When much of the rest of the world was living in caves or mud huts, what’s now present day Italy had the Roman Empire. That’s why when any tourist visits Italy, it’s difficult to choose the top historical sites to see as the country has so many of them. With ancient architecture, ruined cities, Medieval castles, Roman ruins and Roman baths, if you just have to see the best historical sites in Italy, start with these five first.
Pompeii and Herculaneum – Growing up in England, my country was obsessed with the Romans and Italy; after all we’d been colonized by them. In high school, we studied the sad history of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, destroyed by the volcano Mount Vesuvius in AD79 and, I knew if I ever made it to Naples, these were the places I’d visit first.
In Pompeii and Herculaneum, you see streets and houses just like they were 2,000 years ago, right as Vesuvius was spewing its deadly lava. The shops’ customer counters are still standing and the mosaics look like they were created only yesterday. Stand in Pompeii and its sister city, Herculaneum, see the ash-covered bodies of those who didn’t escape the molten ash and lava, then tell me this isn’t one of Italy’s most famous historical sites. If nothing else, it’s a reminder to the people of Naples – two thousand years later and it could still happen again.
The Colosseum – When in Rome, the first place most tourists go is The Colosseum, one of Italy’s most famous landmarks, and I was no different. The largest amphitheater ever built in the Roman Empire, more than 2,000 years later and most of it is still standing.
Not only did this incredible building seat more than 50,000 people, but when you stand and look down into the partially ruined hypogeum, you can imagine those slaves waiting their turn to fight or Christians who knew they were being thrown to the lions. What’s also fascinating is how it just seems to have been dropped, slap bang in the middle of busy modern-day Rome.
Try to visit on Good Friday when the Pope leads a torchlit procession beginning near The Colosseum. Now, there’s a beautiful sight you’ll never forget.
La Scala Opera House (Teatro Alla Scala) – When you think of Italy, you think of Italian opera and there’s no more important historical site in the whole country to see it than at La Scala Opera House. Almost 250 years old, La Scala has seen the performances of not only every famous Italian opera singer, but all the international ones too.
If you’ll be a tourist in Milan, try to time your visit in early December as this is when La Scala’s season officially opens. There’s nothing better than seeing an opening-season performance on December 7th then, afterward, heading with friends to an incredible Milan restaurant to eat spaghetti and drink Chianti. I know. I’ve done it.
Ponte Vecchio – The famous Medieval bridge that crosses the Arno in Florence, the Ponte Vecchio or ‘Old Bridge’ is not only beautiful when you’re standing on it, but stunning when viewed from afar.
The Ponte Vecchio hasn’t changed much for 500 years – except that it’s now one of Italy’s centers for tourism. Walking along it, peer into the jewelry and art dealers’ shops that line it’s aisle, some of which have been open for centuries. The Ponte Vecchio is famous as the place where ‘bankruptcy’ first began. If a merchant couldn’t pay his creditors, his table ‘the banca’ was broken ‘rotta’ – thus creating the Old Italian for ‘bankruptcy’ – ‘bancarotta’.
Don’t miss seeing the Ponte Vecchio right as the sun is setting. It’s absolutely breathtaking.
The Pantheon – Originally built as a Roman temple to honor the ancient Roman gods, The Pantheon is a miracle of architecture and one of Italy’s most important historical landmarks. Two thousand years after it was built, it still has the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome, and holds the tombs of some of Italy’s most famous historical figures.
Visit The Pantheon during the day with the rest of the tourists as you’ll get some fascinating history from the official guides. Then re-visit it when there’s a Catholic mass being held (The Pantheon has been a consecrated Catholic building since 609AD), as there’s nothing in the world like it.
More Information:
Naples City Guide – top five places – The Telegraph UK
The Colosseum – History, Architecture and More
Teatro alla Scala
Ponte Vecchio
The Pantheon
