The largest cities include: Rome, in the Province of Lazio, Milan in the Province of Lombardy, Naples in the Province of Campania, Turin, in the Province of Piedmont, Palermo in the Province of Sicily, Genoa in the Province of Liguria, Bologna in the Province of Emilia-Romagna, Florence in the Province of Tuscany, Bari in the Province of Apulia and Catania in the Province of Sicily.

Italy is home to the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage sites, and monuments are abundant, sightseeing can keep the visiting tourist occupied for weeks on end. Every major city has a number of local museums, some have national and international relevance. One of the oldest and most famous museums in the world is in Florence, the Uffizi Museum is famous for its art collection, including Da Vinci’s “The Annunciation” and the “Venus of Urbino” by the Italian Master, Titian. The Egyptian Museum in Turin is home to the world’s second largest Egyptian collection and the largest European Museum of Science and Technology is in Milan.

Rome, known as the Eternal City, is the capital city of Italy. It is situated on the central western side of the Italian peninsular and is home to the Vatican, the centre of the Roman Catholic church. This is a huge city and truly deserves exploration time. There are many sights to be seen in Rome, including the Colosseum, the ancient heart of Rome. Steeped in history and intrigue, Rome sometimes has too much to offer. The bright lights of this Capital City can dazzle the first time visitor, take a deep breath and relax, after all, Rome wasn’t built in a day!

Bologna is a major city in northern Italy and is home to one of the oldest universities in the world, Alma Mater Studorium. Bologna has a unique historical value and is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe. If it is churches that you are after, Bologna has plenty, there are numerous important churches, especially the basilica of San Petronio, the San Pietro Cathedral and the Santa Maria dei Servi basilica. The city is famous for its extensive arcades, some 23 miles of it in fact, where you can walk under shelter for long distances.

Milan is Italy’s design and fashion capital. Located in the north of the country, this metropolis is renowned for its designer shops, fashion houses and is the place to be for up-and-coming designers. Milan is one of the major artistic centres of northern Italy, and has many landmarks well worth seeing. The Duomo is the second largest church in Italy, as well as being the third biggest in the world. Here you can see a golden Madonna statue and it has the largest collection of marble statues in the world. From here walk through the Falleria Vittorio Emanuele II, this is a large covered arcade that links the Duomo’s piazza with the nearby Teatro alla Scala. The Teatro alla Scala is world famous for its operatic connections.

Naples is a metropolitan city situated on the mid western coast. Naples was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1955, and is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It is rich in history, and many monuments can be seen all over the place. Although it is not necessarily a mass tourism area, Naples has much to offer. It has 448 historical churches, many castles, museums and palaces. The nearby island of Capri and Ischia can be reached via hydrofoils and ferries from Naples port. Also known for its Neapolitan cuisine, visitors can indulge in the delights of tasting real Italian pizza and spaghetti dishes.

Turin is a busy industrial, business and cultural city in northern Italy. Turin has a glorious backdrop, to the north and west, one can see the world famous Alps, and to the south, it is surrounded by the hills of Monferrato. Home to the car manufacturer Fiat, Turin is sometimes known as the Automobile Capital of Italy. Turin has a continental climate, but unlike the rest of Italy, it has cold, dry winters and cool summers on the hills, but hot ones on the plains. This makes it an ideal place to visit all year through, one has easy access to the Alps during the winter months, this is when Turin is invaded by winter sport enthusiasts. Sightseers can indulge themselves with Turin’s famous landmarks, such as the Mole Antonelliana, which houes the National Cinema Museum, the Palatine Towers are amongst the best preserved Roman remains in northern Italy and of course the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist which is home to the world famous Turin Shroud

Venice is a city in northern Italy, which is made up of 117 small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon, in the Adriatic Sea. Famous for it’s canals, the streets of Venice are connected by over 400 bridges, transportation is primarily by water or on foot. It is a very old part of Italy, and tourists can see the sights by the means of a Gondola, which is a classical Venetian boat. St Mark’s Square is the principal square of Venice, dating back to the 9th Century. Many buildings of interest surround St Marks Square, including the Doge’s Palace, St Marks Clocktower and of course, St Mark’s Basilica.

Whenever or wherever you decide to stay in Italy, you can always find something to do. Bargain flights and package holiday deals to Italy are available from all major UK airports, including Manchester, Birmingham, East Midlands, Coventry and Newcastle. Bargain ski deals are more favourable through the winter months, when the Alps are covered in snow, and many people opt for a city break in Italy during the summer months. A long weekend is ideal, but it is never long enough! Many of Italy’s major cities deserve a longer stay, as there is so much to see and do in Italy.