Central Italy

Central Italy, home to Rome and Florence, brings together ancient Roman ruins, Renaissance art and the hill towns and countryside of Tuscany and Umbria.

By ISTAT's definition, Central Italy comprises four regions, Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Lazio, in the middle of the Apennine Peninsula. To the north it borders Emilia-Romagna, Liguria and Northern Italy; to the south it meets Southern Italy, where Abruzzo, Molise and Campania lie. Vatican City, within Rome, is an independent state, but visits to it are usually planned together with Rome. Rome in Lazio is the core: the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, plus the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica need at least 3–4 days, with the Villa d'Este in Tivoli and the ancient city of Ostia Antica nearby. In Tuscany, Florence has the Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore), the Uffizi Gallery and Michelangelo's David at the Accademia; the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Siena's Piazza del Campo, the tower town of San Gimignano and Lucca's city walls are all within one to two hours' drive; the Chianti wine region and Val d'Orcia are classic countryside landscapes. In Umbria, hill towns such as Perugia, Assisi with the Basilica of St. Francis, and Orvieto are quiet and old-fashioned, while Marche has the Renaissance city of Urbino and the Conero Riviera. A classic combination is 4 days in Rome, 3 in Florence, plus 2–4 in the Tuscan countryside or Umbria, for 9–11 days in total. The high-speed train from Rome to Florence takes about 1.5 hours, Florence to Pisa about 1 hour, and Siena can be reached by bus; countryside towns are best explored by car, but watch out for restricted traffic zones in historic centers. Book popular museums in advance, and in summer beware of heat and pickpockets.

Destinations

Itineraries