Visiting St. Peter's Church and the Vatican Museum in Vatican City (located within Rome) is a must. Visitors say there is barely a square inch of space within these grand and glorious buildings without some fascinating and beautiful form of art in their architecture. World famous sculptures, paintings, frescoes and architectural genius and beauty abound. Other places to visit include the Piazza Navona and of course the Sistine Chapel is essential. This is where Michelangelo painted over 300 frescoes on its ceiling in the 1500s.
St. Mark's Basilica in Venice displays mosaics and marble, gold gilding and gems, the famous Horses of St. Mark and many other fascinating artistic and architectural creations. The Punta Della Dogana and the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni are two art museums located in this "city of water." It is well known for its Gothic architecture and historic bridges.
Many art museums in Milan are important to see, including the Casa degli Omenoni, the Ambrosiana and the Brera Art galleries as well as the Municipal Modern Art Gallery and the Civic Museum of Contemporary Art. There is also an International Exhibition of Decorative Arts, held in the Palazzo dell'Arte where art exhibits and lectures are offered year round; it is called the Triennale Decorative Arts Show of Milan.
An Italian art vacation would not be complete without a visit to Florence. It is known as the art capital of Italy, and it offers the largest collection of Renaissance architecture and art in the world. Many of the master artists of the Renaissance were either born in Florence or made their homes there, including Michelangelo and Donatello. Michelangelo's sculpture of David, probably the most well-known sculpture in the world, was created in Florence out of a single block of marble. The original sculpture is in the Galleria dell'Accademia, and a copy is outdoors, near the center of the city at the Piazza della Signoria, its original location.
