Italian Steps - Tourist sights - Cultural notes

Fact File

• From ancient buildings to classic architecture, Italy has many stunning buildings that are well worth a visit. Here's our selection of some must-see tourist sights:



• Pompeii - Italy's archaeological treasure is the most visited sight in the country. The Roman town had still not recovered from an earthquake when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79AD, preserving the town and its inhabitants in ash. An eerie experience, but a must-see attraction if you're in Campania.



• Il Ponte di Rialto - offering fantastic views of Venice's Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge was the only means of crossing the canal for 263 years.



• Il Colosseo, the Colosseum - Rome's magnificent amphitheatre which took its name from the nearby 30m gilt-bronze statue of the Roman Emperor, Colossus of Nero.



• La Fontana di Trevi - the Trevi Fountain, the largest and most famous fountain in Rome, and the location for Anita Ekberg's memorable scene in Fellini's 'La Dolce Vita'. Don't forget to toss a coin over your shoulder into the fountain to ensure your return to the city.



• Il Duomo, Santa Maria del Fiore - the tallest building in Florence, and the fourth largest church in the world. The magnificent dome of the cathedral was one of the greatest engineering feats of the Renaissance, as it was built without scaffolding.



• La Torre Pendente - the leaning tower of Pisa. Scientist and thinker Galileo used the tower to conduct his famous experiments on the velocity of falling objects. The famous 'lean' has now been stabilised - hopefully for good!



• Scalinata di Spagna - the Spanish Steps in Rome. Twelve elegant flights of steps that descend to the scenic Franciscan Church of Trinità dei Monti.



• Lo Stadio delle Alpi - the home ground of Juventus Football Club in Turin. With a seating capacity of over 70,000, this temple of football was built for the World Cup held in Italy in 1990.



• La Galleria degli Uffizi - founded in Florence in 1581 by the De Medici family, the Uffizi Gallery is one of the oldest museums in the world. It was originally built as an administrative office for Florentine magistrates, hence the name uffizi, 'offices', but developed to become home to some of the most important work by Italian artists of the Renaissance.



• La Basilica di San Marco - Saint Mark's Basilica in Venice. Look out for the replica four horses of St Mark gracing the façade of the church. The originals, now housed in the museum inside, were stolen from Constantinople by the Venetians during the Crusades in 1204, by Napoleon in 1797 and returned to Venice in 1815.