Italy attractions

The Colosseum is a massive ancient amphitheater in the center of Rome. Picked apart by scavengers and ravaged by earthquakes and time, the Colosseum still stands as an impressive symbol of life in Ancient Rome. It showcases the power of past emperors and the durability of the Eternal City. This huge, marble and limestone structure was built to hold more than 50,000 spectators, all there to revel in the various forms of (mostly violent) entertainment, such as hunts, gladiator battles, and executions.

The Vatican Museums are full of artistic and historical treasures by some of the world's greatest artists. Inside you’ll find epoch-defining masterpieces from Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Titian and Caravaggio (to name a few).

Once a pantheon to the gods of Ancient Rome, this stunning structure in the heart of Italy's capital has been a church since the 7th century. Among its many spectacular features, its perfect dome (designed and created in 120 AD) is to this day the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world.

The Leonardo Express is the easiest way to travel from Rome Fiumicino Airport to the center of the city. Book your airport shuttle ticket in advance and make the high-speed journey from Felice Santini station (attached to the airport) to Roma Termini Station. The Leonardo Express trains leave every 15 minutes, so you'll find your way to your Rome accommodation in rapid time!

The Renaissance-era St Peter's Basilica is one of the largest churches in the world (and the home-church of the Pope). Highlights include the dome (the biggest in the world), Bernini's Baldacchino (the centerpiece of the church), and Michelangelo's Pietà (the only artwork he ever signed). For both the pious and the casual visitor, a trip to St. Peter's is an awe-inspiring trip into the heart of Vatican City.

Built between 1609 and 1613, this opulent structure - fountains, gardens, pink marble walls, frescoed ceilings - seems ideally suited to house one of the world's best collections of art. And that was exactly what it was built for. Architect Flaminio Ponzio designed it for the cardinal and art collector Scipione Borghese, who wanted a party villa on the edge of town where he could house his enormous collection of priceless art. In 1901, the collection (and the gallery, and the park that surrounds it) was acquired by the Italian government, and opened to the public. As a museum, Galleria Borghese punches well above its weight with an impressive hit rate of masterpieces. Sculptures by Bernini and Canova, paintings, by Caravaggio, Raphael and Titian... the list goes on.

The towering cylinder of Castel Sant'Angelo, and its statue of Archangel Michael, is an instantly recognizable silhouette on the banks of the Tiber. Initially built as a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian and his family, its purpose has changed many times over the years, from a fortress, a residence, a prison, and now a museum.

When Rome was Caput Mundi (Capital of the World), the Roman Forum was the very heart of the Roman Empire. Now a sprawling complex of ruins, it is here, a javelin's toss from the Colosseum, where everything happened: from making and enforcing laws to buying and selling exotic goods. Highlights include the Temple of Vesta, the Temple of Caesar, and the Senate House.

Bioparco di Roma is an open-air zoological garden and biopark located on the original Villa Borghese estate in Rome. There are 1,114 animals of 222 species, spread across 17 hectares of gardens and enclosures.

You'll be thoroughly impressed as you approach Italy's largest church, the Duomo di Milano, also known as Milan Cathedral. At 108-meters high, 160-meters long, and 92-meters wide, it easily holds 40,000 people. Every inch of it is dripping with gothic gravitas. The true magnitude of the Duomo di Milano truly hits you when you're inside. It is adorned with artwork and religious ornaments, and you can see sarcophagi of luminaries from centuries gone by. It is also home to Italy's largest organ, which clocks in at a whopping 15,350 pipes.

Huge and filled with experiments on subjects from energy to communication, this is 50,000 m2 of investigation into science and technology, with 16,000 historical objects and 13 interactive laboratories. The National Museum Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci covers all things science, so if you're looking to sate your curiosity – pick up your tickets here.

A.C. Milan is one of the world’s great football clubs, and this museum combines 115 years of glittering success with a modern and innovative use of multimedia technology. Get to know club and world greats like Franco Baresi and Marco Van Basten in the Hall of Fame, and explore the Trophies Room – A.C. Milan have won seven European club championships and numerous Italian ones. Interactive displays are featured throughout and the highlight is the holographic theater, where the likes of Paolo Maldini will appear to come to life!

The attractions at Milan's Museum of Illusions span over 70 exhibits and cover different fields, including psychology, mathematics, science, and biology. But nothing is as it seems! It's all about the mind trickery in this central Milan location. Take the whole family and the camera too – there are photo opps galore in here! Milan is the 33rd city in the world to host one of these popular attractions designed for international audiences of all ages. It's located in via Settembrini 11, a few steps away from Milan Central Station.

The Biblioteca Ambrosiana is a historic library in Milan, Italy, named after Ambrose, the patron saint of the city. It was founded in 1609 by Cardinal Federico Borromeo, and is home to the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana art gallery, where masterpieces from Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Raphael, and Caravaggio are found.

Inaugurated on 3 August 1778, La Scala is an impressive and romantic opera house in Milan. The theater has played host to some of the world's most talented performers, and numerous operas and ballets.

La Vigna di Leonardo is just a stone's throw from the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie and Leonardo da Vinci's the Last Supper. Here at his 500-year-old vineyard you'll learn the favourite wine of the famous artist and how Italian experts are trying to recreate it. The art-filled privately-owned Renaissance palace 'Casa degli Atellani' is on site and also open to the public. You'll have a vine old time.

The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci is one of the world's best known works of art. Located in Milan's Santa Maria delle Grazie church, Da Vinci is thought to have worked on the piece between 1495-1498 as part of a commission from Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan.

This 15th-century church and Dominican convent is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The popular attraction features Leonardo da Vinci's fresco The Last Supper in its refectory - one of the most important artworks of the whole Renaissance.