List of World Heritage Sites in Italy


The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. Italy ratified the convention on June 23, 1978, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list. As of 2019, Italy has a total of 55 inscribed properties, making it the state party with the most World Heritage Sites along with China.
Sites in Italy were first inscribed on the list at the 3rd Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Cairo and Luxor, Egypt in 1979. At that session, one site was added: the "Rock Drawings in Valcamonica". A total of 25 Italian sites were added during the 1990s, with 10 sites added at the 21st session held in Naples in 1997. Italy has served as a member of the World Heritage Committee four times, specifically, 1978–1985, 1987–1993, 1993–1999, and 1999–2001.
Out of Italy's 55 heritage sites, five are shared with other countries: "Monte San Giorgio" and "Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes" with Switzerland; "Historic Centre of Rome" with the Vatican; "Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps" with Austria, France, Germany, Slovenia and Switzerland; and " with Croatia and Montenegro. Six World Heritage Sites in Italy are of the natural type, while all others are cultural sites. Therefore, Italy has the largest number of world "cultural" heritage sites.

World Heritage Sites

The table lists information about each World Heritage Site:
SiteImageLocationArea
ha 		Description
18th-Century Royal Palace at Caserta with the Park, the Aqueduct of Vanvitelli, and the San Leucio Complex; buffer zone Large scale palace and park created by the Bourbon King of Naples Charles III in the mid 18th century. It is notable for blending into the environment. The site also includes an ambitious new town and industrial complex.
Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale; buffer zone The new Norman rulers started to build various constructions in what is called the Arab-Norman style. They incorporated the best practices of Arab and Byzantine architecture into their own art.
Archaeological Area and the Patriarchal Basilica of AquileiaRemains of one of the wealthiest cities of the Early Roman Empire including mosaic floors and a basilica that played a major role in spreading Christianity in the early Middle Ages.
Archaeological Area of Agrigento; buffer zone Well preserved remains of a great city of the ancient Mediterranean with seven doric temples making it one of the most notable sites of Greek art and culture.
Archaeological Areas of Pompei, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata; buffer zone Remains of two towns that had been buried by an eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79; giving an unmatched picture of ancient daily life at a specific moment in time.
Assisi, the Basilica of San Francesco and Other Franciscan Sites; buffer zone Medieval city with notable pieces of art and architecture; birthplace of the Franciscan order.
Botanical Garden, Padua; buffer zone World's first botanical garden has been a center of scientific research and retains its original layout from 1545.
Castel del Monte; buffer zone Built by Emperor Frederick II in the 13th century, the castle blends northern European Cistercian gothic, Muslim architecture and elements from the classical antique in a perfectly symmetrical design.
Cathedral, Torre Civica and Piazza Grande, Modena; buffer zone This 12th century cathedral built by Lanfranco and Wiligelmo is an excellent example of early Romanesque art.
Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie with "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da VinciThe convent houses the mural painting "The Last Supper", a masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci and one of the world's most famous paintings.
Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park with the Archeological sites of Paestum and Velia, and the Certosa di Padula; buffer zone Exceptional cultural landscape with settlements and sanctuaries reflecting its historical position on a trade route and related cultural and political exchange in prehistoric and medieval times. The site includes Paestum and Velia, remains of two major towns from classical times.
City of Verona; buffer zone Historical city that preserves urban structures and architecture from 2,000 years of uninterrupted development.
City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the VenetoUrban buildings and villas in the surrounding Veneto region designed by Andrea Palladio had a major influence and architecture and inspired the Palladian style.
Amalfi CoastOutstanding example of a Mediterranean coastal landscape with notable architecture and art as well as a rural landscape testifying to the adaptation to the diverse mountainous landscape.
Crespi d'Adda—Well preserved and partially in use company town built in the 19th and 20th centuries for the workforce of a textile manufacturer. The town includes both residential buildings and common public services such as a clinic, a school, theatre or sports centre.
Early Christian Monuments of RavennaUnique collection of high quality early Christian mosaics from as early as the 5th century at a former seat of the Roman Empire and later of Byzantine Italy.
Etruscan Necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia; buffer zone Etruscan cemeteries from the 9th to the 1st century BCE with outstanding wall paintings depicting scenes of daily life of this ancient culture.
Ferrara, City of the Renaissance, and its Po Delta; buffer zone Intellectual and artistic centre during the Italian Renaissance of the 15th and 16th century with well preserved urban landscape.
Genoa: Le Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli; buffer zone Ensemble of Renaissance and Baroque palaces along the so-called ‘new streets’ in the historical center of Genoa, which offer an extraordinary variety of different solutions, achieving universal value in adapting to the particular characteristics of the site and to the requirements of a specific social and economic organization. They also offer an original example of a public network of private residences designated to host state visits.
Historic Centre of FlorenceSymbol of the renaissance with extraordinary architecture and art such as the Florence Cathedral, Basilica of Santa Croce, the Uffizi or the Pitti Palace.
Historic Centre of Naples; buffer zone Founded in 470 BCE by Greek settlers, Naples is one of the most ancient cities in Europe. A large number of monuments such as the church of Santa Chiara or Castel Nuovo are testament of various cultures that emerged in Europe and the Mediterranean.
Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura
Rome, center of the Roman Empire and later, from the 4th century, of the Christian world is home to a large number of major monuments of antiquity. Included in the site are also religious and public buildings of the Holy See.
Historic Centre of San GimignanoSmall medieval hill town noted for its tower-houses of which 14 survive.
Historic Centre of Siena; buffer zone Exceptional medieval city that has preserved its gothic appearance from the 12th to 15th century.
Historic Centre of the City of PienzaOn decision of Pope Pius II Pienza was chosen in 1459 to be the first city to be transformed according to Renaissance Humanist ideas of urban design.
Historic Centre of Urbino; buffer zone Small hill town with exceptional Renaissance architecture dated to a short period of cultural flowering in the 15th century.
Isole Eolie This archipelago features prominently in the science and education of the field of vulcanology, containing classical features of volcanic landforms.
Ivrea, Industrial City of the 20th Century; buffer zone The industrial city of Ivrea is located in the Piedmont region and developed as the testing ground for Olivetti, manufacturer of typewriters, mechanical calculators and office computers. Designed by leading Italian urban planners and architects, mostly between 1930 and the 1960s, this architectural ensemble reflects the ideas of the Community Movement. A model social project, Ivrea expresses a modern vision of the relationship between industrial production and architecture.
Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto ; buffer zone Eight towns rebuilt after destruction in the 1693 earthquake, representing the pinnacle of late Baroque art in Europe.
Longobards in Italy. Places of the power ; buffer zone Monasteries, churches and fortresses associated with the Longobards who settled in Italy from the 6th to the 8th century. The site is spread over seven towns in Italy. Its architecture marks a synthesis of various styles and the transition to the Middle Ages.
Mantua and Sabbioneta; buffer zone Two towns representative of Renaissance period town planning: Mantua originating in Roman times and preserving structures from the 11th century was renovated in the 15th and 16th century, while Sabbioneta was devised as "ideal town" in the second half of the 16th century
Medici Villas and Gardens in Tuscany; buffer zone Twelve villas and two gardens built under patronage of the Medici family in the 15th to 17th centuries. They are the first example of combining aristocratic residences with gardens in a natural environment an idea that was taken up throughout Italy and Europe.
Monte San Giorgio; buffer zone World's best location for fossil records of marine life from the Triassic period.
Mount EtnaAs one of the world's most active volcanoes showing a diverse range of volcanic features and notable ecosystems, Mount Etna is of great scientific and cultural interest.
Piazza del Duomo, Pisa; buffer zone This walled area is one of the finest architectural complexes in the world and includes four medieval masterpieces from the 11th to 14th century: the cathedral, baptistry, cemetery and the leaning tower.
Portovenere, Cinque Terre, and the Islands Particularly scenic coastal area with small towns built among the steep rugged terrain.
Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps; buffer zone Contains 111 small individual sites in six countries with the remains of prehistoric pile-dwelling settlements in and around the Alps built from around 5000 to 500 B.C. on the edges of lakes, rivers or wetlands. While only some of the sites have been excavated, they contain a wealth of information on life and trade in agrarian Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures in Alpine Europe. All of the 19 Italian sites are located in Northern Italy.
Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe; buffer zone This transboundary extension of the World Heritage Site of the Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany stretches over 12 countries. Since the end of the last Ice Age, European beech spread from a few isolated refuges in the Alps, Carpathians, Mediterranean and Pyrenees over a short period of a few thousand years in a process that is still ongoing. This successful expansion is related to the tree's flexibility and tolerance of different climatic, geographical and physical conditions.
Residences of the Royal House of Savoy; buffer zone Complex of buildings created to demonstrate the power of the ruling monarchy following the move of the capital to Turin by Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy in 1562. The buildings are representative of 17th and 18th century European monumental architecture.
Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes; buffer zone Railway line over a total length of in the Swiss Alps crossing two passes in severe mountain landscapes. With 55 tunnels or galleries and 192 viaducts and bridges, it represents a notable engineering and architectural achievement while being in harmony with its environment.
Rock Drawings in Valcamonica; buffer zone Huge number of 140,000 engravings depicting scenes from agriculture, navigation, war and magic. The carvings have been created in a valley over a period of 8,000 years from the Epipaleolithic until the Roman and medieval times.
Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy; buffer zone Nine sacred mountains with chapels and other architectural features built in the late 16th and 17th centuries for didactic and spiritual purposes. They are particularly noteworthy for the skill with which they have been integrated into a beautiful natural landscape.
Su Nuraxi di Barumini; buffer zone Finest and most complete nuraghe settlement from the 2nd millennium BC: a unique kind of defensive structure consisting of circular defensive towers in the form of truncated cones built of dressed stone, with corbel-vaulted internal chambers, that only exists on the island of Sardinia.
Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica; buffer zone The Necropolis of Pantalica contains more than 5,000 tombs, most dating from the 13th to the 7th centuries BC, and remains of Byzantine era structures. On the other hand, the city of Syracuse includes its 8th century BC nucleus and many other remains bearing testimony to its eventful history.
The Dolomites; buffer zone Mountain range in the Northern Italian Alps with 18 peaks above, and some of the world's most beautiful mountain scenery including sheer rocky cliffs, vertical walls, long and narrow valleys.
The Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera; buffer zone Most outstanding example of cave dwellings in the Mediterranean with parts of it dating to the Palaeolithic.
The Trulli of AlberobelloSmall town with trulli, limestone huts in a prehistoric drywall technique, usually featuring conical, domed or pyramidal roofs of corbelled stone slabs.
Val d'Orcia; buffer zone Part of the hinterland of Siena, the landscape was carefully redesigned during the Renaissance to reflect an idealized model of government and to create a pleasing picture. It featured prominently in paintings of the time.

; buffer zone Military fortifications and defensive structures created by the Venetian Republic in its mainland domains and its territories stretching along the Adriatic coast.
Venice and its Lagoon—Founded in the 5th century and rising to prominence as a maritime power in the 10th century, Venice's unique location on 118 small islands harbors a large number of architectural masterpieces and major works by some of the greatest artists.
Villa Adriana ; buffer zone Villa Adriana or "Hadrian's Villa" is a 2nd-century complex of classical buildings constructed by Emperor Hadrian combining architectural elements of Greece, Egypt and Rome.
Villa d'Este, Tivoli; buffer zone Fine example of an Italian Renaissance palace and garden from the 16th century, the gardens of Villa d'Este are one of the Grandi Giardini Italiani and had a large influence on European garden design.
Villa Romana del Casale; buffer zone One of the most luxurious Roman villas built in the early 4th century and decorated with mosaics of exceptional quality.
Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato; buffer zone Winegrowing and processing area for Piemonte wine with a long history going back to at least the 5th century BC. The site includes the Castle of Grinzane Cavour.
The Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. Veneto
—Winegrowing landscape characterized by ciclioni hills, forests, small villages and farmland, for centuries shaped and adapted by man.

Tentative list

In addition to the sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage List are only accepted if the site has previously been listed on the tentative list.
As of 2019, Italy was recording forty-two such sites on its tentative list. These sites, along with the year they were first included in the tentative list are:
YearNameRegionImage
2006Arch of TrajanCampania
2006Archipelago of La Maddalena and Islands of Bocche di BonifacioSardinia
2006Bradyseism in the Flegrea AreaCampania
2006Cascata delle Marmore and Valnerina: Monastic sites and ancient hydro-geological reclamation worksUmbria and Marche
2006Cattolica Monastery in Stilo and Basilian-Byzantine complexesCalabria
2006Citadel of AlessandriaPiedmont
2006Hanbury botanical gardensLiguria
2006Historic Center of LuccaTuscany
2006Historic center of ParmaEmilia-Romagna
2006Historic center of Pavia with CertosaLombardy
2006Island of AsinaraSardinia
2006Carsic caves in prehistoric ApuliaApulia
2006Lake Maggiore and Lake D'Orta lakelandsLombardy and Piedmont
2006Mothia Island and Lilibeo: The Phoenician-Punic Civilization in ItalySicily
2006OrvietoUmbria
2006Pelagos: The Cetacean SanctuarySardinia, Liguria and Tuscany
2006Ponds in the Bay of Oristano and the Sinis Peninsula island of Mal di VentreSardinia
2006Romanesque-style Cathedrals in ApuliaApulia
2006Salento and the "Barocco Leccese"Apulia
2006Scrovegni's Chapel in PaduaVeneto
2006Sulcis and IglesienteSardinia
2006Taormina and Isola BellaSicily
2006The Aniene valley and Villa Gregoriana in TivoliLazio
2006The Lower Palaeolithic Palaeosurfaces at Isernia-La Pineta and NotarchiricoBasilicata and Molise
2006The Marble Basin of CarraraTuscany
2006The Murge of AltamuraApulia
2006The Porticoes of BolognaEmilia-Romagna
2006The Transhumance: The "Royal Shepherd's Track" Abruzzo, Apulia, Campania and Molise
2006Via Appia "Regina Viarum"Apulia, Basilicata, Campania and Lazio
2006Villas of the Papal NobilityLazio
2006Volterra: Historical City and Cultural LandscapeTuscany
2008Border area of Mont-Blanc Valle d'Aosta
2010Prehistoric site of Longola in Poggiomarino and StrianoCampania
2012Parco Nazionale della Sila – Sila, "Gran bosco d’Italia"Calabria
2013Border area of Maritime Alps – "Les Alpes de la Mer" Piedmont and Liguria
2013Languages Minorities in CalabriaCalabria
2014Great Spas of Europe Tuscany
2016Padova Urbs Picta. Giotto, the Scrovegni Chapel and the 14th-century painting cyclesVeneto
2017The Cultural Landscape of Civita di BagnoregioLazio
2017Les Alpes de la Méditerranée -Ligurian Alps and Maritime AlpsLiguria and Piedmont
2018Evaporite karst and caves of Emilia Romagna RegionEmilia Romagna
2019Via Francigena in ItalyValle d'Aosta, Piedmont, Lombardy, Emilia Romagna, Ligura, Tuscany and Lazio

Location of sites

updated in 2011