City in central Italy. The best cities of italy - a map of italy with cities in Russian, the most beautiful, large italian cities

This is one of the most popular holiday countries among tourists from all over the world. Rich story Italy, its bright architecture, warm sea and beautiful beaches will please everyone. This is a country of celebration, entertainment, sparkling wine and famous Italian cuisine.

Popular tourist cities in Italy are majestic Rome, romantic Venice, trendy Milan, inspiring Florence, amazing Verona and the pearl of the south of Naples. Each of them is unique and unique in its own way, and having visited them, you will definitely want to return there.

City of Rome

The capital of Italy and the most densely populated city this country is majestic. Business card of the city of the Colosseum - the ancient Arena, erected back in the distant year 72 of the beginning of our era. Roman Forum, Pantheon, The Sistine Chapel, and many other sights amaze with their magnificence.

Located in the vicinity of the city small state Vatican, the main Catholic center of the whole world. Every year it is visited by a huge number of tourists. Rome is a striking combination of modern buildings with ancient buildings.

City of Venice

Have a good rest in the best cities of Italy!

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10th place - Catania

Population: 315 052
Region: Sicily
Square: 180.88 km2

Catania has become the trophy of many empires throughout its history: from the Greeks to the Romans, from the Arabs to the Normans and the Spaniards. However, the most terrible enemy of the locals is right next door - Mount Etna, the largest and most active volcano in Europe, which destroyed the city in a series of earthquakes and a lava flow in 1693. Catania also has a second name - the city is usually called Black: this is due to the fact that it is completely built of volcanic stone of a specific black color. The color of the city's houses successfully contrasts with the bright color of the sea and the sky (by the way, it is sunny for 2,500 hours a year). Thus, Catania is the most sunny city in the country.

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9th place - Bari

Population: 321 687
Region: Apulia
Square: 116 km 2

Bari - the capital of the Puglia region - is located at the very base of the heel of the Italian boot. "If there was a sea in Paris, it would be a little Bari", - with the arrogance of true southerners claim locals, and this opinion is very similar to the truth: the air here is permeated with the charm of medieval European cities, and the abundance of sights can easily compete with the historical center of the capital of France. In a word, Bari is a kind of miniature cultural capital of the Italian south.

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8th place - Florence

Population: 379 102
Region: Tuscany
Square: 102.41 km2

Florence is located in the Tuscany region, on the Arno River, at the foot of the Northern Apennines. The city was founded in 59 BC. e. Julius Caesar. Although long before that, the Etruscans lived here. In 570, the Lombards captured the city, and two hundred years later, the Franks. The heyday of Florence falls on the XV-XVI centuries, when the city becomes a major cultural center. At this time, the great Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Petrarch, Dante live and work here.

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7th place - Bologna

Population: 379 102
Region: Emilia-Romagna
Square: 140.73 km2

Bologna is a city in the central part of Italy, administrative center province of Bologna and the region of Emilia-Romagna. The oldest university center in Europe. It is considered one of the first cities in Italy in terms of living standards, both because of its strong industrial tradition and its location at the intersection of important transport routes. In the Middle Ages, there were about 180 towers in Bologna, which gave the city a special look. They were built by wealthy families, among whom there was a competition: whoever builds a tower above the others is worthy of the highest honor. Now there are about 12 towers left.

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6th place - Genoa

Population: 594 254
Region: Liguria
Square: 243.56 km2

Genoa is the capital of the province of the same name and the region of Liguria. This port city is located on the Ligurian Sea and its entire history is connected with navigation and trade. The local harbor is still one of the most important in Italy, as well as one of the largest in Europe. The main attraction of the Genoese port is its lighthouse, known as "la Lanterna". In addition, Genoa is a center of heavy industry and shipbuilding, and is part of the main industrial triangle of Italy, which also includes Milan and Turin. Today, Genoa is a city of universities, as well as a tourist and science Center. In 2004, she was proclaimed European capital culture.

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5th place - Palermo

Population: 676 527
Region: Sicily
Square: 160.59 km2

Palermo is located on the coast Tyrrhenian Sea, but the city is a heavily used port, so locals and tourists prefer to go to the beaches in the area where the water is cleaner. However, if you walk along Vittorio Manuele Street to the city gates of Happiness, you can admire a very beautiful view on the sea surface and just sit on the shore, enjoying the light breeze. In addition, Palermo has many gardens and parks, among the most famous are Botanical Garden with a collection of 12,000 species of plants, Garibaldi Park with ancient fig trees that amaze with their powerful roots and Villa Giulia, decorated with fountains and lush flower beds.

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4th place - Turin

Population: 899 291
Region: Piedmont
Square: 130.01 km2

T urin - Big City in the northwest of Italy, business and Cultural Center Piedmont region and the whole north of Italy. The city is located on the Padana Plain at the foot of Western Alps. Turin is an important transport hub, second only to Milan industrial centre countries. Heavy industry is especially developed here, in particular, the automotive industry, the production of marine engines, aircraft manufacturing, etc. The traditional sectors of the Turin economy - textile, food, clothing, etc. - also retain their importance. Turin is one of the most famous European cities, it is often called "Capital of the European Baroque", "capital of the Alps", "automobile capital of Italy" And "cradle of Italian independence".

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3rd place - Naples

Population: 989 598
Region: Campaign
Square: 117.27 km2

Neapolis has always been and remains a controversial city - in the capital of the Campania region there is a place for outright poverty and fabulous wealth, garbage heaps and priceless historical monuments included in the list world heritage UNESCO. Naples is the largest industrial center in Italy. Metallurgy, mechanical engineering, shipbuilding, oil refining and petrochemical, light and food industries are developed here. This major port(cargo turnover over 10 million tons per year).

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2nd place - Milan

Population: 1 331 586
Region: Lombardy
Square: 181.76 km2

Milan is the second largest city in Italy, the largest industrial, financial, commercial and transport hub of the country, an important cultural center, as well as a legislator of European fashion. The city is famous for its museums, art galleries theaters, architectural monuments, educational institutions(University, Conservatory, Academy of Arts, etc.). Milan, along with Rome, is one of the ancient cities in Italy. In its place was a Celtic settlement. Almost all conquerors European history- Gauls, Romans, Goths, Lombards and Franks, as well as a whole series of rulers from France, Spain and Austria, took part in the administration of Milan at one time.

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1st place - Rome

Population: 2 870 493
Region: Lazio
Square: 1287.36 km 2

Rome is the capital of Italy and the region of Lazio, the largest in the country and one of the most visited cities in the world. The city stands on 12 hills, and its center is Old city- on the seven hills. The Tiber River flows through the city from north to south. For hundreds of years, Rome was a small settlement in the center of the Italian peninsula. However, the favorable location and aggressive policy, together with a number of innovations in military affairs, gradually brought him to a leading position, first in the region, and then in the region. The Roman state reached its heyday under the emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD. e., when military and economic power was combined with peace within the empire. The population of Rome exceeded 1 million people.

Rome - unique city, within its boundaries is a whole independent state - the Vatican. It is the main center of Catholicism with an abundance Catholic churches, created by the best Italian architects and decorated with the works of great Italian artists and sculptors. Masterpieces of Italian painting and sculpture are collected in the Vatican, Capitoline Museums, in the Borghese Gallery, Lateran. Many archaeological finds are presented in the Roman national museum Museum of the Villa Giulia. Works of art of the XX century. collected in National Gallery contemporary art and in the National Office of Printmaking.

Today, as a symbol ancient empire And modern republic Italy, Rome combines the grandeur of the past millennia and the romance of the present. It is a city of chic restaurants in spacious squares and shady summer cafes in the cramped, narrow streets of the old quarters.

The Italians are the descendants of the wise men, politicians and military leaders of antiquity, and yet The eternal City- - and today remains young, full of energy and life. Traveler visiting for the first time peninsula, you should start your acquaintance with this country from its capital, because not only ancient heritage and modern attractions - right in the center of Rome is dwarf state Vatican.

Catholics from all over the world come to Italy to see the head of their denomination - the Pope, the vicar of God on earth. travel companies offer pilgrimage tours to this country, which is directly related to the formation of early Christianity. In Loreto, seekers of spiritual enlightenment are invited to visit the House of the Virgin, brought from Nazareth, in Bari - to attend the liturgy in the Basilica of St. Nicholas, in Amalfi, according to legend, the relics of St. Andrew the First-Called himself are kept. A huge number of Christian shrines are located in Rome, Florence, Padua, Venice.

Italians know a lot about good wine and hearty healthy food. Gastronomic tours in Italy they offer tourists to attend cooking classes in Tuscany and Liguria, get acquainted with the local cuisine and wines in Lazio, Piedmont, Veneto, Trentino, participate in tastings in Sardinia, Lombardy, Umbria. Lovers of the classics will find it in abundance in Pisa, romantics tend to Venice and Juliet's homeland - Verona, flirtatious fashionistas gather in the world capital of haute couture - Milan.

The peninsula is surrounded on three sides warm seas, no wonder Italy is considered the Mecca beach holiday. The main resorts are located on the islands: Sicily, Sardinia, Capri, Ischia and Elba. Young people mostly gather in Rimini to "hang out" at the beach disco all night long, Abruzzo is ideal for eco-tourists who prefer silence, peace and complete fusion with nature, brave adventurers seek Puglia, and exotic lovers come to Calabria.

Ski resorts in Italy are no less popular than beaches: you can try yourself as a skier or bobsledder in Bormio, Cervinia, Sestriere, Val di Sole, Passo Tonale. Children are crazy about theme parks located in the Emilia Romagna region in the resorts of Milano Marittima, Riccione, Cesenatico. Spa lovers choose small town Fiuggi and the resort of Montecatini, near Tuscany. "Lone wolves" also have something to see in the homeland of Celentano, Boccaccio and Fellini: Pesareo, Ravenna, San Marino - these and other cities have much to offer even the most sophisticated traveler.

All cities and resorts in Italy for travel. List of the most famous regions, regions, cities and resorts in Italy: population, codes, distances, best descriptions and reviews of tourists.

Tours for May to Italy
Hot tours to Italy

The first thing to know is that Italy is very large and very different. The South is completely different from the North, and the mainland is not like the islands. Therefore, read useful and short reviews about all the provinces and regions of Italy: regions and islands, South, Center and North of Italy.

Cities of history

"Eternal City" and absolute center Italian history, Rome - "must-see" for all lovers of past times. The number of Roman sights is so great that in order to somehow facilitate perception, they are usually divided into large groups of different historical periods: ancient, Byzantine, medieval, etc. The Vatican, with its St. Peter's Cathedral and the residence of the Pope, makes a significant contribution.

The abundance of ancient ruins is located in the vicinity of southern Salerno - there are three famous archaeological parks here at once: Pompeii, Paestum and Positano. You can walk along the ancient streets and get acquainted in detail with the structure of ancient cities - from the capitol and the forum to the brothel and public toilets. Bonus - the most beautiful mosaics, and to this day they have not lost their liveliness of colors.

Known from school textbooks, the history of Syracuse is a significant center of the ancient Greek world and the diversity associated with it. architectural monuments. Visit numerous ancient fortified palaces and admire the grandeur of the ancient Greeks in archaeological park Neapolis.

Sweet Naples, measuredly soaring in a trembling haze of heat, leisureliness and contentment with life, is the birthplace of no less sweet Neapolitan songs, as well as the now all-Italian pizza.

The beaches of Italy

Picturesque rocky and gentle sandy beaches in Italy, almost equally, and any sun-lover can find a place to their liking here. Italian beaches for the most part, they are well (and in some cases just wonderful) well-groomed, equipped with umbrellas, sunbeds and other accessories necessary for a comfortable stay at the water's edge. As a rule, these same amenities are paid, but the beaches (and the tourists themselves) are only good: in this way, the number of splashing people is limited - if all the umbrellas and sunbeds are occupied, you need to look for another beach. In addition, the beaches of each region of the country have their own pleasant features. For example, the Venetian Riviera is famous for its wonderful fine dolomite sand, in Sorrento you can dive in the territory marine reserve and travel through underwater caves, on the Ligurian coast - a picturesque rugged coastline, and the beaches of the Tuscan Riviera in addition to perfect sea and a high level of relaxation is offered by wild nightly entertainment, often not far from the surf line. And of course, the proximity of monuments of history, architecture and art pleasantly dilutes the idle lying on the shore.

Thermal resorts in Italy- 5 different springs with water temperature up to +34 °C suitable for drinking, mineral baths and mud therapy.

Chianciano Terme - cold and hot mineral springs increased "armor-piercing", the waters of which are able to get rid of a whole range of diseases.

Fiuggi - unique mineral water, dissolving and removing stones from the kidneys.

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During the Middle Ages, Venice, Florence, Milan, Genoa and other major Italian cities were independent communes with their own army, treasury and legislation. Not surprisingly, these "states", which are part of modern Italy, retained many unique features that make them different from each other. What is known about them?

Italian cities: Rome

The "Eternal City" was erected on seven hills in 753 BC. According to legend, its founders were the brothers Romulus and Remus, whose distant ancestor is a brave man who became famous thanks to the Trojan War. Archaeologists insist that the first settlements here were formed much earlier. All Italian cities are beautiful, but none of them can compare with Rome in beauty. The capital of modern Italy is a visual aid for those interested in ancient architecture.

Once representing small village, is 1285 square kilometers. The number of inhabitants of the capital exceeds 3 million. The city area contains many specimens ancient architecture, for example, the Pantheon, built before our era and perfectly preserved, the Colosseum amphitheater - huge stadium where gladiatorial battles once took place. Today it provides space for 50,000 people. The Vatican city-state and its colossal museum complex, which includes over 1000 objects. Located in Rome and St. Peter's Basilica - the temple, which is considered the largest in the world.

With many places in the capital of Italy are connected interesting legends, traditions. For example, the custom tells visitors to throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain if they want to return to Rome.

What is known about Venice

If any locality is able to compete with Rome in terms of the number of ancient sights, then this is Venice. Like other Italian cities, the "bridge" that unites the West and the East has its own zest. Venice is located on an island archipelago, "strewn" with its famous canals. The length of the water artery as a whole is about 4 km, in certain places the depth reaches 5 m. The city is located on the coast of the Adriatic Sea.

The area of the city is 412 square kilometers. More than 300 thousand people live in Venice. Also, there are always a lot of tourists in the city, who are attracted not only by the opportunity to swim on a gondola. It is in Venice that majestic Palace Doge - a building of the 15th century, made in gothic style. interesting and modern architecture, for example, the buildings of Burano. Burano is a small island, the houses of the inhabitants of which are colored with all shades of the rainbow. The city owes its famous Venetian gardens to Napoleon.

Facts about Florence

heyday Italian cities, which began in the 11th century, turned Florence into one of the most powerful communes of the time. However, the history of this place began even before our era with a small settlement founded by the Romans. Now it is a large settlement, on the territory of which about 350 thousand people live. The area of the city is 103 square kilometers, it is located on the Arno River. Florence is almost officially recognized as the place where the Renaissance was born. No wonder it is called a city-museum, operating 24 hours a day.

Florence gave the world many geniuses, including Galileo, Dante. It is the birthplace of some famous artists, for example, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo. In the pride of the city, now there are paintings by Titian, Raphael, da Vinci. The city architecture is also interesting, for example, the temple of Santa Maria del Fiore, which was built over 140 years. It is curious that Michelangelo was fully responsible for the interior decoration of the cathedral, while over appearance the equally famous Giotto worked.

What is known about Naples

Which Italian city is considered the most energetic? Of course, Naples, comfortably spread over south coast countries. The streets of this locality filled with cars, scooters and pedestrians, but no one disturbs each other. Neapolitans come across as the busiest people in the world, but will always find a few minutes and smiles for foreigners. It is believed that it was the inhabitants of Naples who first came up with carnivals.

Naples is the third largest city in Italy. At the moment it is inhabited by about a million people. The settlement is located in a seismically hazardous zone, since there is active volcano Vesuvius. Last eruption took place in 1944.

Past and present of Milan

In the Middle Ages, Milan was included in the list, which consisted of the most powerful Italian city-states. If you do not take into account Rome, it is the largest settlement in the country. The area of Milan is about 2 thousand square kilometers, over 1.3 million people live on its territory.

Today, Milan is the financial and economic capital of Italy, and the city is also one of the world's fashion capitals.

Where did Romeo and Juliet live?

Listing the medieval Italian cities that played an important role in the history of the country, one cannot miss Verona. This small town owes its fame primarily to the great Shakespeare, who "settled" here the most famous literary heroes in the world - Romeo and Juliet. Juliet's house was built in the 13th century. On its territory there is a statue of this young girl, whose story turned out to be so tragic. Attracts tourists and the famous balcony.

The city is located in the northeast of the country, spread out on the Adige River. It is home to approximately 260 thousand people. It's curious that small town attracts about 3 million tourists annually, probably due to its romantic story. Medieval buildings have also been preserved on its territory, among which the most famous is the Cathedral of Verona - a complex, part of which was built back in the 12th century. Also here is the Roman Arena - one of the oldest stadiums in the country.

Naming the famous Italian cities, one cannot ignore Bologna. The city is famous primarily for its developed industry, thanks to which a high standard of living has been maintained here for several decades. At the moment, the number of its inhabitants tends to 400 thousand. The settlement also has its own patron, who is declared to be Saint Petronius.

I wonder what exactly is in Bologna according to historical documents, this institution has been accepting students since 1088. Interest for connoisseurs medieval architecture represents Maggiore, on the territory of which you can see palaces built in the 13th century. Also, the city is rightfully proud of its "leaning towers", preserved from 1109.

Bologna's unofficial name is "Fat". This is due to the fact that amazing dishes are served here, the recipes of which are kept secret by the locals.

Of course, Perugia is far from the most famous Italian city, but it is one of the most ancient settlements in the world. It is first described in chronicles created in the 9th century BC. The city, which survived many buildings, is famous for its history, full of bright events that can be studied in any of the local museums.

Modern Perugia is a "fortress" located on a ridge of hills. Students who wish to learn Italian language, it is worth stopping at the University for Foreigners, which is located in this city, which is the birthplace of many famous artists of the Middle Ages, including Raphael.

The grandeur of Genoa

In ancient times, Genoa retained its status as an important port hub for centuries, being located on the northwestern Italian coast. Trade flourished in this city, the standard of living of its inhabitants almost always remained high.

Genoa managed not to get lost even today. The title is proof of that. cultural capital Europe, assigned to the locality in 2004. The city is interesting for its lush palace complexes in the Baroque style, with ruins preserved from the time ancient rome, cozy old churches. Can be called unique historical Center, literally strewn with curious sights.

What is known about Turin

Names of Italian cities that played a role in centuries of history states are not finished yet. It is impossible not to tell about Turin, which for four years remained the capital of the country after its unification in 1861.

Turin of our days is museums that have no end, elite boutiques cozily adjacent to souvenir shops, excellent restaurants where tourists can comfortably experience the delights of local cuisine. This city will appeal to those interested in baroque architecture, as many palaces are built in this opulent style. By the way, it was here that the Winter Olympics were held in 2006.

Other cities in Italy

Siena is a city that has been located on three hills for many centuries. Many buildings of this settlement are under the care of UNESCO, as they are of great historical value. Only the approximate date of the foundation of Siena is known - 9-5 centuries BC. The legend attributes the construction of the city to the sons of Rem, the founder of Rome. made in the form of a shell.

Pisa is a place that almost everyone has heard of thanks to the famous Leaning Tower, which has become its unofficial symbol.

These are the most interesting cities for which Italy is famous.