Must-see attractions in Southern Italy

  • Amalfi, Italy - April 11, 2013: Amalfi cathedral, known as Cattedrale di Sant'Andrea, and Duomo di Amalfi, in Italian, in the town of Amalfi, Italy
1885714297
amalfi, architecture, building, campania, cathedral, cattedrale di sant'andrea, church, duomo di amalfi, europe, heritage, historic, holiday, italy, landmark, mediterranean, old, religion, tourism, travel

    Cattedrale di Sant’Andrea

    Amalfi

    Once the very symbol of Amalfi’s power, Cattedrale di Sant’Andrea (also known as Duomo di Amalfi) is the town’s most iconic monument.

  • View of the Villa Cimbrone with garden, Amalfi coast, Italy.
1189177206

    Villa Cimbrone

    Ravello

    If you could bottle up a take-away image of the Amalfi, it might be the view from the Belvedere of Infinity, classical busts in the foreground, craggy…

  • Water carriers from Herculaneum, Museo Archeologico Nazionale.

    Museo Archeologico Nazionale

    Naples

    Naples' National Archaeological Museum serves up one of the world’s finest collections of Graeco-Roman artefacts. Originally a cavalry barracks and later…

  • Piazza Armerina, Enna, Sicily

    Villa Romana del Casale

    Central Sicily

    Villa Romana del Casale is sumptuous, even by decadent Roman standards, and is thought to have been the country retreat of Marcus Aurelius Maximianus,…

  • Agrigento, Sicily, Italy - October 9, 2017: Tourists visiting Park of the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento.

    Valley of the Temples

    Agrigento

    Sicily's most enthralling archaeological site encompasses the ruined ancient city of Akragas, highlighted by the stunningly well-preserved Tempio della…

  • Royal Palace of Capodimonte, Naples

    Museo di Capodimonte

    Naples

    Originally designed as a hunting lodge for Charles VII of Bourbon, the monumental Palazzo di Capodimonte was begun in 1738 and took more than a century to…

  • NAPLES, ITALY - JUNE 11: The Modesty of Antonio Corradini in the Sansevero Chapel during the reopening to the public on June 11, 2020 in Naples, Italy. The Sansevero Chapel Museum can be visited again after the closure imposed by the lockdown for the covid-19 emergency, exactly thirty years after the reopening to the public after the restoration works which in 1990 returned to the fruition the baroque masterpieces of the chapel commissioned by Raimondo di Sangro and the Veiled Christ by Giuseppe Sanmartino sculpted in 1753, today a symbol of the Neapolitan Baroque. (Photo by Ivan Romano/Getty Images)
1249041534

    Cappella Sansevero

    Naples

    It's in this Masonic-inspired baroque chapel that you'll find Giuseppe Sanmartino's incredible sculpture, Cristo velato (Veiled Christ), its marble veil…

  • Cappella Palatina in the Palazzo dei Normanni.

    Cappella Palatina

    Palermo

    Designed by Roger II in 1130, this extraordinary chapel is Palermo's top tourist attraction. Located on the middle level of Palazzo dei Normanni's three…

  • Carved head, Casa dei Nettuno e Anfitrite, Herculaneum.

    Ruins of Herculaneum

    Bay of Naples

    Herculaneum harbours a wealth of archaeological finds, from ancient advertisements and stylish mosaics to carbonised furniture and terror-struck skeletons…

  • Vesuvius and the ruins of Pompeii
60092; Accidents and Disasters; Ancient; Ancient Civilization; Antiquities; Archaeology; Architectural Column; Architecture; Asia; Atlantic Islands; Boulder - Rock; Buried; Campania; City; Demolished; Disaster; Empire; Environmental Damage; Ephesus; Flores; Flores Island - Indonesia; Fortified Wall; Green Color; History; Horizontal; Italian Culture; Italian Currency; Italy; Landscape; Misfortune; Monte; Monument; Mountain; Mountain Range; Mt Vesuvius; Naples - Italy; No People; Old; Old Ruin; Outdoors; Photography; Pompeii; Rock - Object; Social Issues; Sorrento - Italy; Statue; Stone - Object; Stone Material; Temple - Building; The Past; Tower; Travel Destinations; UNESCO; UNESCO World Heritage Site; Volcanic Landscape; Wall - Building Feature;

    Ruins of Pompeii

    Pompeii

    The ghostly ruins of ancient Pompeii (Pompei in Italian) make for one of the world's most engrossing archaeological experiences. Much of the site's value…

  • Paestum's Temples

    Paestum

    Very different to Pompeii, Paestum’s ruins are smaller, older, more Greek and – crucially – a lot less overrun. Consequently, it is possible to steal some…

  • Smoke Signals

    Stromboli Crater

    Stromboli

    For nature lovers, climbing Stromboli is one of Sicily's not-to-be-missed experiences. Since 2005 access has been strictly regulated: you can walk freely…

  • Vertical view of ruins in ancient temple, Agrigento, Sicily

    Tempio della Concordia

    Agrigento

    One of the best-preserved ancient Greek temples in existence, the Temple of Concordia has survived almost entirely intact since it was constructed in 430…

  • Mosaics in the Sala di Ruggero (Hall of King Roger) in the Palazzo dei Normanni (Palazzo Reale).

    Palazzo dei Normanni

    Palermo

    Home to Sicily's regional parliament, this venerable palace dates back to the 9th century. However, it owes its current look (and name) to a major Norman…

  • View from Belvedere Quattrocchi, Lipari, Aeolian Islands, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sicily, Italy, Mediterranean, Europe

    Quattrocchi

    Lipari

    Lipari's best coastal views are from a celebrated viewpoint known as Quattrocchi (Four Eyes), 3km west of town. Follow the road for Pianoconte and look on…

  • Greek theatre in Taormina

    Teatro Greco

    Taormina

    Taormina's premier sight is this perfect horseshoe-shaped theatre, suspended between sea and sky, with Mt Etna looming on the southern horizon. Built in…

  • Agrigento, in Sicily. Concordia Temple, frontal view

    Museo Archeologico

    Agrigento

    North of the temples, this wheelchair-accessible museum is one of Sicily's finest, with a huge collection of clearly labelled artefacts from the excavated…

  • Giardino della Kolymbetra

    Agrigento

    In a natural cleft between walls of soft tuff (volcanic rock), the Giardino della Kolymbetra is a lush garden of olive and citrus trees interspersed with…

  • Spiaggia dei Conigli

    Lampedusa

    Few beaches in the world enjoy such legendary status as this long stretch of pristine white sand lapped by turquoise waters, with pretty views out to a…

  • Ruins of Segesta

    Western Sicily

    One of western Sicily's must-see attractions, the ruins of Segesta straddle a lonely hilltop less than an hour from Palermo and Trapani. The…

  • Parco Archeologico di Selinunte

    Western Sicily

    The ancient Greek metropolis of Selinunte was built in the 7th century BC on a promontory overlooking the sea, and over two and a half centuries became…

  • Scenic picture view of the city of Naples Napoli with famous Mount Vesuvius in the background from Certosa di San Martino monastery, Campania, Italy; Shutterstock ID 2105276987; purchase_order: 65050; job: poi; client: ; other:
2105276987

    Certosa e Museo di San Martino

    Naples

    The high point (quite literally) of the Neapolitan baroque, this charterhouse-turned-museum was built as a Carthusian monastery between 1325 and 1368…

  • Burial chamber at the San Gennaro Catacombs

    Catacombe di San Gennaro

    Naples

    Naples' oldest and most sacred catacombs became a Christian pilgrimage site when San Gennaro's body was interred here in the 5th century. The carefully…

  • Cattedrale di Vergine Assunta.

    Cattedrale di Palermo

    Palermo

    A feast of geometric patterns, ziggurat crenellations, maiolica cupolas and blind arches, Palermo's cathedral has suffered aesthetically from multiple…

  • View of Castello Aragonese

    Castello Aragonese

    Ischia

    There are castles and then there’s Ischia’s Castello Aragonese, a veritable fort-city set on its own craggy islet, looking like a cross between Harry…

  • ITALY - APRIL 08: Amphorae in the Archaeological Museum of Lipari, island of Lipari, Sicily, Italy. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)

    Museo Archeologico Regionale Eoliano

    Lipari

    A must-see for Mediterranean history buffs, Lipari's archaeological museum has one of Europe's finest collections of ancient finds. Especially worthwhile…

  • View of coastline and town of Cefalu, Sicily, Italy

    Duomo di Cefalù

    Cefalù

    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…

  • Gibellina, Trapani, Italy. 11/07/2105.Cretto of Burri, land art work realized site-specific by Alberto Burri; Shutterstock ID 1697588782; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

Cretto di Burri

    Cretto di Burri

    Western Sicily

    Midway between the ancient ruins of Selinunte (38km south) and Segesta (45km north) lies this extraordinary modern marvel – a disconcerting, lunar-like…

  • ancient greek theater in Syracuse, Parco Archeologico della Neapolis, Sicily, Italy, Unesco world heritage list

    Parco Archeologico della Neapolis

    Syracuse

    For the classicist, Syracuse's real attraction is this archaeological park, home to the pearly Teatro Greco. Constructed in the 5th century BC and rebuilt…

  • Entrance to Caserta Palace from the royal park

    Reggia di Caserta

    Caserta

    Italy's swansong to the baroque, the colossal Reggia di Caserta began life in 1752 after Charles VII ordered a palace to rival Versailles. Not one to…

  • Front entrance of Naples Duomo

    Duomo

    Naples

    Whether you go for Giovanni Lanfranco's fresco in the Cappella di San Gennaro (Chapel of St Janarius), the 4th-century mosaics in the baptistry, or the…

  • Tiled cloister of Basilica di Santa Chiara.

    Complesso Monumentale di Santa Chiara

    Naples

    Vast, Gothic and cleverly deceptive, the mighty Basilica di Santa Chiara stands at the heart of this tranquil monastery complex. The church was severely…

  • Entrance to Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano

    Gallerie d'Italia

    Naples

    Built for a Spanish merchant in the 17th century and reconfigured in belle-époque style by architect Luigi Platania in the early 20th century, Palazzo…

  • Palazzo Reale

    Naples

    Envisaged as a 16th-century monument to Spanish glory (Naples was under Spanish rule at the time), the magnificent Palazzo Reale is home to the Museo del…

  • Greek temple in Selinunte

    Acropolis

    Western Sicily

    The Acropolis, the heart of Selinunte's political and social life, occupies a slanted plateau overlooking the now-silted-up Gorgo di Cottone. Huddled in…

  • Crypt of Salerno Cathedral, Campania, Italy, 11th century

    Duomo

    Salerno

    One of Campania's strangely under-the-radar sights, Salerno’s impressive cathedral is considered by aficionados to be the most beautiful medieval church…

  • Aerial view of the Castel del Monte in Southern Italy - Octogonal shaped castle built by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in the 13th century in Apulia; Shutterstock ID 1801891420; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Castel del Monte

    Puglia

    You'll see Castel del Monte, an inhumanly exact geometric shape on a hilltop, from miles away. Mysterious and perfectly octagonal, it's one of southern…

  • Naples, Italy - August 4, 2015:  The octagonal baroque  Pio Monte Della Misericordia church; Shutterstock ID 591080708; purchase_order: 65050; job: poi; client: ; other:
591080708

    Pio Monte della Misericordia

    Naples

    The 1st-floor gallery of this octagonal, 17th-century church delivers a satisfying, digestible collection of Renaissance and baroque art, including works…

  • Scenic picture-postcard view of famous Amalfi Coast with Gulf of Salerno from Villa Rufolo gardens in Ravello, Campania, Italy

    Villa Rufolo

    Ravello

    To the south of Ravello’s cathedral, a 14th-century tower marks the entrance to this villa, famed for its beautiful cascading gardens. Created by a…

  • Mosaic of Abel and Cain offering presents to God on the floor of the central nave, Otranto duomo (cathedral), Otranto, Lecce, Apulia, Italy, Europe

    Cathedral

    Otranto

    Mosaics, skulls, crypts and biblical-meets-tropical imagery: Otranto's cathedral is like no other in Italy. It was built by the Normans in the 11th…

More destinations you need to see