Over 48 million tourists visit Italy every year. These people come to experience Italy's rich culture, take in its beautiful scenery, view the amazing art, and to visit the numerous famous attractions. Italy seems to have an endless amount of attractions; on this page we list 10 popular attractions. For the top 5 of these there is a short description of each with information that includes why they are so famous, when they were built or created, and where they are located. These interesting facts are written for both kids and adults. We had to limit this list to 10 but there are numerous other attractions which could have easily been included here.
10 Major Italy Attractions
Colosseum
The Roman Forum
Vatican City
Venice
Pantheon
Trevi Fountain
Pompeii
The Leaning Tower of Pisa
The Last Supper
Lake Como
Description of 5 of the Most Popular Italy Attractions
Colosseum
The Colosseum, Rome's most popular attraction, is an ancient amphitheater located in Rome. It was the largest amphitheater built by the ancient Romans and could hold anywhere from 50,000 to 80,000 spectators.
Emperor Vespasian began construction on this structure in 72 AD; construction was completed in 80 AD, with some modifications after that.
The ancient Romans used the Colosseum for various forms of entertainment and activities including gladiator fights, simulated sea battles, plays, and executions.
The Roman Forum
The Roman forum is located in Rome, next to the Colosseum.
The Roman Forum was the political, social, and religious center of the ancient Roman civilization from approximately 800 BC to 600 AD.
Numerous structures were built on this site over the centuries it was in use, many of these ancient structures still stand or partially stand today. These structures include 3 arches (Arch of Augustus, Arch of Titus, Arch of Septimius Severus), the Temple of Saturn, the Tabularium, Curia Julia; just to name a few.
The Roman Forum attracts approximately 2.5 million tourists every year.
Vatican City
Over 5 million tourists visit the Vatican every year; touring the amazing museums and gardens.
In 1929 Vatican City was formed as an independent state; however, many of the structures on the site date back centuries and some to even before ancient Roman times.
Vatican City is actually a city-state within the city of Rome, Italy. Its total area is approximately 109 acres, making it the smallest independent state in the world.
Vatican City is the main headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church and home to the Pope.
Within the Vatican's museums are some of the world's most beautiful and famous works of art. Perhaps the most famous is the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel painted by Michelangelo.
Venice
The city of Venice, located in northeastern Italy, was first settled around 400 AD.
This ancient city was built across 118 small islands in a bay of the Adriatic Sea. The canals that separated these islands and the bridges that link the islands have made Venice a unique and famous city and a major tourist attraction.
There are no roads in Venice.
When visiting the city tourist should see the Grand Canal, the main canal of the city, and the famous Rialto Bridge, which is the oldest bridge built across the canal.
The main square of the city, and a major tourist attraction, is the Piazza San Marco; this is where St. Mark's Basilica and the Campanile bell tower are located.
Pantheon
The Pantheon, located in Rome, was originally an ancient Roman temple and is now a Catholic church.
The present-day building was built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian around 126 AD.
The Pantheon's huge dome is its most fascinating feature. It was an amazing architectural achievement for its time and today remains the largest unsupported dome anywhere.
The Pantheon is built on a site of an earlier temple built by the famous Roman architect, statesman, and general Marcus Agrippa.
The Pantheon is remarkably well-preserved, one of the best preserved ancient Roman buildings in the world.
