I love Rome, Florence, and Venice. I think everyone should see them at least once in their lifetime.
The downside to their popularity is that they basically don’t have a low season anymore. So, if you are the kind of person who enjoys discovering authentic destinations where locals still significantly outnumber tourists, you may want to look at other destinations.
Thankfully, Italy has so many more historic cities to explore, that you will struggle to choose. I certainly did struggle when I put together this list of Italian cities everyone should see other than Rome, Florence, and Venice.
Beautiful Italian cities without the crowds
Here are 12 unmissable Italian cities:
Let’s take a closer look at them.
1. Bologna
Bologna is Italy’s most important passenger train hub, and many foreign travellers remember it as ‘the station where I changed train.’ it is worth staying over and exploring, though.
The capital of Emilia Romagna is considered by the Italian themselves as the pinnacle of Italian food. But the city has a lot more to offer. It is the seat of the oldest university in Europe, and boasts a beautifully preserved Medieval centre, as well as a rich creative scene, and excellent museums.
The heart of the medieval centre is around Piazza Maggiore, where the cathedral of San Petronio and the medieval Palazzo di Re Enzo, are located. Between the Piazza and the medieval Due Torri (‘two towers’) ubiquitous on Bologna postcards, is a grid of characterful tiny medieval roads brimming with artisan food stores, leather and fashion boutiques. Nearby is the unmissable late Roman/Lombard/early medieval complex of Santo Stefano which includes a 2000-year-old late Roman Christian church.
Last but not least Bologna is famous for its Porticos, now on the UNESCO World Heritage list. were built as an extension to city dwellings throughout the middle ages and the Renaissance, They are an incredible journey (literally as well as symbolically) through the city’s history and creativity.
Here is a post to read more about Bologna.
2. Genova
in medieval and early modern times, Genova, the capital of Liguria, used to be a political and Economic power, vying with Venice and Barcelona for domination in the Mediterranean trade with the East.
This rich history has left plenty of traces in its beautiful UNESCO-World-Heritage historical centre, with its maze of carrugi (tiny medieval alleys), lively squares, and magnificent palaces and churches such as the 11th-century cathedral of San Lorenzo.
I was very happy to read that Lonely Planet has nominated as one of the best destinations for 2025, as it will encourage more people to visit and discover a very unique and special italian city.
Genova’s daring sea-faring spirit is not just a thing of the past. one of the city’s 20th-century son is the architect Renzo Piano, the creator of the Centre George Pompidou. His restoration of Genova’s old port is another instance of his innovative and irreverent style.
If you have time, make sure you include a coastal walk in your itinerary. You can reach the postcard-perfect village of Nervi, stopping in the delightful fishing villages of Vernazzola and Boccadasse, and keep smelling the sea and the fragrant Ligurian flora along the Via Aurelia. When you reach Nervi, follow the signs for the Passeggiata Anita Garibaldi, the enchanting promenade that winds along the cliff.
You can also go on train rides all along the coast, it is hard to find a stretch that is not magnificent. Check Trenitalia for local trains. Boat trips are also widely available.
3. Torino
In the 19th century, after the reunificationf of Italy, Torino was briefly its capital, and prior to that it was the capital of the Kingdom of Piedmont. The Savoy dynasty embellished it with some of Italy’s most striking baroque architecture. But Torino’s history started way earlier. Founded as Augusta Taurinorum by the great emperor itself, it has retained the Roman grid layout and some incredible Roman buildings. For baroque, stroll through the elegant Piazza Castello and Piazza San Carlo, and visit the magnificent Church of the Consolata, The city’s Roman highglight is the still-standing roman gate (Porta Palatina), The King’s and queen’s palaces (Palazzo Reale and Palazzo madama. The latter Ihouses an art and design collection comparable to London’s V&A.
Speaking of museums, one place in Torino where you will find crowds, unless you are really lucky, is the world-famous Museo Egizio (the largest collection of Egyptian Antiquities in the world after Cairo). Make sure to book it in advance.
A real highlight of your trip will be the amazing food scene (Torino is part of Piedmont and the first large city to embrace the slow food movement). The quality is incredible, even by high Italian standards. If you are visiting on a cold day, a glass of bicerin in one of the historic cafes is a must!
Here is a post to help you plan a stay on Torino.
4. Rimini
Alea Iacta est (‘the dice is cast.’) Julius Caesar pronounced his famous words before Crossing the Rubicon in the city of Rimini. A Roman marble stelae from the Age of Augustus still commemorates this momentous event in Roman history.
Of course, Rimini was never Caput mundi, and there is no city on earth like Rome. Nevertheless, it was a Regina Viarum, a ‘queen of roads,’ at the crossroads of three of the most important Roman roads in Italy. And It remained a very important city throughout the middle ages and the Renaissance.
if you are looking for a small city which can boast both wonderfully preserved Roman monuments, architectural highlights of the Italian Renaissance, such as Leon Battista Alberti’s Tempio Malatestiano below, pictorial masterpieces from the likes of Giotto, as well as the Allure of Federico Fellini’s magical Italian cinema, Rimini fits the bill to perfection.
Add to that the delicious food of Emilia-Romagna and long sandy beaches. The latter can get very busy in July and August, but are very relaxed at other times.
To plan a short break in Rimini, check out this post.
5. Ravenna
When I was in secondary school, after a lesson on Bizantine mosaics, our art teacher taught us that The most important surviving Bizantine mosaics are not in Istanbul (former Bizantium), but in the city of Ravenna.
Ravenna is a city I tried and revisit every few years, and I never tire of it. It can be busy in the summer months, especially if the weather is overcast, as tourists from the nearby seaside resorts decide to go sightseeing. At other times, like Rimini, it makes for a relaxed and enjoyable visit.
When I say Ravenna has a lot to offer, i mean it. The city was the last capital of the western Roman empire, then it became the capital of the Ostrogoth empire, and was eventually conquered by the Bizantines in the age of Justinian. The famous Mosaic portraits of Justinian and his wife Theodora are actually in San Vitale, one of Ravenna’s 8 UNESCO-Heritage Monuments.
Other magnificent highlights are the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the basilicas of Sant’Apollinare in Classe and Sant’Apollinare nuovo, the late Roman Baptistries, and the Mausoleum of Theodoric. Chdeck out the tourist office website to plan your visit.
Over the centuries Ravenna continued to fascinate writers and artists. From Dante, who is buried in the city, to Byron, who lived there, to Yeats, who wrote Sailing to Bizantium after visiting, to painters such as Klimt and Kandiskiy. Visit and you will understand why.
6. Treviso
Many Italian cities had canals, from Milan to Bologna, but most of them have been covered. There is though, one expection, and it is actually quite close to Venice.
Treviso’s Renaissance palaces and canals may not be as grandiose as some Venetian equivalent, but they are elegant and peaceful. The heart of the historic centre is between Piazza dei Signori, overlooked by the Palazzo dei Trecento and Palazzo del Podestà, and Piazza del Duomo (which houses an Annunciation by Titian . If you are into the Venetian painting tradition, The museo di Santa Caterina has a fair share of Tiepolos and Titians.
It is easy to lose yourself in the maze of cobbled streets and canals, especially given the culinary temptations on offer. If you fancy a sweet treat, Treviso claims to be the birhtplace of Tiramisu. Aperitivo is quite an institution, in a city 30 km awya from the Prosecco hills of Valdobbiadene, which by the way you can easily reach for a day trip!
7. Lucca
Lucca is one of the most beautiful cities in Tuscany, and it does get its fair share of visitors, but it is still relatively relaxed compared to Florence, and has some incredible monuments.
before Florence rose to prominence in the 12th-13th century, Lucca used to be Tuscany most important town, thanks to beautiful relics and stunning early medieval churches, built by repurposing ancient Roman temples.
It is a beautiful city; the historic centre surrounded by Renaissance walls, in turns surrounded by a ring of trees and parkland.
Lucca is on the Via Francigena to Rome and is called the city of 101 churches. If you can choose a few to visits, the Duomo, with the beautiful funereal monument to Ilaria del Carretto sculpted by Jacopo della Quercia, is wonderful and deeply touching. The Duomo also houses the precious relic that made Lucca a magnet for pilgrim in medieval times, the Volto Santo, a wooden crucifix representing the face of Jesus and allegedly sculpted by Nicodemus, one of the disciples who helped burying him. San Michele in Foro, the beautiful Pisan Romanesque church built about a millenium ago on the site of the Lucca Forum, is also unfortgettable, with its shining bright stone, elegant architecture, and great works of art including by Luca della Robbia and Filippino Lippi.
the medieval Torre Guinigi gives us a glimpse of the life and mentality of Lucca’s medieval ruling classes, and poetically has trees on its rooftop.
Last but not least, you cannot leave Lucca without visiting Piazza dell’Amfiteatro. Houses were built on the site of the Roman amphitheatre of Lucca, but instead of demolishing the Roman structure, the builders simply built houses on it, so you will be sitting in a round square, surrounded by the frame of the amphitheatre. You may not be allowed an Aperol Spritz in the Colosseo, but you are allowed it here, and you will remember it forever!
8. Palermo
Where do I begin? Palermo is busy, traffic and (local) people are everywhere, but you find incredible oases of peace in the middle of it all and this sensation of being in a suspended time and in a unique space. Sicily is unique in many ways. Like Spain, it was conquered by the Arabs that left incredible monuments. The Romans and the Bizantine had come before. The Arabs were in turns driven out by the Normans, who developed the unique style of architecture – a blend of Arab, Bizantine and Gothic – that is quintessentially Sicilian. The Normans, gave way to the French and then the Spanish, and Palermo had another glorious architectural phase during the 16th century, which embellished the city with beautiful Baroque buildings.
The cathedral (photo below) is a clear example of Sicilian complexity and beauty.
Other unmissable buldings are Palazzo dei Normanni, the royal palace of the Norman King Roger II. The complex church, Cappella Palatina, is one of Sicily’s wonders. Roger called craftmen from the 3 cultures of the kingdom to work on the project and the result is some of the world’s most celebrated Mosaic cycles. Almost hidden from sight is the oasis of peace of S.Giovanni degli Eremiti an abbey built on the site of a former mosque, of which it retained many stylistic features, such as the domes. The Norman hunting lodge of La Zisa, also in Arab style, can be considered the Sicilian version of the Alhambra.
As mentioned, Palermo also has baroque churches, mansions and elegant squares. Piazza Pretoria, with the magnificent Quattro Canti (four elegant prince palaces) is a highlight from the period, and so is the monastery of Santa Caterina.
You cannot leave palermo without trying fresh cannoli, and some of the incredible Arabic-inspired food of the area. Fancy a dip in the sea. Palermo’s elegantsuburg of Mondello has a lovely long sandy city beach, lined by authentic fish restaurants for when you want a break from the sun, or to enjoy the evening breeze.
9. Parma
Someone said to me that Parma has the same misty atmosphere of Venice. In winter, I can see it. Thick fog can envelope the buildings and convey that Serenissima otherwordly magic. In total contrast to Venice, though, Parma is the ultimate Italian city without the crowds.
first a Roman column, then a city state, then a duchy, Parma is one of these delightful examples of Provincia Italiana where taste, high culture and love of food rule supreme.
Visit the cathedral, with its incredible frescoes by Correggio, considered one of the masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance, and the beautiful gothic baptistry. Another highlight is Palazzo della Pilotta, built by the powerful Farnese family in the 16th century. Nowadays it is a great civic complex, housing the National Archaeological Museum, the National Gallery (with a vast collection of artistic masterpieces by Correggio and Parmigianino), the Bodoni Museum (Bodoni was one of the first printers), the Palatine library with its manuscript collection and last but not least the Farnese Theatre, an incredible example of 17t-century wooden theatre.
eating in Parma is a joy. The city is home to Parma ham and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. The city centre boasts a great selection of traditional osterie where you can have local food and great wines in relaxed and unpretentious settings.
For my in-depth guide to the beauty of Parma, check this post.
10. Urbino
It seems hard to believe today but Urbino was one of the capitals of the Italian Renaissance. The ducal palace of the Montefeltro family, dominating the surrounding countryside like a bird of prey from its hilltop location, is as magnificent as it is imposing. During the rule of Federico da Montefeltro, the great artists of the day flocked here. Raphael was born in Urbino because his father was working there; so were Leon Battista Alberti (builder of Rimini’s Tempio Malatestiano) and Piero della Francesca.
Urbino’s old town hugs the palace and is one of those places where time stands still.
The palazzo Ducale not only famous for its art collection and its symmetrical architectural beauty and for retaining many original features. There are original Renaissance wooden floors and memorable rooms such as the study of Duke Federico, from where he ruled his lands and spinned his weave of alliances with the medicis and the other great signori. Unmissable
11. Naples
Napoli is one of the most ancient permanently inhabited sites in western Europe, and started life as A Greek colony. If you immediately associate Naples with Camorra, let me share something people hardly remember. Until the 19th century, Napoli was the second largest city in Europe after Paris, a great cultural centre, where many artists and personalities from all over Europe either lived and/or retired.
What’s so good about Napoli? its uniqueness – a city living in the shadow of Europe’s most dangerous Volcano, with a stunning promenade along the glittering blue Tyrrhenian sea, proud of its complex and difficult history, and of its incredible architectural and cultural heritage. Need examples? The fortresses of Castel dell’Uovo and Castel Nuovo, baroque churches, the incredible lifelike sculpture of the Cristo Velato (Veiled Christ) of the Sansevero chaper, catacombs and underground tunnels, peaceful oases such as the medieval monastery of Santa Chiara, now also a museum.
Speaking of museums, Napoli’s museo Archeologico nazionale houses many of the treasures recovered from the excavations at Pompeii and Ercolano. For Grand Masters from the 13th to the 18th century, look no further than the Museo di Capodimonte.
Of course Napoli is also proud to be the birthplace of Pizza, and you have got to try the traditional neapolitan crust, so light and made simply of flour and water. There is more to Neapolitan food than Pizza, and desserts are a real highlight. I am partial to a delicious ricotta-filled Pastiera Napoletana, but Babà al rum has to be one of the simplest and most delicious desserts I have ever eaten!
12. Mantova
Like Urbino, Mantova was one of the most important centres of the Italian Renaissance. Today it is quite a small city, but like Parma it is a city that punches above its weight in cultural terms. You just need to visit the Palazzo Ducale and you will be taken on a crash course in Italian history and art from the Middle Ages to Napoleon!
The ruling dynasty, the Gonzaga, hired some of the best talents of the day to develop and decorate their sprawling home (it is the 6th largest palax complex in Europe, in the same league as the Vatican or Versailles.) Andrea Mantegna‘s Camera degli Sposi is considered one of the masterpieces of the early Renaissace. I particularly love the Studiolo of Isabella d’Este, una of the Duchesses. Her favourite roses are still grown in the gardens, which I found incredible.
If Mantegna’s work in Mantova is one of the great early masterpieces of the Renaissance, The frescoes of Palazzo Te, a leisure home of the Gonzaga’s on the outskirt of town, is instead the masterpiece of Italian Mannerism (the artistic style that bridges Renaissance and Baroque).
Mantova also has incredibly interesting churches, such as the Rotonda di San Lorenzo, Modelled on the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and the Basilica of Sant’Andrea, home to mysterious Holy relics of the Blood of Christ, the current church was designed by Leon Battista Alberti.
To add to Mantova’s cultural credentials, every Year in September the city houses the most prestigious literary festival in Italy (Festivalletteratura.) You do not need to speak Italian to enjoy it. Intellectuals from all over the world are invited, and hearing them speak against the backdrop of a Renaissance open-air salon is quite unforgettable.
How do I get there?
By train, of course. All of the cities featured have their own train station. Some are on the high-speed network, some are relying on the regionale service, slower but often more scenic. You can browse and book trips on Trainline or Trenitalia.
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