Editing Tourism in Italy (section)

== Cities ==
{{further|List of cities in Italy}}

=== Rome ===
{{main|Tourism in Rome|List of tourist attractions in Rome}}
{{further|Rome}}
{{wide image|Colosseum-panoramic.view.jpg|800px|align-cap=center|The [[Colosseum]] and the [[Arch of Constantine]]}}
[[File:Musei Capitolini 20150812.jpg|thumb|[[Piazza del Campidoglio|Palazzo Senatorio]], seat of the municipality of [[Rome]]. It has been a [[town hall]] since AD 1144, making it the oldest town hall in the world.<ref>{{cite book|first=Fabrizio|last=Falconi|year=2015|title=Roma segreta e misteriosa|publisher=[[Newton Compton Editori]]|isbn=9788854188075 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rgrkCgAAQBAJ| access-date=19 August 2019|language=it}}</ref>]]

[[Rome]] is the [[capital city]] of [[Italy]].  It is also the capital of the [[Lazio]] [[Regions of Italy|region]], the centre of the [[Metropolitan City of Rome]], and a special ''[[comune]]'' named ''Comune di Roma Capitale''. Rome is the country's most populated ''comune'' and the [[List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits|third most populous city]] in the [[European Union]] by population within city limits. Rome is located in the central-western portion of the [[Italian Peninsula]], within Lazio ([[Latium]]), along the shores of the [[Tiber]]. [[Vatican City]] (the smallest country in the world)<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.history.com/news/what-is-the-smallest-country-in-the-world |title=What is the smallest country in the world? |work=History.com |access-date=27 September 2018 |language=en |archive-date=27 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927125308/https://www.history.com/news/what-is-the-smallest-country-in-the-world |url-status=live}}</ref> is an independent country inside the city boundaries of Rome, the only existing example of a country within a city; for this reason, Rome has sometimes been described as the capital of two states.<ref>{{cite web |title=Discorsi del Presidente Ciampi |url=http://www.quirinale.it/qrnw/statico/ex-presidenti/Ciampi/dinamico/discorso.asp?id=21495 |publisher=Presidenza della Repubblica |access-date=17 May 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053829/http://www.quirinale.it/qrnw/statico/ex-presidenti/Ciampi/dinamico/discorso.asp?id=21495 |archive-date=21 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Le istituzioni salutano Benedetto XVI |url=http://www.repubblica.it/2005/d/sezioni/esteri/nuovopapa/reazitalia/reazitalia.html |newspaper=La Repubblica |access-date=17 May 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130302053332/http://www.repubblica.it/2005/d/sezioni/esteri/nuovopapa/reazitalia/reazitalia.html |archive-date=2 March 2013}}</ref>

Rome is often referred to as the [[City of Seven Hills]] due to its geographic location, and also as the "Eternal City".<ref>{{cite web |title=Why Is Rome Called The Eternal City? |url=https://www.rometales.com/rome-eternal-city.html |url-status=usurped |date=27 September 2021 |access-date=16 September 2021 |archive-date=16 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916125622/https://www.rometales.com/rome-eternal-city.html }}</ref> Rome is generally considered to be the "cradle of Western [[Christian culture]] and [[Christian Civilization|civilization]]", and the centre of the [[Catholic Church]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Understanding China Today: An Exploration of Politics, Economics, Society, and International Relations |first=Silvio |last=Beretta |year=2017 |isbn=9783319296258 |page=320 |publisher=Springer }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=	Christianity: Religions of the World |first=Ann Marie |last=B. Bahr |year=2009 |isbn=9781438106397 |page=139 |publisher=Infobase Publishing }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Rome in America: Transnational Catholic Ideology from the Risorgimento to Fascism |first=Peter |last=R. D'Agostino |year=2005 |isbn=9780807863411 |publisher=Univ of North Carolina Press }}</ref> [[History of Rome|Rome's history]] spans 28 centuries. While [[Roman mythology]] dates the [[founding of Rome]] at around 753 BC, the site has been inhabited for much longer, making it a major human settlement for almost three millennia and one of the [[List of oldest continuously inhabited cities|oldest continuously occupied cities]] in Europe.<ref name="Heiken, G. 2005">Heiken, G., Funiciello, R. and De Rita, D. (2005), ''The Seven Hills of Rome: A Geological Tour of the Eternal City''. Princeton University Press.</ref> The city's early population originated from a mix of [[Latins (Italic tribe)|Latins]], [[Etruscan civilization|Etruscans]], and [[Sabines]]. Eventually, the city successively became the capital of the [[Roman Kingdom]], the [[Roman Republic]] and the [[Roman Empire]], and is regarded by many as the first-ever Imperial city and [[metropolis]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historytoday.com/mary-harlow/old-age-ancient-rome |title=Old Age in Ancient Rome – History Today |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612210546/https://www.historytoday.com/mary-harlow/old-age-ancient-rome |archive-date=12 June 2018}}</ref> It was first called ''The Eternal City'' ({{langx|la|Urbs Aeterna}}; {{langx|it|La Città Eterna}}) by the Roman poet [[Tibullus]] in the 1st century BC, and the expression was also taken up by [[Ovid]], [[Virgil]], and [[Livy]].<ref>Stephanie Malia Hom, "Consuming the View: Tourism, Rome, and the Topos of the Eternal City", ''Annali d'Igtalianistica'' '''28''':91–116 {{JSTOR|24016389}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Andres Perez |first=Javier |title=Approximación a la Iconografía de Roma Aeterna |url=http://www.elfuturodelpasado.com/elfuturodelpasado/Ultimo_numero_files/023.pdf |publisher=El Futuro del Pasado |access-date=28 May 2014 |pages=349–363 |year=2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923235403/http://www.elfuturodelpasado.com/elfuturodelpasado/Ultimo_numero_files/023.pdf |archive-date=23 September 2015}}</ref> Rome is also called "[[Caput Mundi]]" (Capital of the World).

Rome has become increasingly popular as a tourist destination globally. 45.6% from 2006 (6.03 million), Rome hosted 8.78 million international tourists in 2014, placing itself as the 14th most visited city in the world.<ref name="auto">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/28/travel/most-visited-cities-euromonitor-2016/index.html|title=World's 25 top tourism destinations|first=Barry |last=Neild|website=CNN|access-date=2016-12-14|date=2016-01-28}}</ref> Popular tourists attractions in the city include the [[Colosseum]], [[St Peter's Basilica]], the [[Pantheon, Rome|Pantheon]] and so on, all of which are part of the World Heritage property.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/91|title=Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura|last=Centre|first=UNESCO World Heritage|website=whc.unesco.org|language=en|access-date=2016-12-14}}</ref> Other main sights in the city include, the [[Trevi Fountain]], [[Piazza Navona]], [[Roman Forum]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rome.info/sights/|title=Rome.info > Rome Sights and attractions|access-date=9 June 2015}}</ref> [[Castel Sant'Angelo]], the [[Basilica of St. John Lateran]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webromehotels.com/tourist-attractions-rome.html|title=Italy 10 Top Chat Tourist Attractions Chattain Rome|website=webromehotels.com|access-date=1 April 2018|archive-date=2 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180402035643/http://www.webromehotels.com/tourist-attractions-rome.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> the [[Spanish Steps]], [[Villa Borghese]] park, [[Piazza del Popolo]], the [[Trastevere]] and the [[Janiculum]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rome.world-guides.com/attractions.html|title=Rome Tourist Attractions and Sightseeing|access-date=9 June 2015}}</ref>

=== Milan ===
{{main|Tourism in Milan}}
{{further|Milan}}
{{wide image|20170706 MilanoDuomo 9637 (36747362195).jpg|800px|align-cap=center|The [[Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II]], the [[Milan Cathedral]], the [[Royal Palace of Milan]] and the [[Palazzo dell'Arengario]] in [[Piazza del Duomo, Milan|Piazza del Duomo]]}}
[[File:Piazza mercanti Milano.JPG|thumb|[[Piazza Mercanti]] used to be the heart of Milan in the Middle Ages.]]
[[Milan]] is a city in [[northern Italy]], capital of [[Lombardy]], and the [[List of cities in Italy|second-most populous city proper in Italy]] after [[Rome]]. Milan is considered a leading alpha [[global city]],<ref>{{cite web |title=GaWC – The World According to GaWC 2018 |url=https://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2018t.html |website=lboro.ac.uk |access-date=16 December 2019 |archive-date=3 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170503165246/http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2016t.html |url-status=live }}</ref> with strengths in the fields of [[arts|art]], [[commerce]], [[design]], [[education]], [[entertainment]], [[fashion]], [[finance]], [[healthcare]], [[media (communication)|media]], [[service (economics)|services]], [[research]] and tourism. Its business district hosts [[Borsa Italiana|Italy's stock exchange]] ({{langx|it|Borsa Italiana}}), and the headquarters of national and international banks and companies. In terms of [[GDP]], Milan is the wealthiest city in Italy, it has the [[List of metropolitan areas in the European Union by GDP|third-largest economy]] among EU cities after Paris and Madrid and is the wealthiest among EU non-capital cities.<ref name="Gert">{{cite web |author=Gert-Jan Hospers|year=2002|title=Beyond the Blue Banana? Structural Change in Europe's Geo-Economy |work=42nd EUROPEAN CONGRESS of the Regional Science Association Young Scientist Session – Submission for EPAINOS Award 27–31 August 2002 – Dortmund, Germany |url = http://www.ersa.org/ersaconfs/ersa02/cd-rom/papers/210.pdf |access-date=27 September 2006 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070929001624/http://www.ersa.org/ersaconfs/ersa02/cd-rom/papers/210.pdf |archive-date= 29 September 2007}}</ref><ref name="Brookings">{{cite web|url=http://www.brookings.edu/research/interactives/global-metro-monitor-3|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130106102340/http://www.brookings.edu/research/interactives/global-metro-monitor-3|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 January 2013|title=Global city GDP 2013–2014|publisher=[[Brookings Institution]]|access-date=8 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/923781/european-cities-by-gdp/|title=Leading European cities by GDP in 2017/18|website=statista.com|access-date=2021-10-26}}</ref> Milan is viewed along with [[Turin]] as the southernmost part of the [[Blue Banana]] urban development corridor (also known as the "European Megalopolis"), and one of the [[Four Motors for Europe]].

Milan is one of Europe's most important tourist destinations, and Italy's second; with 6.05 million international arrivals as measured in 2014, it placed itself as the 24th most visited city in the world.<ref name="auto"/> According to a particular source, 56% of international visitors to Milan are from Europe, whilst 44% of the city's tourists are Italian, and 56% are from abroad.<ref name="slideshare.net">{{cite web|url=http://www.slideshare.net/mtmexperience/tourist-characteristics-and-the-perceived-image-of-milan|title=Tourist Characteristics and the Perceived Image of Milan|author=Master in Tourism Management, Università IULM|access-date=9 June 2015|date=2009-02-10}}</ref> The most important European Union markets are the [[United Kingdom]] (16%), [[Germany]] (9%) and [[France]] (6%).<ref name="slideshare.net"/> According to the same study, most of the visitors who come from the [[United States|USA]] to the city go on business matters, whilst [[China|Chinese]] and [[Japan]]ese tourists mainly take up the [[leisure]] segment.<ref name="slideshare1">{{cite web|url=http://www.slideshare.net/mtmexperience/tourist-characteristics-and-the-perceived-image-of-milan |title=Tourist Characteristics and the Perceived Image of Milan |publisher=Slideshare.net |date= 2009-02-10|access-date=2010-01-03}}</ref>

The city boasts several popular tourist attractions, such as the city's [[Milan Cathedral|Duomo]] and [[Piazza del Duomo, Milan|Piazza]], the [[La Scala|Teatro alla Scala]], the [[San Siro|San Siro Stadium]], the [[Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II|Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery]], the [[Sforza Castle]], the [[Pinacoteca di Brera]] and the [[Via Monte Napoleone]]. Most tourists visit sights such as [[Milan Cathedral]], the [[Sforza Castle]] and the [[La Scala|Teatro alla Scala]], however, other main sights such as the [[Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio]], the [[Navigli]] and the [[Brera Academy|Brera district]] are less visited and prove to be less popular.<ref name="slideshare1"/>

The city also has numerous hotels, including the ultra-luxurious [[Town House Galleria]], which is the world's first [[hotel rating|seven-star]] hotel, ranked officially by the [[Société Générale de Surveillance]], and one of [[The Leading Hotels of the World]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/travel/heaven-at-the-worlds-first-sevenstar-hotel-20090103-79de.html |title=Heaven at Milan's Town House Galleria hotel |newspaper=[[The Age]] |date=7 January 2009 |access-date=21 January 2009 |location=Melbourne |archive-date=18 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090118144723/http://www.theage.com.au/travel/heaven-at-the-worlds-first-sevenstar-hotel-20090103-79de.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The average stay for a tourist in the city is of 3.43 nights, whilst foreigners stay for longer periods of time, 77% of which stay for a 2-5 night average.<ref name="slideshare1"/> Of the 75% of visitors who stay in hotels, 4-star ones are the most popular (47%), whilst 5-stars, or less than 3-stars, represent 11% and 15% of the charts respectively.

=== Naples ===
{{further|Naples}}
[[File:Basilica reale pontificia di San Francesco di Paola Piazza del Plebiscito Napoli Neapel Italy Foto Wolfgang Pehlemann P1070687.jpg|center|thumb|500px|[[San Francesco di Paola, Naples]], in [[Piazza del Plebiscito]]]]
[[File:Teatro San Carlo large view.jpg|thumb|[[Teatro di San Carlo]], the oldest continuously active venue for opera in the world<ref name="TSC">[https://www.teatrosancarlo.it/en/pages/historical-highlights.html "The Theatre and its history"] on the Teatro di San Carlo's official website. (In English). Retrieved 23 December 2013</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Teatro di San Carlo: View of facade |url=https://curate.nd.edu/show/np193774z5j |website=University of Notre Dame |access-date=11 August 2023}}</ref>]]

[[Naples]] is the regional capital of [[Campania]] and the third-largest city of [[Italy]], after [[Rome]] and [[Milan]]. Founded by Greeks in the [[1st millennium BC|first millennium]] BC, Naples is one of the oldest continuously inhabited urban areas in the world.<ref>{{cite book |author1=David J. Blackman |author2=Maria Costanza Lentini |title=Ricoveri per navi militari nei porti del Mediterraneo antico e medievale: atti del Workshop, Ravello, 4–5 novembre 2005 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GhB4VDYuJXsC&pg=PA99 |year=2010 |publisher=Edipuglia srl |isbn=978-88-7228-565-7 |page=99}}</ref> In the ninth century BC, a colony known as Parthenope ({{langx|grc|Παρθενόπη}}) was established on the [[Castel dell'Ovo|Island of Megaride]].<ref name="Greek Naples">{{cite web |url=http://www.naplesldm.com/Greek_Naples.php |title=Greek Naples |publisher=naplesldm.com |access-date=9 May 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321000245/http://www.naplesldm.com/Greek_Naples.php |archive-date=21 March 2017 }}</ref> In the 6th century BC, it was refounded as Neápolis.<ref>Daniela Giampaola, Francesca Longobardo (2000). ''Naples Greek and Roman''. Electa.</ref> The city was an important part of [[Magna Graecia]], played a major role in the merging of Greek and Roman society, and was a significant cultural centre under the Romans.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.naplesldm.com/virgil.php |title=Virgil in Naples |publisher=naplesldm.com |access-date=9 May 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402144355/http://www.naplesldm.com/virgil.php |archive-date=2 April 2017 }}</ref>

Its historic city centre is the largest in Europe and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/726|title=Historic Centre of Naples|last=Centre|first=UNESCO World Heritage|website=whc.unesco.org|language=en|access-date=2016-12-09}}</ref> Naples is also near the famous volcano Vesuvius and the ruins of the ancient Roman towns of [[Pompeii]] and [[Ercolano]]. Before [[italian unification]] it was the capital of [[Kingdom of the Two Sicilies]] and the most important and populated city of Italy. Naples is well known for [[Neapolitan cuisine|cuisine]], especially for [[pizza]]. In the city there are many tourist attractions, such as the [[Royal Palace of Naples|Royal Palace]], the basilica of [[Santa Chiara, Naples|Santa Chiara]], the [[Gesù Nuovo|Gesù Nuovo (New Jesus)]] church, [[Castel dell'Ovo]], the [[Castel Nuovo]], the [[Castel Sant'Elmo]], the city's [[Naples Cathedral|Duomo]], the [[Teatro di San Carlo|Real Teatro di San Carlo]] (the oldest continuously active opera house in the world), the [[Palace of Capodimonte]], the [[Naples underground geothermal zone|Naples underground geothermal tunnels]], the [[Via Tribunali, Naples|Via Tribunali]], [[Spaccanapoli (street)|Spaccanapoli]] street, the ''[[Veiled Christ]]'' (one of the world's most remarkable sculptures), the various catacombs around the city (for example the [[Catacombs of San Gennaro]], or the [[Fontanelle cemetery]], or the [[Catacombs of Saint Gaudiosus]]), the [[Galleria Umberto I|Umberto I Gallery]] and the [[Via Toledo]] with its [[Toledo (Naples Metro)|metro]] considered one of the most beautiful of Europe.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/04/travel/europes-best-metro-stations/index.html|title=Europe's 12 most impressive metro stations – CNN.com |first1=Jessica Benavides |last1=Canepa |others=Additional reporting by CNN staff |website=CNN|access-date=2016-12-09|date=2014-02-04}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.charmenapoli.it/en/news/la-metro-toledo-di-napoli-e-la-piu-bella-deuropa-parola-di-cnn/|title=The metro Toledo of Naples is the most beautiful in Europe. Word of CNN|date=2014-02-18|newspaper=Charme|access-date=2016-12-09}}</ref>

The [[Naples National Archaeological Museum|Archaeological Museum]] of Naples is the most important in the world regarding Roman history and also includes Egyptian and Greek finds. It is the home of the [[University of Naples Federico II|Federico II]], the oldest public and secular university in the world, and of the [[Università degli Studi di Napoli "L'Orientale"|L'Orientale]], the oldest school of Sinology and Oriental Studies in Europe. Naples also boasts one of the most picturesque waterfront promenades and charming locations at [[Gaiola Island]] and Marechiaro. Close to Naples, there is a myriad of world-renowned tourist attractions such as the [[Amalfi Coast]], [[Capri]] island, [[Ischia]] island, [[Procida]] island, the picturesque city of [[Sorrento]], and the city of [[Salerno]].

=== Florence ===
{{further|Florence}}
[[File:Piazza Signoria - Firenze.jpg|thumb|center|400px|[[Piazza della Signoria]] in [[Florence]] with the [[Palazzo Vecchio]] and the [[Loggia dei Lanzi]]]]
[[File:Catedral, Florencia, Italia, 2022-09-19, DD 91.jpg|thumb|The [[Santa Maria del Fiore]] cathedral by [[Filippo Brunelleschi]], which has the largest brick dome in the world<ref name="www.tripleman.com"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brunelleschisdome.com/ |title=brunelleschi's dome - Brunelleschi's Dome |publisher=Brunelleschisdome.com |access-date=2010-03-25| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100416043408/http://www.brunelleschisdome.com/| archive-date= 16 April 2010 <!--DASHBot-->|url-status = live}}</ref>]]

[[Florence]] is a city in Central-Northern [[Italy]] and the capital city of the [[Tuscany]] [[Regions of Italy|region]]. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,084 inhabitants in 2013, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.<ref>Bilancio demografico anno 2013, dati [http://demo.istat.it/ ISTAT]</ref>

Florence was a centre of [[Middle Ages|medieval]] [[Europe]]an trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of that era.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://search.barnesandnoble.com/Economy-of-Renaissance-Florence/Richard-A-Goldthwaite/e/9780801889820 |title= Economy of Renaissance Florence, Richard A. Goldthwaite, Book – Barnes & Noble |publisher= Search.barnesandnoble.com |date= 23 April 2009 |access-date= 22 January 2010 |archive-date= 4 April 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100404082637/http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Economy-of-Renaissance-Florence/Richard-A-Goldthwaite/e/9780801889820 |url-status= dead }}</ref> It is considered by many academics<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/tag/firenze-del-rinascimento/ |title = Firenze-del-rinascimento: Documenti, foto e citazioni nell'Enciclopedia Treccani}}</ref> to have been the birthplace of the [[Renaissance]], becoming a major artistic, cultural, commercial, political, economic and financial center.<ref>Spencer Baynes, L.L.D., and [[William Robertson Smith|W. Robertson Smith]], L.L.D., ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Akron, Ohio: The Werner Company, 1907: p. 675</ref> During this time, Florence rose to a position of enormous influence in Italy, Europe, and beyond.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Florence {{!}} History, Geography, & Culture|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Florence|access-date=2021-11-03|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref> Its turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful [[House of Medici|Medici]] family and numerous religious and republican revolutions.<ref>{{cite book |last= Brucker|first= Gene A. |title= Renaissance Florence |url= https://archive.org/details/renaissanceflore00bruc_0|url-access= registration|year= 1969 |publisher= Wiley |location= New York |isbn= 978-0520046955|page= [https://archive.org/details/renaissanceflore00bruc_0/page/23 23]}}</ref> From 1865 to 1871 the city served as the capital of the [[Kingdom of Italy]] (established in 1861). The [[Florentine dialect]] forms the base of [[Italian language|Standard Italian]] and it became the language of culture throughout Italy<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/storia-della-lingua_(Enciclopedia-dell'Italiano)/ |title= storia della lingua in 'Enciclopedia dell'Italiano' |publisher= Treccani.it|access-date= 28 October 2017}}</ref> due to the prestige of the masterpieces by [[Dante Alighieri]], [[Petrarch]], [[Giovanni Boccaccio]], [[Niccolò Machiavelli]] and [[Francesco Guicciardini]].

The city attracts millions of tourists each year, and UNESCO declared the [[Historic Centre of Florence]] a [[World Heritage Site]] in 1982. The city is noted for its culture, [[Italian Renaissance art|Renaissance art and architecture]] and monuments.<ref name="britannica.com">{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=Britannica Concise Encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/210642/Florence# |title=Florence (Italy) |publisher=Britannica.com |access-date=22 January 2010}}</ref> The city also contains numerous museums and art galleries, such as the [[Uffizi Gallery]] and the [[Palazzo Pitti]], and still exerts an influence in the fields of art, culture and politics.<ref name="time.com">{{cite magazine|url= http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,822094,00.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101125213010/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,822094,00.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 25 November 2010 |title= FASHION: Italy's Renaissance |magazine= TIME |date= 4 February 1952 |access-date= 9 October 2013}}</ref> Due to Florence's artistic and architectural heritage, ''[[Forbes]]'' has ranked it as the most beautiful city in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.forbes.com/2010/01/22/paris-london-travel-lifestyle-travel-tourism-new-york-top-ten-cities.html |title= World's Most Beautiful Cities |author= Tim Kiladze |date= 22 January 2010 |work= Forbes |access-date= 12 April 2011}}</ref>

Florence plays an important role in [[Italian fashion]],<ref name="time.com"/> and is ranked in the top 15 [[fashion capital]]s of the world by [[Global Language Monitor]];<ref name="languagemonitor">{{cite web|url= http://www.languagemonitor.com/fashion-capitals/paris-towers-over-world-of-fashion-as-top-global-fashion-capital-for-2015/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161212133429/http://www.languagemonitor.com/fashion-capitals/paris-towers-over-world-of-fashion-as-top-global-fashion-capital-for-2015/|url-status= usurped|archive-date= 12 December 2016|title= Paris Towers Over World of Fashion as Top Global Fashion Capital for 2015 |publisher= Languagemonitor.com|access-date= 20 January 2016|date= 2017-07-06}}</ref> furthermore, it is a major national economic centre,<ref name="time.com"/> as well as a tourist and industrial hub. It is the 4th richest Italian city.<ref>{{cite web
|url= https://initalia.virgilio.it/quali-sono-le-citta-piu-ricche-ditalia-ecco-le-prime-5-5055
|title= Quali sono le Città più ricche d'Italia?
|publisher= Virgilio
|access-date= 26 August 2021
}}</ref>

=== Venice ===
{{further|Venice|List of palaces in Venice}}
[[File:Panorama of Canal Grande and Ponte di Rialto, Venice - September 2017.jpg|center|thumb|400x400px|[[Venice]], with the [[Rialto Bridge]] in the background]]
[[File:Venezia Basilica di San Marco Fassade 2.jpg|thumb|[[St Mark's Basilica]] in [[Venice]], one of the best known examples of [[Italo-Byzantine]] architecture<ref>{{cite web|url =http://www.basilicasanmarco.it/WAI/eng/basilica/architettura/interne/fasi_costrutt.bsm|title =Basilica di San Marco|access-date =10 February 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20150305102304/http://www.basilicasanmarco.it/WAI/eng/basilica/architettura/interne/fasi_costrutt.bsm|archive-date =5 March 2015}}</ref>]]

[[Venice]] is a city in northeastern [[Italy]] and the capital of the [[Veneto]] [[Regions of Italy|region]]. It is built on a group of 118&nbsp;small islands<ref name="UNESCO Venice">{{cite web |title=Venice and its Lagoon |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/394 |website=[[UNESCO]] |access-date=1 April 2019}}</ref> that are separated by canals and linked by over 400&nbsp;bridges.<ref name="UNESCO Venice" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://venicegondola.com/en/the-bridges-of-venice-what-are-the-most-famous-bridges-list-bridges-in-venice/ |title=The Bridges of Venice – What are the most Famous bridges? |website=venicegondola.com |access-date=28 December 2021 |archive-date=15 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115031043/http://venicegondola.com/en/the-bridges-of-venice-what-are-the-most-famous-bridges-list-bridges-in-venice/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The islands are in the shallow [[Venetian Lagoon]], an enclosed bay lying between the mouths of the [[Po River|Po]] and the [[Piave River|Piave]] rivers (more exactly between the [[Brenta (river)|Brenta]] and the [[Sile (river)|Sile]]). In 2020, 258,685&nbsp;people resided in the [[Comune]] di Venezia, of whom around 55,000 live in the historical city of Venice (''centro storico''). Together with [[Padua, Italy|Padua]] and [[Treviso, Italy|Treviso]], the city is included in the [[Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area]] (PATREVE), which is considered a statistical metropolitan area, with a total population of 2.6&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.univiu.org/rassegna_docs/corrieredellasera_06032011_micelli.pdf |title=Patreve, l'attuale governance non-funziona |date=6 March 2011 |publisher=Corriere Della Sera |access-date=6 October 2016}}</ref>

The name is derived from the ancient [[Adriatic Veneti|Veneti]] people who inhabited the region by the 10th&nbsp;century&nbsp;BC.<ref name="urlOnline Etymology Dictionary">{{cite web |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php |title=Online Etymology Dictionary |access-date=11 June 2010 |archive-date=5 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151205085150/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Local Etymology: A derivative dictionary of geographical names |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_I2BulY4WvsYC |author=Richard Stephen Charnock |publisher=Houlston and Wright |year=1859 |page= [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_I2BulY4WvsYC/page/n243 288]}}</ref> The city was historically the capital of the [[Republic of Venice]] for over a millennium, from 697 to 1797. It was a major financial and maritime power during the [[Middle Ages]] and [[Renaissance]], and a [[staging area]] for the [[Crusades]] and the [[Battle of Lepanto (1571)|Battle of Lepanto]], as well as an important centre of commerce—especially silk, grain, and [[spice trade|spice]], and of art from the 13th century to the end of the 17th. The [[city-state]] of Venice is considered to have been the first real international financial centre, emerging in the 9th century and reaching its greatest prominence in the 14th&nbsp;century.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yor4DAAAQBAJ |title=Finance Masters: A brief history of international financial centres in the last millennium |last=Coispeau |first=Olivier |date=10 August 2016 |publisher=World Scientific |isbn=9789813108844 |language=en }}</ref> This made Venice a wealthy city throughout most of its history.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vanderbilt.edu/Blair/Courses/MUSL242/f98/venice.htm |title=Venetian Music of the Renaissance |publisher=Vanderbilt.edu |date=11 October 1998 |access-date=22 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090614024356/http://www.vanderbilt.edu/Blair/Courses/MUSL242/f98/venice.htm |archive-date=14 June 2009}}</ref> After the [[Napoleonic Wars]] and the [[Congress of Vienna]], the Republic was annexed by the [[Austrian Empire]], until it became part of the [[Kingdom of Italy]] in 1866, following a referendum held as a result of the [[Third Italian War of Independence]].

Venice has been known as "La Dominante", "La Serenissima", "Queen of the [[Adriatic Sea|Adriatic]]", "City of Water", "City of Masks", "City of Bridges", "The Floating City", and "City of Canals". The lagoon and a part of the city are listed as a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]]. Parts of Venice are renowned for the beauty of their settings, their [[architecture]], and artwork.<ref name="UNESCO Venice" /> Venice is known for several important artistic movements—especially during the [[Italian Renaissance|Renaissance period]]—and has played an important role in the history of instrumental and operatic music, and is the birthplace of [[Baroque]] composers [[Tomaso Albinoni]] and [[Antonio Vivaldi]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Chambers|first=David |title=Venice: A documentary history |year=1992 |publisher=Oxford |location=England |isbn=0-8020-8424-9 |page=78}}</ref>

Although the city is facing some challenges (including an excessive number of tourists and problems caused by pollution, tide peaks and cruise ships sailing too close to buildings),<ref name="National Geographic">{{cite magazine |last1=Worrall |first1=Simon |title=Tourists could destroy Venice – If floods don't first |url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/10/if-venice-dies-salvatore-settis-tourism-flood/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018220249/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/10/if-venice-dies-salvatore-settis-tourism-flood/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 October 2016 |magazine=[[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]] |access-date=3 September 2017 |language=en |date=16 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Buckley |first1=Jonathan |title=When will Venice sink? You asked Google – Here's the answer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/02/when-will-venice-sink-google |access-date=3 September 2017 |newspaper=The Guardian |date=2 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/venice-cruise-ship-ban-55-tonnes-marghera-port-where-is-it-italy-a8044026.html |title=Venice just banned mega cruise ships from sailing through the city |date=8 November 2017 |newspaper=The Independent |location=UK}}</ref> Venice remains a very popular tourist destination, a major cultural centre, and has been ranked many times the most beautiful city in the world.<ref name="auto3"/><ref name="auto2"/> It has been described by the ''[[The Times|Times Online]]'' as one of Europe's most romantic cities<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/holiday_type/breaks/article1936951.ece | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090507015418/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/holiday_type/breaks/article1936951.ece | url-status=dead | archive-date=7 May 2009 | work=The Times | location=London | title=Europes most romantic city breaks | date=17 June 2007 | access-date=27 May 2010 | first1=Stephen | last1=Bleach | first2=Brian | last2=Schofield | first3=Vincent | last3=Crump}}</ref> and by ''[[The New York Times]]'' as "undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man".<ref>{{cite news|last=Barzini |first=Luigi |url=http://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/30/books/the-most-beautiful-city-in-the-world.html |title=The Most Beautiful and Wonderful City in the World|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=30 May 1982}}</ref>

=== Other cities ===
[[File:Pisa Duomo.jpg|thumb|The [[Duomo di Pisa|Duomo]] and the [[Leaning Tower of Pisa]]]]
[[File:Genova, palazzo reale, galleria degli specchi 04.JPG|thumb|The Mirror Gallery of the [[Palazzo Reale (Genoa)|Royal Palace of Genoa]]]]
* [[Palermo]]—ancient capital of the [[Kingdom of Sicily]] and of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] under [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]]. It is noted for its history, gastronomy and architecture; the particularity of the city (such as the rest of [[Sicily]]) is that is a meeting point of [[Ancient Greeks|Greek]], [[Ancient Romans|Roman]], [[Arabs|Arabian]], [[Normans|Norman]] and [[Aragon]]ian cultures. 
* [[Bologna]]—home of the [[University of Bologna|first university in the western world]]. This city has a rich history, culture, and technology. Bologna is well known for its cuisine.
* [[Bari]]—is well known as a port and university city as well as the city of [[Saint Nicholas]]. Capital of [[Apulia]] and second most important economic centre of [[Southern Italy]] after Naples. The city has a rich culture and history. 
* [[Genoa]] (''Genova'')— the [[Republic of Genoa]] was one of the most important maritime republics of the Middle Ages. Very wealthy and diverse city. Its port brings in tourism and trade, along with art and architecture. Genoa is the birthplace of [[Christopher Columbus]] and the originator of [[jeans]].
* [[Pisa]]—the [[Republic of Pisa]] was one of the medieval maritime republics, and the city has many medieval palaces and squares. Home to the unmistakable image of the [[Leaning Tower of Pisa]]. A very touristy city. Famous too for the [[Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa]].
* [[Turin]] (''Torino'')—the first capital of Italy, after being the capital of [[Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia]], which had [[Unification of Italy|promoted national reunification]]. The city has a rich culture and history. Home of the [[FIAT]], the most important industry in Italy, Turin is a well-known industrial city, based on the aerospace industry and, of course, the automobile industry. Home of the [[2006 Winter Olympics]].
* [[Verona]]—it is one of the main tourist destinations in northern Italy because of its artistic heritage and several annual fairs and shows as well as the [[Opera|opera season]] in the [[Verona Arena|Arena]], an ancient [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] [[amphitheatre]].
* [[Padua]] (''Padova'')—it is picturesque, with a dense network of [[Arcade (Architecture)|arcaded]] streets opening into large communal ''piazze'', and many bridges crossing the various branches of the [[Bacchiglione]], which once surrounded the ancient walls like a [[moat]].