian liburna (warship) sunk off the Egadi Islands during the First Punic War. Displayed alongside objects from its cargo, the ship's bare bones provide the only remaining physical evidence of the Phoenicians' seafaring superiority in the 3rd century BC, offering...

Il Castello

Tyrrhenian Coast

　　Apart from a few loose rocks and low crenellated walls, there is nothing left of Il Castello, a Norman castle built atop the old Arab citadel that once crowned the rocky peak above Cefalù. ...

Tempio di Diana

Tyrrhenian Coast

　　Built of massive limestone blocks quarried directly from the mountainside, the megalithic Tempio di Diana dates back to the 4th or 5th century BC. On the same site are a sacred dolmen-type cistern dating to the 8th or 9th century BC, and the remains of a Byzantine church dedicated to...

Lavatoio

Tyrrhenian Coast

　　Descend the curving stone steps to this picturesque cluster of 16th-century wash basins, built over a spring that was well known in antiquity. ...

Bastione Capo Marchiafava

Tyrrhenian Coast

　　For fabulous sea views in the heart of Cefalù, make your way to this 17th-century fortification, off Via Bordonaro. Crowds gather here to watch the sunset or simply catch some rays on a sunny afternoon. ...

Salita Saraceni

Tyrrhenian Coast

　　An enormous staircase, the Salita Saraceni, winds up through three tiers of city walls in a 30- to 45-minute climb to the summit of La Rocca. From here you have wonderful views of the town below. There are two main access points, both marked by signs for 'Tempio di Diana':...

Museo Mandralisca

Tyrrhenian Coast

　　This small, privately owned museum showcases a collection amassed by parliamentarian, archaeologist and natural-history buff, Baron Mandralisca (1809–64). The rather faded displays of Greek ceramics and Arab pottery are of marginal interest compared to Antonello da Messina's splendid Ritratto di un uomo ignoto (Portrait of an Unknown Man; 1465), considered...

Spiaggia di Cefalù

Tyrrhenian Coast

　　Cefalù's crescent-shaped beach is one of the most popular along the whole Sicilian coast. In summer it is packed, so be sure to arrive early to get a good spot. Though some sections require a ticket, the area closest to the old town is public and you can hire a...

Duomo di Cefalù

Tyrrhenian Coast

　　Cefalù's cathedral is one of the jewels in Sicily's Arab-Norman crown, only equalled in magnificence by the Cattedrale di Monreale and Palermo's Cappella Palatina. Filling the central apse, a towering figure of Cristo Pantocratore (Christ All Powerful) is the focal point of the elaborate Byzantine mosaics – Sicily's oldest and...

Palazzo Fardella Fontana

Western Sicily

　　This golden-hued 18th-century palace – today a local government building so only viewable from the exterior – is one of Trapani's finest examples of Spanish baroque architecture. ...

Cattedrale di San Lorenzo

Western Sicily

　　The huge Cattedrale di San Lorenzo has a baroque facade and stuccoed interior. Constructed in 1421, the cathedral was modified dramatically over the centuries, culminating in its current 18th-century look by architect Giovanni Biagio Amico. ...

Palazzo Riccio di Morana

Western Sicily

　　One of Trapani's most admired historic buildings, this 16th- to 18th-century palazzo (mansion) enjoys a creamy neoclassical facade and many an admiring glance in the late afternoon when Via Garibaldi morphs from quiet empty street into a traffic jam of promenading locals indulging in their ritual passeggiata (evening stroll). The...

Palazzo Senatorio

Western Sicily

　　Dating to 1672 and designed by famed Trapanese architect Andrea Palma, this three-tiered baroque palazzo dominates the eastern end of pedestrianised Corso Vittorio Emanuele. ...

Chiesa di Santa Maria del Gesù

Western Sicily

　　In the historic centre, this 16th-century Catalan-Gothic church safeguards the exquisite Madonna degli Angeli (Madonna of the Angels), a glazed terracotta statue by Andrea della Robbia. ...

Villa Margherita

Western Sicily

　　Trapani's majestic central park, first laid out in 1878, is a relaxing spot to lounge in the shade of centurion trees, admire and learn about dozens of unusual tree species (dragon trees, Chinese fan palms, ornamental cycads), and bring the children to see the resident peacock and ducks swanning around...

Museo Nazionale Pepoli

Western Sicily

　　Tucked away in the atmospheric cloister of a 14th-century Carmelite monastery, this wonderful decorative-arts museum dating from 1906–08 houses the collection of Agostino Pepoli (1848–1910), a local count who devoted his life to salvaging Trapani's local arts and crafts, most notably 17th- and 18th-century coral carvings, all the rage in...

Chiesa Anime Sante del Purgatorio

Western Sicily

　　Just off the corso in the heart of the city, this church houses the impressive 18th-century misteri, 20 life-sized wooden effigies depicting the story of Christ's Passion, which take centre stage during the city's dramatic Easter Week processions every year. Explanatory panels in English, Italian, French and German help visitors...

Torre del Moro

Umbria

　　This 47m-high tower has loomed over Orvieto's centro since the 13th century, though the clock was only added in 1866. Climb all 250 steps for sweeping 360-degree views of the city. ...

Museo Archeologico Nazionale

Umbria

　　Housed in the medieval Palazzo Papale behind the Duomo, Orvieto's archaeological museum holds plenty of interesting artefacts, some over 2500 years old. Etruscan ceramics, necropolis relics, bronzes and frescoed chamber tombs feature among the items on display. ...

Museo Claudio Faina e Civico

Umbria

　　Stage your own archaeological dig at this fantastic museum opposite the Duomo. It houses one of Italy's foremost collections of Etruscan finds, comprising plenty of stone sarcophagi, terracotta pieces and some amazing bronzeware. Also of note are a series of decorative Greek amphorae. ...

Chiesa di Sant'Andrea

Umbria

　　This 12th-century church, with its curious decagonal bell tower, presides over Piazza della Repubblica, once Orvieto's Roman forum and now a cafe-lined square in the medieval centre. Call ahead for an archaeologist-led tour of ancient Etruscan and Roman buildings and an early Christian church in the basement (€5). ...

Chiesa di San Giovenale

Umbria

　　This tufa-brick church at the western end of town is one of Orvieto's oldest, dating from 1004. A solemn example of Romanesque-Gothic architecture, it boasts some wonderful 12th to 15th-century frescoes and a notable marble altar from 1170. 　　In front of the church, you can enjoy expansive views of the...

Museo dell'Opera del Duomo di Orvieto

Umbria

　　Housed in a complex of papal palaces, the Palazzi Papali, this museum showcases a fine collection of religious relics from the Duomo and paintings by artists such as Arnolfo di Cambio and the three Pisanos (Andrea, Nino and Giovanni). A separate exhibition in Palazzo Soliano is dedicated to sculptor and...

Orvieto Underground

Umbria

　　The coolest place in Orvieto (literally), this series of 440 caves (out of 1200 in the system) has been used for millennia by locals for various purposes – WWII bomb shelters, refrigerators, wine cellars, wells and, during many a pesky Roman or barbarian siege, as dovecotes to trap the usual...

Duomo

Umbria

　　Nothing can prepare you for the visual feast that is Orvieto's soul-stirring Gothic cathedral. Dating from 1290, it sports a black-and-white banded exterior fronted by what is perhaps the most astonishing facade to grace any Italian church: a mesmerising display of rainbow frescoes, jewel-like mosaics, bas-reliefs and delicate braids of...

Torre degli Ercolani

Le Marche

　　This 40m-high tower is closed to the public but is the tallest of the town's medieval towers. Abutting it is the Palazzetto Longobardo, a 12th-century Lombard-Romanesque defensive position that is now home to the Ostello dei Longobardi youth hostel, while just to the north is the well-preserved Ponte Romano, a...

Museo dell'Arte Ceramica

Le Marche

　　The Museo dell'Arte Ceramica traces the development of ceramic production in Ascoli and displays works from Italy's famous pottery towns, including Deruta, Faenza and Genoa. Don't miss Francesco and Carlo Grue's 18th-century framed pictorials, a sort of Old World comic strip. ...

Chiesa di San Pietro Martire

Le Marche

　　The 14th-century Chiesa di San Pietro Martire is dedicated to St Peter of Verona, the 13th-century saint who founded the Dominican community at Ascoli. The solemn Gothic church houses the Reliquario della Santa Spina, a gilded silver reliquary containing what is said to be a thorn from Christ’s crown. ...

Museo Archeologico

Le Marche

　　Ascoli's archaeological museum holds a small collection of artefacts from the Piceni and other European peoples dating back to the first centuries AD, as well as a fantastic mosaic floor featuring a stunning centrepiece: a dual-sided depiction of an old/young Roman god Janus (an optical illusion depending on your viewpoint)....

Chiesa di San Francesco

Le Marche

　　This monumental church, its southern flank edging onto Piazza del Popolo, is named after St Francis, who is said to have visited Ascoli in 1215. It was consecrated in 1371, but construction, which started in 1258, took some 300 years and it wasn't until 1549 that the church was completed....

Cattedrale di Sant'Emidio

Le Marche

　　Topped by a pair of mismatched towers, Ascoli's cathedral was built in the 16th century and dedicated to St Emidio, the city's patron saint. Its most prized possession is the three-section Polittico di Sant'Emidio (Polyptych of Saint Emidio; 1473) by the Venetian painter Carlo Crivelli in the Cappella del Sacramento....

Pinacoteca

Le Marche

　　Set around a tree-shaded courtyard, the second-largest art gallery in Le Marche sits inside the 17th-century Palazzo Comunale. The palace's aristocratic halls are lined with outstanding works of art and sculpture by major Italian artists such as Titian, Carlo Crivelli and Guido Reni, as well as a collection of religious...

Piazza del Popolo

Le Marche

　　This harmonious piazza has been Ascoli's salotto (drawing room) since Roman times. The elegant rectangular space is flanked by the Chiesa di San Francesco and, on the west, the 13th-century Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo. The 'Captain's Palace' served as the seat of the city's Pontifical Governors for centuries and...

Ponte dei Sospiri

Le Marche

　　One of Venice's most photographed sights, the Bridge of Sighs connects Palazzo Ducale to the 16th-century Priggione Nove (New Prisons). Its improbable popularity is due to British libertine Lord Byron (1788–1824), who mentioned it in one of his long narrative poems Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. Condemned prisoners were said to sigh...

Sextantio

Le Marche

　　This enchanting albergo diffuso, with 28 distinctive rooms and suites scattered throughout the village, was what helped rescue Santo Stefano from oblivion. Designed to reignite Italy's lesser-known settlements without scrimping on luxury, they marry traditional handmade bedspreads and rustic furniture with under-floor heating, mood lighting and divinely deep bathtubs. Everything...

Museo Archeologico

Umbria

　　Spoleto's archaeological museum, housed in a 15th-century monastery on the western edge of Piazza della Libertà, holds a well-curated collection of Roman and Etruscan bits and bobs, illustrating the town's ancient origins as far back as the Bronze Age. Tickets also include access to the adjacent 1st-century-BC Teatro Romano. ...

Teatro Romano

Umbria

　　Accessible though the Museo Archeologico, this well-preserved Roman amphitheatre often hosts live performances during the summer; check with the museum or tourist office. The theatre, which was built in the 1st century BC, was the scene of a notorious episode in 1320 when 400 Guelphs (papal supporters) were imprisoned and...

Chiesa di San Pietro

Umbria

　　This big landmark church overlooks the main Via Flaminia (SS3) just outside the southern end of town. A fine example of Romanesque architecture, it was built in the early 13th century over an earlier temple dedicated to St Peter. A characteristic feature is its imposing facade, which is liberally bedecked...