Touring Europe: 5 Places in Italy to Visit Post-Pandemic

Introduction

Italy is one of Europe’s, if not the world’s, best traveling destinations. It is a country that is home to many iconic sights, such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Colosseum. Its history is renowned. For example, you had the Italian Renaissance that revolved around many famous figures such as Leonardo da Vinci (Mona Lisa), Michelangelo (Statue of David), and Raphael (School of Athens).

That is not all, however, for when someone thinks of Italy, they think of its cuisine. Pizza and pasta have made their way to all corners of the world and could be thought of to be just as famous as the burger. There are many more famous dishes such as lasagna and risotto but let us not get too ahead of ourselves now; we need to move on to the main subject at hand!

Curious to see what we have chosen? Read on…

The 5 Best Places To visit In Italy:

San Gimignano

San Gimignano is our first destination, and you would not want to pass it up. It is a town located in the region of Tuscany, which is considered a “nation within a nation” because of its unique culture that sets it apart from the other regions.

San Gimignano’s medieval architecture and overall atmosphere are the main attractions to focus on here. Without going into too many details, here are some of the more popular sights for you to visit:

• The Piazza della Cisterna (the town’s main square)
• The town’s Duomo (a church built with features of a cathedral)
• Torre Grossa (the town’s tallest tower)
• The Rocca (a ruined fortress surrounded by green parks)

One last thing to mention is the gelato, which can be considered as Italian ice cream. San Gimignano serves some of the best gelato in the country. You can try some by heading to the Gelateria di Piazza, which is in the Piazza della Cisterna.

Siena

Our second destination is Siena, which is a medieval city in the region of Tuscany. There are many attractions in Siena that are sure to make you come back for more. One of them is the Palio, which is a horse race event held every summer. You might remember it if you watched the beginning of the James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace!

But surely a horse race could not be the only thing to be excited about in Siena? You are right, so here you go, a brief list of Siena’s popular tourist attractions:

• The Siena Cathedral (Duomo)
• Piazza del Campo (shell-shaped main public space, commonly called Il Campo)
• The Piccolomini Library (library with an incredible interior)
• Torre del Mangia (when built, it was one of the tallest towers in medieval Italy)

But enough talking about Siena, it is time to continue forward to our next destination!

Sicily

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean and is located at the tip of the “boot” of Italy. It is known for being the home to the largest active volcano in Europe, Mount Etna, and for being the birthplace of Archimedes, who was the most famous mathematician and inventor in ancient Greece. One more thing; the Italian Mafia originated in Sicily!

Much like our previous two destinations, Sicily is loaded with tourist attractions that will surely keep you busy for the duration of your trip. Let us dive in!

Here is a brief list of Sicily’s most popular attractions for tourists and sightseers:

• Taormina (touristic resort town, attracts people from all over the world)
• Mount Etna (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
• Agrigento (UNESCO World Heritage Site, also known as the “city of temples”)
• Palermo (Sicily’s capital city, home to a seaside resort called Mondello)
• Syracuse (home to Archimedes)
• Catania (second largest city in Sicily after Palermo, beautiful Baroque architecture)

As you can see, two World Heritage Site were mentioned in the list. Sicily has seven of them; this is a justification for it having the third spot on our list. Here is a bonus attraction for you: The Necropolis of Pantalica; it is a necropolis with over 4,000 tombs!

Pisa

Pisa is another city in the Tuscany region; this region is awesome, isn’t it? One thing it is famous for is, you guessed it, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Did you know that it was already tilting after being completed in 1372?

The tower has made Pisa well known all around the world, that is true, but there are more sights to be sought. What are you waiting for? Keep on reading! This is where the excitement truly begins, folks.

• The Square of Miracles (main square of Pisa) which houses:
  • The Duomo
  • The Baptistery
  • The Campo Santo (monumental cemetery)
• The Leaning Tower of Pisa (climb up the tower, don’t just admire it from the bottom)
• Knights’ Square (second main square, used to be the political center of Pisa)
• University of Pisa (one of the best Italian universities)

And now, it’s time for our final stop, are you ready? I sure am, let’s go!

Florence

Now, I know what you are thinking: “Where is Rome/Venice/Milan?” See, that’s precisely the reason those are not included on our list; I wanted to surprise you, since everyone knows about Rome, Venice, and Milan! Florence is incredible, to say the least. If there is a city that every tourist must visit in Italy, it is Florence, without a doubt.

Florence is the capital city of the Tuscany region. Oh, and if there is one region you must visit in Italy, it is Tuscany. Don’t even think about it; just plan your trip in Tuscany the next time you decide to visit Italy!

Back on track, Florence is often referred to as the “birthplace of the Italian Renaissance.” The city is also renowned for playing an important role in the fashion world; it is ranked in the top 15 fashion capitals of the world, for instance. Forbes has also ranked it as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. And furthermore, the Historic Centre of Florence is given the title of being a World Heritage Site, need I say more?

So, where’s that brief list I keep bringing up for every place, you might ask? Well, it’s right here, don’t you worry:

• Florence Cathedral (the Duomo is the jewel of the city)
• Palazzo Vecchio (castle aesthetic, most important administrative building in Florence)
• Ponte Vecchio (very famous, and old, bridge that spans the river Arno)
• Baptistery of St. John (beautiful “Florentine” design like the Duomo)
• Uffizi Gallery (one of the most important Italian art museums in the world)
• The Giardino Bardini (beautiful Italian Renaissance garden)
• Bartolomeo Ammannati’s Fountain of Neptune (masterpiece of marble sculture)

We could go on and on about Florence, but it is enough for now. As you can see, there is plenty to do in Florence. You can spend two whole days in the city, and still not have seen everything there is to see.

Read on for the conclusion!

Conclusion

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the end of the article. We talked about many things relating to Italy and what areas are fantastic to explore. Now, keep in mind that these are not the best five places to visit in Italy; we might write more articles that will explore even more areas/cities/towns that every tourist has to visit. Also, this article is written for those who wish to travel post-pandemic. You can still travel during the pandemic but please do so cautiously.

Anyways, that is all, I hope you enjoyed reading this article just as much as we enjoyed writing it. As always, stay safe out there, and take care. Ciao!

For your kids or your little brother and sister, check out this video about Italy.