Architecture and Design – Best Italian cities – Inspirations

It’s common knowledge that Italy has great resources in terms of architecture and design. But which are the best Italian cities to visit for architecture lovers? Beside Milan and Rome, that have been already presented in previous posts, there are many other misknown places in the “Bel Paese” that deserve a particular mention. Here is a list of the Top 10 places to see.

Turin

From Baroque to contemporary architecture, from Brownfields to Greenfields: in Turin – a stunning city that stands at the foot of the Alps – co-exist great architectural works from the past and the present. Walking in the city center, visitors bump into 19th century cafes, arcaded mansions and grand churches. But Turin is also wordlwide known for its importance in design. In 2008 the city was the World Design Capital – especially thanks to its excellent Institutions such as IAAD and IED – and in 2014 the city has been selected as a UNESCO “Creative City” for the Design category.

Florence

Dante was born here, in the capital of Renaissance. The city contains numerous museums and art galleries, such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Palazzo Pitti, and still exerts a strong influence in the fields of art and culture. At the same time, Florence plays an important role in design and fashion – being ranked in the top 15 fashion capitals of the world – and its Design Academy is among the most important in Europe.

Bergamo

A combination of an upper and lower city, nestled together into a picturesque mountain region: this is Bergamo, a beautiful town in the Alps. The lower city is the modern day portion of Bergamo, while the upper Citta Alta is known for art, history, and beautiful architecture.

Mantua

Influenced by the Gonzaga’s dinasty, Mantua was among the most important cultural cities during the Renaissance and its buildings prove that. It is here that the composer Claudio Monteverdi premiered his opera L’Orfeo, the earliest surviving opera that is still regularly performed today.

Genoa

The birthplace of Cristopher Columbus has a long history as an important seaport and trade center, but it has also important architectural resources. The old part of the town consists of medieval alleyways, with palaces from the 16th and 17th century that have been recently converted into museums and art galleries.

Parma

Museo Glauco Lombardi, Piazza Duomo and Teatro Regio are only some of the reasons why you should not miss this exciting destination. Not only food then: the city of Parmesan cheese will enchant you for its innumerable artistic and cultural resources.

Verona

Thanks to Romeo and Juliet’s play, Verona is certainly one of the most known and visited Italian cities. Founded in the 1st century B.C., the city has a lot of historical sights: among the most famous are Juliet’s balcony and tomb, the roman amphitheater – l’Arena-, Lamberti’s clock tower and the Roman gate Porta Borsari.

Venice

Venice is an archipelago of 118 islands all connected by hundreds of beautiful bridges and scenic canals: the biggest one – Grand Canal – divides the city into two sections, both of them sorrounded by wonderful large homes. Venices’ outstanding scenario and architectural resources – such as the Rialto bridge, the clock tower and Doge’s palace – enchant every year thousands of tourists from all over the world.

Bologna

Bologna offers a varied mixture of monuments and architectural examples (medieval towers and lengthy porticoes) and it is known for having the oldest university in the West. Students enrich the social and cultural life of the city, that offers a lot in terms of cultural events and entertainment for young people.

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