Lake Garda
Housed in Riva's compact medieval castle, the civic museum features local archaeology, frescoes from Roman Riva, documents and paintings. In light of Riva…
Must-see attractions in The Italian Lakes
Bergamo
Built by the powerful Visconti clan in 1355, Bergamo's fortress has some imposing features, including a medieval postern gate, a 14th-century portico and…
Lake Garda
The five towers of the privately owned Rocca Scaligera rise to the south of the harbour – look out for the huge hole in the north wall of its main tower,…
Orta San Giulio
A short walk uphill from the Piazza Mario Motta on the waterfront, this church dates back to the 15th century, though it was rebuilt in the 1700s. It has…
Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista
Lake Como
Much overlooked in all the excitement about Varenna's villas are the lovely 14th-century frescoes, somewhat damaged but nevertheless full of colour,…
Lake Garda West Bank
The Franciscans were Gargnano’s first inhabitants, and their modest 13th-century Romanesque church is the village's main monument. They were also some of…
Bergamo
This octagonal baptistry was built in 1340 but moved to its present spot and was given a few neo-Gothic flourishes in 1898. Inside, you'll find bas…
Lake Maggiore & Around
A magnificent 17th-century villa that houses the provincial government. In the late 1800s, it was transformed into a grand hotel, and hosted luminaries…
Lake Como
One of the oldest churches on Lake Como, St Martin's dates from the 11th century, and its stolid brick bell tower makes a photogenic backdrop against the…
Central Lombardy
Behind the San Giacomo church, this brick structure dates from the 15th century and is one of the only seven-sided towers in Italy. The number seven was…
Chiesa dei Santi Bartolomeo e Stefano
Bergamo
At the eastern edge of the lower town, this 17th-century church has a baroque facade (dating from 1897). Inside is Lorenzo Lotto’s largest altarpiece, the…
Milan
A multifunctional space with more than 10,000 sq metres for design, fashion and entertainment shows. Check out the website for the year-round calendar of…
Bergamo
Worth a visit for Lorenzo Lotto’s stylistically evolved altarpiece, the Pala di San Bernardino (1521), which depicts the Madonna beneath a dynamic,…
Bergamo
The white, porticoed Palazzo Nuovo defines the northern side of Piazza Vecchia. Designed in 1611 by a brilliant architectural mind from Vicenza, Vincenzo…
Brescia
Back in the first century AD, the Piazza del Foro was the centre of civic and religious life in Brescia (Brixia). You can see a few fragments – including…
Lake Maggiore West Bank
This 19th-century villa with English-style gardens hosts occasional concerts and other events, though it's mostly used for weddings and other conferences …
Lake Maggiore & Around
Soaring high above Varese's main square, this enormous clock tower was built in 1933, and has quite the Fascist-era aesthetic about it. At the base, you…
Brescia
The medieval town hall looms large over the plaza down below thanks to its soaring brick tower, which was built in the 12th century. Other parts of the…
Mantua
Enter Piazza Sordello from the south and on your left you have the grand house of the Gonzagas' predecessors, the Bonacolsi clan. Hapless prisoners used…
Lake Garda
This palace was home to Malcesine's governor when it was ruled by the Republic of Venice, largely between 1405 and 1797. A single, large hall leads onto a…
Chiesa dei Santi Fermo e Rustico
Central Lombardy
One of Caravaggio's highlights is the impressive Chiesa dei Santi Fermo e Rustico, with a brick Gothic facade, fine frescoes and an imposing 16th-century…
Museo e Tesoro Della Cattedrale
Bergamo
Down the steps right next to the duomo, this glittering museum is filled with sacred art and reliquary from the cathedral's collection, as well as…
Lake Iseo
On the riverfront a little over 1km from the centre, this lovely stile liberty villa was designed by Giuseppe Sommaruga and built in 1907. The best views…
Mantua
This archway built around 1300 links two palaces with a covered walkway above the street. Look up as you pass beneath the arch to see iron rings on which…
Lake Como West Bank
High above Gravedona, this 15th-century stone church offers wonderful views of the lake and surrounding plains. The church protects some 17th-century…
Mantua
In the Palazzo della Ragione, which runs the length of the square from the Rotonda, and was once the seat of secular power in the city, you can see…
Como
This 1615 villa was the summerhouse of abbot Marco Gallio and is one of the oldest landmark villas in Como. Now owned by the provincial government, it is…
Chiesa dei Santi Pietro e Paolo
Lake Garda
Looking out across Lake Garda, this large church is worth a look for its exquisitely painted ceilings, altars by Tomezzoli and Benedetti and an angel…
Civico Museo Archeologico di Bergamo
Bergamo
Set in the 14th-century citadel palace, this archaeology museum covers a lot of ground, from prehistoric and Roman times, up through Longabardic rule in…
Il Parco Archeologico Nazionale dei Massi di Cemmo
Central Lombardy
This focus of this small archaeological site is on two boulders covered by rock engravings – animals, stylised human figures, weapons and and a ploughing…
Bellagio
Bellagio's most interesting Romanesque church is the Basilica di San Giacomo, built in the 12th century by master builders from Como.
Basilica di San Martino e Santa Maria Assunta
Central Lombardy
The small town of Treviglio, some 26km south of Bergamo, is home to an impressive church with both Gothic and Renaissance elements.
Lake Como West Bank
This 11th-century church has a soaring bell tower and fragments of a Renaissance fresco depicting the martyrdom of Saint Agatha.
Cremona
A delightful little Gothic gem built in 1292, the Loggia dei Militi was where the captains of the citizen militia would meet.
Sirmione
The Musei di Solferino displays small cannons, uniforms and gilt-framed paintings of Solferino's 1859 conflict.
Como
This monument to Italy's WWI war dead is a classic example of fascist-era architecture and dates to 1931.
Como
An 18th-century lakeside villa, now owned by the provincial government and closed to the public.
