Best piazza's in Italy

Piazza di San Marco

The Piazza San Marco is one of the worlds most famous squares, probably best known when it comes alive during the festival of Carnevale (Feb-March). But all through the year it is an enjoyable place to visit, you can feed the pigeons, listen to classical music at night, hang out in a cafe and take in the old world atmosphere. Inside the square is the Basilica di San Marco, the old Law Courts and the Libreria Vecchia. It's free to enter the Basilica, to climb the bell tower has a small cost.

Piazza Michelangelo

For the best view of Florence come to Piazza Michelangelo. It's my favourite location to enjoy the sunset or a balmy summer evening. To get there cross the Ponte Vecchio, turn left and walk along the river. The Piazza is above you (turn right at Piazza Giuseppe Poggi). Alternatively take bus No 13 from the train station.

Piazza della Signoria

This square has hosted many important politicial events in Florentine history, including the execution of the religious and political reformer Savonarola. Today it's hard to believe any of that happened with the fountains, cafes, buskers and happy crowds milling around, relaxing and taking photographs. There is a statue of David on display here, but it is just a copy. The square is just outside Palazzo Vecchio a block up from the Duomo towards the Ponte Vecchio

Piazza del Campo

Siena is a medieval ensemble of palaces and towers coloured in a honey-dripped colour known as burnt siena. The heart of the town is the Piazza del Campo, where the famed horse race, Il Palio, takes place twice a year. This public space was once a marketplace and today is one of Europe's greatest medieval squares. The piazza is surrounded by buildings such as the Palazzo Pubblico, the Torre del Mangia (from which are fabulous views over Siena) and various palazzi.

Piazza dei Miracoli

This walled area at the heart of Pisa, is also known as the Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square) and is visited by tourists from all over the world for its four great religius edifices: the Duomo, Leaning Tower, Baptistry and Camposanto.

Piazza Umberto

Piazza Umberto must be the best square in Sicily and is immediately recognizable as the film location of the 1988 classic "Cinema Paradiso". In fact Piazza Umberto is sometimes jokingly referred to as the square that won the Oscar. Surprisingly it seems little visited except for the film aficionado’s – mostly Japanese and some Italians, Germans and Dutch who come to relive the magic of the film. It is still used by cars and during the day appears like a grand parking lot. This square has no real form and no central point, just a fountain to one side (the Fontana Ottagonale dating from 1608). In the square are two churches for each of the religious groups of Palazzo Adriano. The Byzantine church Chiesa Maria SS Assunta (16th Century) with a beautiful wood altar and the Romano Chiesa Maria SS Lume (18th Century). In the Municipio to the left side of the Assunta church is the Pro Loco tourist office and a photographic exhibit from the filming of Cinema Paradiso. There are also black and white photographs of the town’s past and the Museo Geonaturalistico with fossils found in the area, particularly from Pietra di Salamone

Piazza Navona

This large and lively square is arguably Rome's most famous square. It was built on the former Domitian's stadium and features no less than three magnificent fountains and is lined with baroque palaces. There is also the splendid baroque church of Sant'Agnese in Agone. There are some good coffee shops here or you can sit by the fountain and people watch.