Italian monumental and historic sites are vast in number and聽several of them are, in fact, part of the UNESCO World Heritage. From top to bottom, the country as part of their exclusive list of the world’s most amazing beauties. Organizing your trip to Italy based on its UNESCO Word Heritage Sites can be a lovely and interesting idea, but, because of their high number, it is better to set聽your visit geographically.
UNESCO sites in the southern part of Italy
Archaeological Areas of Pompei, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata
This area, which is very close to Naples, is a living treasure and mirrors to the lives and culture of ancient civilizations. Analyzed, studied and visited by many scholars, it attracts huge numbers of tourists, curious to take a glance into the world of ancient Imperial Rome and to discover the secrets of Pompeii and Hercolaneum, destroyed by the Vesuvian eruption of 72 AD.
Archaeological Area of Agrigento
Agrigento and its surroundings also carry聽the vestiges of ancient civilization, in this case, the Greek, as the town was founded by Greek population in the 6th century BC and the site includes archaelogical ruins and temples, witness to聽the glory and magnificience of Magna Graecia. The stunning Doric temples and the overall good conditions of the entire site make the Agrigento area an essential stop for all UNESCO Heritage-oriented tourists. The city itself, it must be said, is one of the most ancient social and commercial centres聽of the Mediterranean and for this reason is a very interesting place to visit.
Castel del Monte
Situated in the region of Apulia, Castel del Monte is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Due to its special architecture, mixing several styles, it is considered one of the most characteristic and majestic medieval castles of Italy.聽聽Classical, Islamic and north European Cistercian Gothic traditions all find place within the breathtaking structure of this聽building, erected under the reign of聽聽Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, himself symbol of multi culturalism and knowledge.
Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park with the Archeological Sites of Paestum and Velia, and the Certosa di 笔补诲耻濒补听
Situated in the region of Campania, these聽are all sites included in UNESCO World Heritage聽list. The area of Cilento used to limit the boundaries between different peoples: Greek, Etruscan and Lucanian. It is unique for its聽sanctuaries and for the two cities of Paestum and Velia, both witnesses to聽the presence of ancient cultural spots.
Costiera Amalfitana
The is not an ordinary coast, because every element makes it an original place: its聽buildings, its terraced hills covered in lemon trees聽and its聽cliffs, rising straight from the sea, all contributed to make it an exceptional natural beauty. It is in name of its uniqueness that the Amalfi Coast has been聽awarded a place in the UNESCO World Heritage聽list, 聽to which the architectural and artistic interest聽of the town have also deeply contributed. All the towns present in the area deserve a visit, as the way they were 聽built and their geographical location make them even more special. The whole area is considered a 聽UNESCO site, yet, its most famous locations are certainly聽Amalfi, Ravello, Positano and Maiori.
Historic Centre of 狈补辫濒别蝉听
The town of Napoli, Naples, is considered a place of great historical and cultural relevance, because it shows within its perimeter the presence of all the cultures that, throughout the centuries, have inhabited the Mediterranean.聽The underground town and its artistic聽monuments are considered the main reasons behind the choice of UNESCO to include Naples’ historical city centre in its Heritage List.
Isole Eolie (Aeolian Islands)
The presence of past and ongoing volcanic activities make these islands special: the Isole Eolie聽(Alicudi, Filicudi, Lipari, Panarea, Salina, Stromboli and Vulcano) still give a lot to study to the scholars working 聽in the field of vulcanology.
Mount Etna
罢丑别听Etna volcano聽is the most active in the world and the highest Mediterranean islands’ mountain. Its eruptive activity has been documented since ancient times, and the presence of a particular flora and fauna聽makes it a truly unique place, also from a scientific point of view.
Etna explosion
Reggia di Caserta
The Royal Palace of Caserta聽was built by the architect Luigi Vanvitelli as the countryside house for the Bourbon family, who spent most聽of their time in Naples. In the 18th century, its聽majestic rooms were animated by a聽busy vita di corte, court life, and the royal family spent a lot of their time in the surrounding green areas. It is, indeed, the Reggia’s parks and waterfalls聽that聽most impress the visitors and make it聽compete in beauty聽with the royal palace of聽Versailles, residence of the Bourbon family in France. The design of the building, as well as the size and聽richness of its聽gardens, helped the Reggia di Caserta to enter the UNESCO World Heritage Sites’ list, along with the closeby area of , famous for its historical production of silk.
The Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera
The southern region of Matera hosts an area which was inhabited since the Palaeolithic and these certify the presence of a troglodyte settlement.
Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica
Although they are both situated in the region of Sicily, they are two different complexes,聽preserving elements dating back to Greek and Roman times. Syracuse keeps the ancient nucleus of , founded by Greeks in the 8th century BC and includes the remains of聽the Temple of Athena, a Greek theatre, a Roman amphitheatre and other important monuments.聽The Necropolis of Pantalica was an ancient cemetery, most likely in use between聽the 13th and聽7th centuries BC, where there are more than 5,000 tombs, all聽cut into the rock.
The Trulli of Alberobello
When talking about Apulia, one’s mind runs immediately to the famously beautiful聽trulli.聽These dwellings, typical of the area only, are known聽worldwide and are characterized by their pyramidal shape with a white body and brown roof, and they were built following聽a prehistoric technique based on a drywall construction method.
Ph. depositphoto.com/duha127
Villa Romana del Casale
The Roman Villa del Casale, Sicily, is another Italian UNESCO World Heritage Site linked to the Romans: important sign of a well developed rural society (itself a clear result of rural economical well being), it is considered one of the most luxurious Roman villas, thanks to its mosaics, which are among the best preserved ever created in Roman times.
Author: Anna De Filippo
Editor: Francesca Bezzone
See also:
Unesco Sites in the Centre of Italy
Unesco Sites in the North of Italy – part I
Unesco Sites in the North of Italy – part II
