3 Underrated Cities in Italy

Rome, Venice, Florence, Milan... these cities welcome millions of visitors from around the world every year (before Covid, that is).

All of the above cities are definitely worth a visit, but there is so much more to Italy! I don't think any city in Italy has ever disappointed me.

I'd like to highlight 3 Italian cities that might not be on your radar, but are worth a stop. 

Genoa

What to do?

The highlight of Genoa for us was visiting palazzi! For several centuries, Genoa was actually the capital of its own republic and one of the wealthiest cities in Europe.

Because of the city's prosperity, many 16th century families lived in palaces. We toured one called the Palazzo Reale. 

Later, we walked down Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, a street in the historic district lined with more palaces. Some of them had open doors- we took advantage of that to check out their courtyards.

Piazza de Ferrari is Genoa's main square, and is located in the center of the city between the modern and historic districts.

The interior of the city's main cathedral was being renovated, but while exploring the city we wandered into 2 other impressively ornate churches- the Chiesa del Gesù and the Basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vasato (that's a mouthful).

                             

Closer to the port, you'll find yourself in Europe's largest remaining medieval neighborhood. Instead of streets, get lost in in Genoa's winding, narrow alleyways (called caruggi locally).

What's nearby?

Beautiful Portofino is about 45 minutes south of Genoa. We stopped there before heading back to France and walked around the colorful harbor.

Naples

What to do?

On first glance, Naples doesn't seem like the cleanest place. The garbage collection does not seem to be a finely tuned system, and many streets are covered in graffiti. But if you do a little wandering, you can find beautiful and impressive neighborhoods as well.

And really, some graffiti is worth it for the incredibly cheap and delicious pizza. Walk down the Via Tribunali and get ready for the best pizza of your life.

To cool off and learn some history, try a tour of Napoli Sotterranea, or Underground Naples. The tunnels you explore during the tour were used as aqueducts and later as bomb shelters. Naples was the most bombed city in Italy during WWII.

The Palazzo di Napoli is worth a stop and only costs a few euros to visit. It's a very affordable city!

Near the palace, there's a covered shopping gallery very similar to Milan's.

It's never a bad idea to pop into any church you come across in Italy- this one is the city's largest, the Duomo di Napoli.

What's nearby? 

Naples is a great base for exploring the interesting archeological site of Pompeii and/or the gorgeous Amalfi Coast. 

Despite the intense summer heat in Pompeii, we were fascinated by the vastness of the ancient city, the artwork and technological advancements within, and the famous disaster that destroyed it all.

There are many options for coastal cities to explore near Naples. We took a boat to Sorrento and loved the views and shopping. I'd love to return to the area someday and see Capri and Positano as well!

Syracuse

What to do?

This city was definitely a highlight of our weeks in Sicily. It was so pretty that I immediately daydreamed about having a vacation home here someday.

I found it really interesting that the interior of the Duomo di Siracusa was built around the ruins of an Ancient Greek temple. After seeing the baroque facade, I wasn't expecting to see columns dating back to the 5th century BC inside.

Don't miss walking along the coast. If you're there in the summer, there are beautiful beaches as well!

A short drive away from downtown, you can tour the archeological sites of ancient Syracuse.

The Ear of Dionysus is a limestone cave originally used for water storage and later as a prison for political opponents of the city's tyrant ruler Dionysus. Legend has it that Dionysus enjoyed how the perfect acoustics of the cave amplified the screams of prisoners being tortured inside.

Syracuse's Greek Theater from the 5th Century BC was one of the largest and most impressive throughout the ancient world- it could seat 15,000. It used to border the sea, but over the centuries the coast has moved a few miles away.

What's nearby?

You can't miss seeing the active volcano Mt. Etna! Just don't get too close if it's erupting.