Main works of art in Italy

must-see places to visit at least once in a lifetime and where to find them

a priceless heritage

Italy is a land rich in culture and artistic beauty, a custodian of an invaluable heritage that spans centuries of history, from classical antiquity to the Renaissance, Baroque, and contemporary art. Each city, each corner of the country hides masterpieces that have marked the evolution of culture and beauty.
In this article, we will explore the major works of art that every culture lover should see at least once in their life, with directions on where to find them: from Michelangelo to Caravaggio, from Leonardo da Vinci to Botticelli, we will uncover where these treasures are located, which not only represent the excellence of Italian art but also serve as enduring testimonies to human genius.

the eternal city and its universal heritage

Rome

Great Masters of Art History

Rome is one of the richest cities in history and culture in the world, and its artistic heritage is a living testament to its glorious past. Walking through the city, one can admire an extraordinary collection of artworks, ranging from ancient masterpieces to the most significant works of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The Vatican Museums, the Borghese Gallery, and the Capitoline Museum host a variety of paintings, sculptures, and frescoes by some of the greatest masters in art history.

Main artists and works in Rome

Michelangelo Buonarroti
Creation of Adam – Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums, Vatican City
Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel – Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums, Vatican City
The Last Judgment – Sistine Chapel, Vatican City
Pietà – St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City

Raphael Sanzio
The School of Athens – Raphael Rooms, Vatican Museums, Vatican City
Transfiguration – Vatican Picture Gallery, Vatican City
Disputation of the Holy Sacrament – Raphael Rooms, Vatican Museums, Vatican City

Leonardo da Vinci
St. Jerome – Vatican Museums, Vatican City

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio
Calling of Saint Matthew – Church of San Luigi dei Francesi
The Deposition – Vatican Picture Gallery, Vatican City
Judith and Holofernes – Palazzo Barberini
Narcissus – Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica
Rest on the Flight into Egypt – Galleria Doria Pamphilj

Tiziano Vecellio
Sacred and Profane Love – Galleria Borghese

Giotto
Stefaneschi Polyptych – Vatican Museums, Vatican City

Gian Lorenzo Bernini
The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa – Santa Maria della Vittoria
Apollo and Daphne – Galleria Borghese
The Rape of Proserpina – Galleria Borghese
Fountain of the Four Rivers – Piazza Navona
Baldachin of St. Peter – St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City

Antonio Canova
Pauline Borghese as Venus Victorious – Galleria Borghese
Tomb of Pope Clement XIV – Basilica of the Holy Apostles

Giacomo Balla
“Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash” – National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art

Gino Severini
“The City” – National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art

Giorgio de Chirico
“Piazza d’Italia” – National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art

Carlo Carrà
“The Metaphysicians” – National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art

Mario Sironi
“Market” – Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana (EUR)

the heart of the Renaissance

Florence

Western art in its highest forms

Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance, is a must-visit for anyone looking to explore Western art in its highest forms. The Uffizi Gallery is one of the most important museums in the world, housing masterpieces like The Birth of Venus and Primavera by Botticelli, Michelangelo's Tondo Doni, and numerous works by Raphael. Each room tells a part of the extraordinary artistic evolution that developed in the city between the 14th and 16th centuries.

Main artists and works in Florence

Michelangelo Buonarroti
David – Galleria dell’Accademia
Tondo Doni – Galleria degli Uffizi
Battle of the Centaurs – Casa Buonarroti
Tomb of Giuliano de’ Medici and Tomb of Lorenzo de’ Medici – Medici Chapels

Raphael Sanzio
Madonna of the Goldfinch – Uffizi Gallery

Leonardo da Vinci
Annunciation – Uffizi Gallery
Adoration of the Magi – Uffizi Gallery
Baptism of Christ – Uffizi Gallery (in collaboration with Verrocchio)

Sandro Botticelli
The Birth of Venus – Uffizi Gallery
Primavera – Uffizi Gallery
Pallas and the Centaur – Uffizi Gallery
Adoration of the Magi – Uffizi Gallery
Madonna of the Magnificat – Uffizi Gallery

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio
Bacchus – Uffizi Gallery

Tiziano Vecellio
Venus of Urbino – Uffizi Gallery

Donatello
David – National Museum of Bargello
Saint George – National Museum of Bargello
Mary Magdalene – Museum of the Opera del Duomo

Giotto
Maestà – Museum of the Opera del Duomo
Cross of Santa Maria Novella – Church of Santa Maria Novella

Benvenuto Cellini
Perseus with the Head of Medusa – Loggia dei Lanzi, Piazza della Signoria

Andrea del Verrocchio
David – National Museum of Bargello
Christ and Saint Thomas – Orsanmichele

Giambologna (Jean de Boulogne)
The Rape of the Sabine Women – Loggia dei Lanzi, Piazza della Signoria
Flying Mercury – Bargello Museum

Filippo Brunelleschi
Crucifix – Basilica of Santa Maria Novella

Ottone Rosai
“The Cafe” – Gallery of Modern Art

The art that floats on water

Venice

Beauty and creativity of the Republic of Venice

City of unmatched beauty and a millennia of history, Venice is one of the world's capitals of art. Its alleys, canals, and squares hide some of the most famous masterpieces of painting, sculpture, and architecture, the result of the genius of renowned artists like Titian, Tintoretto, Canova, and many others. From the towering churches to the art galleries, Venice is an open-air museum, where every corner tells a story infused with beauty and creativity.

Main artists and works in Venice

Tiziano Vecellio
Assumption – Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
Pala Pesaro – Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari

Giandomenico Tiepolo
The New World – Ca’ Rezzonico, Museum of Eighteenth-Century Venice

Jacopo Tintoretto
The Paradise, Doge’s Palace

Antonello da Messina
Saint Sebastian – Gallery of Ancient Art

Andrea del Verrocchio
Equestrian Monument to Bartolomeo Colleoni – Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo

Cosmè Tura
Pietà – Correr Museum

Giorgione
The Tempest – Gallerie dell’Accademia

Pietro Longhi
Family Portrait – Ca’ Rezzonico – Museum of Eighteenth-Century Venice

the art of innovation

Milan

The realm of contemporary art

Milano is the economic and financial capital of Italy, but also a cultural center in constant evolution. Here, the past perfectly blends with modernity. The city is famous for hosting Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, an absolute masterpiece of Renaissance art, housed in the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
But Milan is also the kingdom of contemporary art. The Museo del Novecento, with its collection of modern and futurist art, and the Fondazione Prada, are two examples of how the city looks to the future.

Main artists and works in Milan

Leonardo da Vinci
The Last Supper – Cenacolo, Santa Maria delle Grazie
Leonardo’s Horse (conceived but built posthumously) – San Siro Hippodrome

Michelangelo Buonarroti
Pietà Rondanini – Sforza Castle

Raphael
Marriage of the Virgin – Pinacoteca di Brera

Caravaggio
Basket of Fruit – Ambrosiana Art Gallery

Piero della Francesca
Brera Altarpiece – Pinacoteca di Brera

Andrea Mantegna
Dead Christ – Pinacoteca di Brera

Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo
The Fourth Estate – Museum of the 20th Century

Lucio Fontana
Spatial Concept – Museum of the 20th Century

Umberto Boccioni
Unique Forms of Continuity in Space – Museum of the 20th Century

Amedeo Modigliani
Self-Portrait – Jucker Collection, Museum of the 20th Century

the vibrant soul of the South

Naples

A fascinating chaos

Naples is a city that exudes energy and passion. Often regarded as a captivating chaos, this southern Italian city holds unexpected treasures. Neapolitan art and architecture are rooted in a millennia-old history, exemplified by the grand Cappella Sansevero, which houses the famous Veiled Christ by Giuseppe Sanmartino, one of the most extraordinary sculptures ever created.

Main artists and works in Naples

Michelangelo Merisi known as Caravaggio
Seven Works of Mercy – Pio Monte della Misericordia
Flagellation of Christ – Museo di Capodimonte

Titian
Danaë – Museo di Capodimonte
Portrait of Paul III with his Grandsons – Museo di Capodimonte

Unknown Artist
Venus Callipyge

Giuseppe Sanmartino
Veiled Christ – Cappella Sansevero

Unknown Artists
Mosaic of Alexander – National Archaeological Museum of Naples, from the House of the Faun in Pompeii

Elsewhere in Italy

Other locations with works that deserve to be explored

Assisi

Giotto
Frescoes of the Upper Basilica – Basilica of Saint Francis

Padua

Donatello
Altar of the Saint – Basilica of St. Anthony

Giotto
Chapel of the Scrovegni

Mantua

Andrea Mantegna
Chamber of the Newlyweds – Ducal Palace

Palermo

Antonello da Messina
The Annunciation – Palazzo Abatellis

Pisa

Nicola Pisano
Pulpit of the Baptistery – Baptistery of Pisa

Siena

Nicola Pisano
Pulpit of the Cathedral of Siena – Siena Cathedral

Urbino

Piero della Francesca
Flagellation of Christ – National Gallery of the Marche

Bologna

Giambologna (Jean de Boulogne)
Fountain of Neptune – Piazza Maggiore, Bologna

Pompeii and Herculaneum

Unknown Artists
Frescoes, paintings, mosaics, sculptures

Ravenna

Unknown Artists
Byzantine Mosaics

Cerveteri e Tarquinia

Unknown Artists
Ancient Etruscan funerary paintings

Reggio Calabria

Unknown Artist
Riace Bronzes – National Archaeological Museum

Some of the mentioned works

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