Museums, churches and art
The Last Supper, the big basilicas and the smaller museums.
Italy Roundtable: My Favorite Work of Art in Italy
Asking an art expert to pick a favorite piece of art is probably a bit like asking a parent to pick a favorite child. They all have redeeming qualities, after all.
St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica is the focal point of a trip to Vatican City, mainly because it's the iconic image most of us have of this city-state.
St. Mark’s Basilica
In Venice, the city itself is the number one "sight." But you would be remiss if you didn't also visit one of the most beautiful churches in Italy (so says this author, anyway), located right on…
Open Monuments Weekend in Italy: Private Sites Open for Free
Whether you're a shoestring traveler or not, "free" is a very appealing word. This is one big reason why the annual "Open Monuments Weekend" in Italy is so worth keeping track of.
Visiting Florence's Duomo Museum
There are two things you should know about visiting Florence's Museo dell'Opera del Duomo right from the start. First of all, this museum has nothing - I repeat, nothing - to do with opera music.
Shroud of Turin: Visiting the Shroud Museum
Even if you couldn't pinpoint Turin on a map and aren't particularly religious, you've probably heard of arguably the most famous thing in the city - the Shroud of Turin .
Vittorio Emanuele II Monument & Rome from the Sky Elevator
The Vittorio Emanuele II Monument in Rome is known by few nicknames, and most of them aren't flattering.
A Visit to the Museo Ferrari: The Ultimate Ferrari Museum
Which is the most quintessentially Italian car - Ferrari or Lamborghini? While there are undoubtedly people who are more qualified to answer that question than I am, for my money (which will never…
A Trip to the Lamborghini Museum
Even if you're not a hard-core automotive enthusiast, the name Lamborghini will no doubt be familiar to you.
Visiting the San Siro Museum in Milan
I think I can officially no longer call myself "not really a sports fan." I've become quite attached to my Italian soccer team , and even more attached to the Italian national team - so I know that…
San Bernardino alle Ossa: Milan's Bone Church
If you've been following along, you know that I have an odd fascination with what I call "bone churches." Before my first trip to Italy, I had heard about a crypt in Rome that was decorated with the…
Leonardo da Vinci Museum in Vinci
I got an email recently from a WhyGo Italy reader who will be spending some time in Florence next year and says the Leonardo da Vinci museum in his hometown of Vinci is an absolute must-see on her…
Music Found in da Vinci's "Last Supper"
Everyone loves a good mystery. Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code" was a runaway best-seller for a reason, after all. But the latest Leonardo da Vinci-related mystery seems to have a bit more credibility.
Museum of the Sanitary Arts in Rome
Let's just say you're feeling a little unclean after a trip through the gory Crime Museum in Rome - how about you wash your spirit with a visit to the Museum of the Sanitary Arts ?
Go to Church in Italy
I am not a religious person by any definition, and yet one of my favorite things to do when I'm traveling is visit churches.
Rome Crime Museum
If you're tired of the glorified martyrdoms you're seeing in all the famous artwork around Italy (why don't those saints look more pained when they're being burned/stabbed/crucified?), you'll enjoy…
The Last Supper
"The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci - Visiting Hours, Location, Admission Fees, Ticket Reservation Information Whether Milan should be included on your list of cities to visit in Italy is a matter…
Museum of Purgatory
If you're one of those people who wants to have the best cocktail party conversation when you come back from your trip to Rome, you're going to have to do a lot better than recounting your visions of…
Cappuchin Crypt
When I first visited Italy in 2001, I'd read a bit about the Capuchin Crypt in Rome and knew I had to see it.
Self-Guided Tours of Italy's Museums are Good Things
I think I've mentioned before that one of my favorite tricks to make the famous art museums in Italy (and elsewhere) more tolerable to my wandering mind is to bring along the appropriate pages of…