Italy's Best Museums

Italy has a wealth of museums displaying art and artifacts from prehistory through modern days. Whether you're looking for archaeology, Renaissance paintings, or modern art, Italy has something for you. Find out which museums have what you want to see with this guide to the best museums in Italy.

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Uffizi Gallery in Florence

The Uffizi Gallery is one of Italy's most popular museums and is one of the top things to see in Florence. The Uffizi has an amazing collection of artworks by many of Italy's Renaissance masters, one of the best collections in the world. Because it's so popular it's best to book in advance to be sure to get tickets.

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Vatican Museums

Bramante's Staircase, Vatican Museum, overhead view — Karl Weatherly / Getty Images

Although not technically in Italy (Vatican City is a separate state), the Vatican Museums complex is easily visited from Rome. With more than 1400 rooms, it's the largest museum complex in the world. Admission includes visiting the museum, galleries with 3,000 years of art, the Sistine Chapel, and parts of the papal palace.

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National Archaeological Museum in Naples

The National Archaeological Museum of Naples has one of the world's best collections of Greek and Roman antiquities. Many of the objects come from excavations at Pompeii, Herculaneum, and nearby archaeological sites. For lovers of archaeology and ancient Roman sites, this is a must-see museum.

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Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice

Paintings in a gallery of the Guggenheim — TripSavvy / Lara D'agostino

The Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice is Italy's top museum for contemporary art. It's housed in the 18th-century palazzo that was the residence of wealthy art patron, Peggy Guggenheim, who collected masterpieces from some of the best-known artists and art movements of the 20th century.

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Florence

Florence is often called a living museum but it's also a city with several top museums. You will not want to miss these on your visit with visiting information and what to see in each museum.

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Milan

While Milan doesn't have as many artworks and artifacts as Florence or Rome, Milan does have several museums worth a visit. In these museums, you'll see everything from da Vinci's Last Supper to modern masterpieces.

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Naples

Naples has several interesting museums in addition to the National Archeological Museum and they're housed in interesting buildings, too, from underground excavations to monasteries and King Charles III's hunting lodge. The museums of Naples hold archeological treasures, art, and the famous Veiled Christ by Sanmartino.

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Rome

Rome's museums cover the ages of Rome from antiquity to the height of the Roman Empire and on to more modern art.

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Top Venice Museums

Tourist come to see landmark of san marco church near Piazza san marco Venice Venezia italy — skaman306 / Getty Images

From the magnificent Ducal Palace to the Peggy Guggenheim Art Collection, Venice has a wealth of paintings and art work housed in historical buildings.

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Egyptian Museum of Turin

One of the world's best Egyptian museums, the Museo Egizio, is in the northern Italian city of Turin. It's been recently remodeled and is more stunning than ever. More than 6000 artifacts are on display (and thousands more are in storage). Entrance is free with a Turin Museum Card.

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Santa Giulia City Museum of Brescia

Although it may not be one of Italy's must-see museums, the Santa Giulia Museum is still excellent. Housed in former monasteries, the museum covers 3000 years of history and includes visits to 3 different former churches and a look at Roman excavations.

Buy Museum Tickets in Advance From Select Italy

Make reservations and buy tickets for many of Italy's museums directly from Select Italy and pay in US dollars.