Chiesa e Chiostro di San Gregorio Armeno
Naples
Overstatement knows no bounds at this richly ornamented 16th-century monastic complex. The church packs a visual punch with its lavish wood and papier…
Must-see attractions in Southern Italy
Trani
This dramatic seafront cathedral is dedicated to St Nicholas the Pilgrim, a Greek Christian who wandered through Puglia crying 'Kyrie eleison' ('Lord,…
Naples
Built by the Normans in the 12th century, Naples’ oldest castle owes its name (Castle of the Egg) to Virgil. The Roman scribe reputedly buried an egg on…
Naples
Locals know this 13th-century castle as the Maschio Angioino (Angevin Keep), and its Cappella Palatina is home to fragments of frescoes by Giotto; they're…
Taormina
The short climb to the top of Monte Tauro (378m) is not exactly Himalayan, but it is steep and the final steps are quite hard work. Your reward is a…
Ragusa
Located 18km southwest of Ragusa, this sumptuous neo-Gothic palace houses the Collezione Gabriele Arezzo di Trifiletti, an extraordinary fashion and…
Naples
Another Luigi Vanvitelli production, this long, leafy seaside strip was originally built for Bourbon royalty. Called the Passeggio Reale (Royal Walkway),…
Naples
Star of this operatic square is the 18th-century Guglia di San Domenico. The work of Cosimo Fanzago, Francesco Antonio Picchiatti and Domenico Antonio…
Basilica Santa Maria della SanitĂ & Catacombe di San Gaudioso
Naples
While we love the baroque paintings by Andrea Vaccaro and Luca Giordano – not to mention the two contemporary sculptures by Riccardo Dalisi – it's the…
Sorrento
East of the city centre, this wide-ranging museum is well worth a visit whether you're a clock collector, an archaeological egghead or into delicate…
Bay of Naples
Buried beneath the unappealing streets of Torre Annunziata, Oplontis was once a blue-ribbon seafront suburb under the administrative control of Pompeii…
Capri
Rising 589m above Anacapri, Monte Solaro is Capri’s highest point. To get to the top, you can either take the seggiovia (chairlift) from Piazza Vittoria…
Amalfi
Four kilometres west of Amalfi, this grotto is named after the eerie emerald colour that emanates from the water. Stalactites hang down from the 24m-high…
Naples
The most engrossing site at this 14th-century religious complex is its infamous ruota (wheel), set in the orphanage wall to the left of the basilica. As…
Positano
Omnipresent in most Positano photos is the colourful majolica-tiled dome of its main church (and the town's only real sight). If you are visiting at a…
Bay of Naples
Back in its ancient heyday, Italy's third-largest amphitheatre – desired by Nero, and completed by Vespasian from AD 69 to 79 – could hold over 20,000…
Museo Duca di Martina & Villa Floridiana
Naples
The Museo Duca di Martina houses a beautiful collection of ceramics, with priceless Chinese Ming (1368–1644) ceramics and Japanese Edo (1615–1867) vases…
Palermo
Fringed by imposing churches and buildings, Piazza Pretoria is dominated by the over-the-top Fontana Pretoria, one of Palermo's major landmarks. The…
Pompeii
This restored, 90-room villa is one of the most complete structures left standing in Pompeii. The Dionysiac frieze, the most important fresco still on…
Museo Bottega della Tarsia Lignea
Sorrento
Since the 18th century, Sorrento has been famous for its intarsio (marquetry) furniture, made with elaborately designed inlaid wood. Some wonderful…
Naples
Commissioned by entrepreneur and engineer Giuseppe Mannajuolo, this distinguished palazzo was built between 1910 and 1911. It's one of the city's finest…
Chiesa & Chiostro di San Francesco
Sorrento
Located next to the Villa Comunale Park, this church is best known for the peaceful 14th-century cloister abutting it, which is accessible via a small…
Naples
Naples at its most vociferous and intense, the Mercato di Porta Nolana is a heady, gritty street market where bellowing fishmongers and greengrocers…
Salerno
Hop on bus 19 from Piazza XXIV Maggio to visit Salerno’s most famous landmark, the forbidding Castello di Arechi, dramatically positioned 263m above the…
Positano
From Positano's main beach, it's a gentle walk west, with an acceptable number of steps (hooray!) to Spiaggia del Fornillo. Toss off your stilettos and…
Capri
Located beneath the 17th-century clock tower and framed by see-and-be-seen cafes, this showy, open-air salon is central to your Capri experience,…
Naples
Once a baroque place of prayer, this is now a repository for religious paintings, triptychs and sculptures, many from defunct churches. Notable works…
Naples
Naples' oldest necropolis, these ancient-Greek aristocratic tombs were hewn into the city’s buttery tufa rock around the 4th century BC. Hidden just a few…
Sorrento
Named after Sorrento's patron saint, the town's oldest church barely looks like a church at all from the outside. The interior paints a more ecclesial…
Bari
Built over the original Byzantine church, the 12th- to 13th-century Romanesque cathedral, dedicated to San Sabino, is technically Bari's most important…
Naples
Egyptian-born industrial-designer Karim Rashid is the creative force behind Naples' Università metro station, a playful, candy-coloured ode to the digital…
Sorrento
Noticeably detached from the main city and bereft of the hydrofoils and ferries that crowd Marina Piccola, this secluded former fishing village has a…
Museo Archeologico Regionale Antonio Salinas
Palermo
Situated in a Renaissance monastery, this splendid, wheelchair-accessible museum houses some of Sicily's most valuable Greek and Roman artefacts,…
Matera
Set high up on a spur between the two natural bowls of the sassi, the wan, graceful exterior of the 13th-century Pugliese-Romanesque cathedral makes the…
Sorrento
From the Chiostro di San Francesco, stairs lead up to this gallery, which showcases the evocative photography of Raffaele Celentano, a contemporary…
Sorrento
A major hub for shops, restaurants and bars, recently pedestrianised Corso Italia is the main thoroughfare shooting east-west through the bustling centro…
Naples
Dismissed by serious collectors, this narrow street nonetheless remains famous across Italy for its pastori (nativity-scene figurines). Connecting…
Sorrento
Sorrento's cathedral features a striking exterior fresco, a triple-tiered bell tower, four classical columns and an elegant majolica clock. Inside, take…
Chiesa San Giovanni a Carbonara
Naples
Sumptuous sculpture and Technicolor frescoes makes this Gothic church worth a detour. Andrea de Firenze, Tuscan sculptors and northern-Italian artists…
Matera
A fascinating Benedictine site dating to the Lombard period, the Cripta del Peccato Originale (Crypt of Original Sin) houses well-preserved 8th-century…
