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Index
- The Jury: 300 Travel Blogger. Methods of voting and classification criteria
- The 60 candidate cities and the final ranking
- Ferrara, Emilia Romagna: 1.9% of the votes
- 10 (ex-aequo) – Palermo, Sicily: 1.9% of the votes
- Mantua, Lombardy: 3.8% of the votes
- 9 (ex aequo) – Lecce, Puglia: 3.8% of the votes
- Positano, Campania: 5.7% of the votes
- 8 (ex-aequo) – Taormina, Sicily: 5.7% of the votes
- Erice, Sicily: 7.5% of the votes
- 7 (ex-aequo) – Turin, Piedmont: 7.5% of the votes
- Siena, Tuscany: 9.4% of the votes
- 6 (ex-aequo) – Naples, Campania: 9.4% of the votes
- Matera, Basilicata: 11.3% of the votes
- 5 (ex-aequo) – San Gimignano, Tuscany: 11.3% of the votes
- Milan, Lombardy: 13.2% of the votes
- 4 (ex-aequo) – Verona, Veneto: 13.2% of the votes
- Florence, Tuscany: 41.5% of the votes
- Rome, Lazio: 45.3% of the votes
- Venice, Veneto: 54.7% of the votes
Photo by Oliver-Bonjoch. No, it’s not the usual ranking. It is not because the “catchment area” is not the “Italian people”, but a niche, and not just any one. It’s like asking what is the best pizza: with all due respect, one thing and asking a jury of nice “pizza eaters”, one thing and asking a jury of expert pizza makers. For heaven’s sake, both rankings will have an important value, and will be indicators to be taken into consideration.
But in fact, we already had the first version of the ranking. And so we also wanted the “specialists” version. Who are they
And who, if not the Travel Bloggers
The Jury: 300 Travel Bloggers. Methods of voting and classification criteria
We interviewed 300 travel bloggers and influencers from the Travel365 community, distributed throughout the country and from every region. Even if, you know, Travel Bloggers are citizens of the world …
We asked each of them to choose 3 cities among 60 candidates and for each, to rate the following from 1 to 4 (mediocre, sufficient, good, excellent) voices:
- History, art and culture;
- Gastronomy;
- Leisure, entertainment;
- Liveability (cleaning, services).
The final ranking is determined by the sum of the votes: in essence, the city that obtained the highest number of preferences won .
The “quality indicators” (history, art and culture, liveability, …), if we want to call them that, are a fact that we wanted to include to integrate the evaluation, but they do not affect the ranking position. After all, you can be the best “despite” many things, and the rankings certainly do not teach us this …
The 60 candidate cities and the final ranking
Here are the 60 Italian cities that participated in the vote: Aosta, Courmayeur (Aosta Valley); Turin, Stresa (Piedmont); Genoa, Sanremo (Liguria); Milan, Mantua, Bergamo, Pavia (Lombardy); Trento, Bolzano, San Martino di Castrozza, Riva del Garda (Trentino Alto-Adige); Auronzo di Cadore, Venice, Verona, Padua (Veneto); Trieste, Sauris (Friuli-Venezia Giulia); Parma, Modena, Bologna, Ferrara (Emilia Romagna); Carrara, Florence, Siena, Pisa, Pienza, San Gimignano (Tuscany); Perugia, Norcia, Orvieto, Citta di Castello (Umbria); Urbino, Ascoli Piceno (Marche); Rome, Viterbo, Ponza (Lazio); L’Aquila, Sulmona, Chieti (Abruzzo); Termoli (Molise); Naples, Positano (Campania), Lecce, Gallipoli, Monopoli, Andria, Polignano a Mare, Alberobello (Puglia); Matera (Basilicata), Tropea (Calabria); Taormina, Syracuse, Palermo, Erice, Cefalu (Sicily); Cagliari, Porto Cervo (Sardinia).
Due to many ex-aequo, the final “Top 10” actually includes 17 cities: here is the 1st ranking of the most beautiful cities in Italy according to Travel Bloggers !
10 – Ferrara, Emilia Romagna: 1.9% of the votes
At the bottom of the ranking we find the city of the Este , which occupies the tenth position. The evaluations regarding the historical aspect and the services are very high, it lacks a bit from the point of view of entertainment opportunities. But Ferrara is an elegant and human-sized city , where life goes by slowly astride a bicycle. The unbridled nightlife leaves it to the big cities.
SEE ALSO : Ferrara: what to see, where to eat and what to do in the evening
- History, art, culture : 3.86 / 4
- Gastronomy : 3.86/4
- Leisure, entertainment : 2.91 / 4
- Liveability (services, cleaning): 3.61 / 4
10 (ex-aequo) – Palermo, Sicily: 1.9% of votes
Equal merit, equal votes, for the capital of Sicily, with a long and complex history, as are its monuments and streets.
Elegant and contradictory, Capital of Culture 2018 , is a noisy and colorful city with a unique character. It is for this reason that, in the judgments, it scores full marks for history and gastronomy, but records a strong lack in the aspect of the services .
SEE ALSO : 10 things to see in Palermo
- History, art, culture : 4/4
- Gastronomy : 4/4
- Leisure, entertainment : 3.12 / 4
- Liveability (services, cleaning): 1.56 / 4
9 – Mantua, Lombardy: 3.8% of the votes
Pearl of the Renaissance, thanks to the Gonzagas, Mantua was one of the most important cultural cities and maintains many buildings built in that period. Travel Bloggers recognize this, who spend themselves in excellent evaluations in terms of history and liveability . Mantua is surrounded by greenery, in a suggestive and enjoyable natural area.
SEE ALSO : 10 things to see in Mantua
- History, art, culture : 3.92 / 4
- Gastronomy : 3.52/4
- Leisure, entertainment : 2.86 / 4
- Liveability (services, cleaning): 3.52 / 4
9 (ex aequo) – Lecce, Puglia: 3.8% of the votes
It seems that nothing is missing from the baroque jewel of Puglia. Sara for the large and beautiful historic center, it will be for its alleys and winding streets, it will be for the beaches of Salento … certainly, Lecce gastronomy scores full points! On this, the travel bloggers who voted it are all unanimous: 4 out of 4, excellent!
SEE ALSO : Lecce: what to see, where to eat and what to do in the evening
- History, art, culture : 3.86 / 4
- Gastronomy : 4/4
- Leisure, entertainment : 3.12 / 4
- Liveability (services, cleaning): 2.56 / 4
8 – Positano, Campania: 5.7% of the votes
We are on the Amalfi Coast , in the daughter city of Poseidon. Positano offers wonderful, impressive coastal views, enchanting beaches, caves to discover such as the Grotta della Porta, and of course the Path of the Gods , to be followed by trying not to always be amazed!
Chosen on 17 occasions, it too is full to the gastronomy item, but defends itself in all 4 judging items!
SEE ALSO : Positano: what to see, where to eat and what to do in the evening
- History, art, culture : 3.86 / 4
- Gastronomy : 3.86/4
- Leisure, entertainment : 3.02 / 4
- Liveability (services, cleaning): 2.86 / 4
8 (ex-aequo) – Taormina, Sicily: 5.7% of the votes
Taormina deserves applause for its archaeological richness. The Ancient Theater, the Numachie, the Odeon and the Castle of Monte Tauro, but also the Cathedral and Palazzo Corvaja, these precious gems certainly earned them the favor of the judges.
It is even higher in the ranking of chaotic Palermo, perhaps due to its more intimate, more liveable, more intimate character . We certainly all agree that Taormina is one of the most beautiful places in Sicily.
SEE ALSO : Taormina: what to see, where to eat and what to do in the evening
- History, art, culture : 3.56 / 4
- Gastronomy : 3.86/4
- Leisure, entertainment : 3.02 / 4
- Liveability (services, cleaning): 2.86 / 4
7 – Erice, Sicily: 7.5% of the votes
Perhaps one of the most famous places in Sicily . The citadel, which stands on the top of Mount San Giuliano (originally it was called Mount Erice), is officially one of the most beautiful villages in Italy since 2014. Do not worry about disturbing the inhabitants: it has only 512. It will certainly be a pride for such a small village to juggle with great honor in a ranking in which it has already placed itself behind the valuable cities of Palermo, Ferrara, and in which it even results in ex-aequo with the much more noble Turin. Its main feature will certainly have fascinated the judges: its medieval and visibly intact structure , made up of winding streets, arches and courtyards that date back to Frederick II of Aragon.
SEE ALSO : Erice: what to see, where to eat and what to do in the evening
- History, art, culture : 3.51 / 4
- Gastronomy : 3.86/4
- Leisure, entertainment : 2.86 / 4
- Liveability (services, cleaning): 2/4
7 (ex-aequo) – Turin, Piedmont: 7.5% of the votes
It is a city with a “dark” soul, active during the day and mysterious at night. A duality that has intrigued not only tourists but, obviously, also the Travel Blogger judges. Homeland of local football, auteur cinema and the mystical Holy Shroud , Turin records an extraordinary balance in judgments: excellent for the items “History, art, culture” and “Leisure, entertainment”, it goes well beyond sufficiency also in terms of livability and gastronomy!
SEE ALSO : 10 things to see in Turin
- History, art, culture : 3.72 / 4
- Gastronomy : 3.12/4
- Leisure, entertainment : 3.86 / 4
- Liveability (services, cleaning): 3.52 / 4
6 – Siena, Tuscany: 9.4% of the votes The city of the Palio
could not miss in the ranking . Siena is splendid precisely in its being a city, not only for the artistic treasures it preserves. And in fact, none of the 28 votes received scored less than 4 (excellent) for “History, art, culture”.
The Tuscan culinary tradition is appreciated all over the world, and Siena is certainly one of the best places to appreciate it. Surely our Travel Blogger judges will have tasted the “Pici”, the “Pappardelle with Cinta sauce” or the “Ribollita”, who gave an almost unanimous “excellent” also to the gastronomy item. SEE ALSO : 10 things to see in Siena
- History, art, culture : 4/4
- Gastronomia: 3,81/4
- Svago, divertimenti: 2,86/4
- Vivibilita (servizi, pulizia): 3,2/4
6 (ex-aequo) – Naples, Campania: 9.4% of the votes
The largest and most visited among the cities of Southern Italy. It is said “See Naples and then die” because you cannot leave this land without having been in Naples at least once.
The Campania capital has a secret charm, waiting to be discovered, which is very much reflected in the cheerful and colorful character of its inhabitants. The Gulf, the Vesuvius , the splendid ruins of Herculaneum and Pompeii , the music, but above all … the pizza, make it absolutely unique.
If we really want to find a sore point … well, even according to Travel Bloggers, Naples is not exactly the best in liveability: in this ranking, it has the lowest score among all the cities present.
SEE ALSO : 10 things to see in Naples
- History, art, culture : 3.86 / 4
- Gastronomy : 3.86/4
- Leisure, entertainment : 3.33 / 4
- Liveability (services, cleaning): 1.33 / 4
5 – Matera, Basilicata: 11.3% of the votes
An ancient and extraordinary city mixed with history, culture and nature. Its Sassi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are famous: a suggestive intertwining of winding alleys and caves that are the symbol of the city.
Perhaps not so much its presence will be surprising, but its position, even in the top 5. The uniqueness of a place and a territory that honors the whole region of Basilicata, one of the most underrated in the world, will certainly have been rewarded. Boot.
SEE ALSO : Matera: what to see, where to eat and what to do in the evening
- History, art, culture : 3.66 / 4
- Gastronomy : 3.66/4
- Leisure, entertainment : 2.33 / 4
- Liveability (services, cleaning): 2.66 / 4
5 (ex-aequo) – San Gimignano, Tuscany: 11.3% of the votes
Let’s go back to Tuscany , in the heart of Val d’Elsa, to visit the village of San Gimignano!
A dip back to around the thirteenth-fourteenth century, in the middle of the Middle Ages, because here nothing has changed since then. For this it deserved the title of World Heritage Site by UNESCO but above all the votes of Italian travel bloggers!
To reward the village, certainly also its position: San Gimignano is in fact located between Chianti, Valdesa, Florence and Siena. Also for this reason, the votes are all of full excellence, except for recreation and entertainment. But in a village like this, this is perhaps a further note of merit: on the other hand, given the location, if you really want to party, on Saturday evening everyone goes to Florence!
SEE ALSO : San Gimignano: what to see, where to eat and what to do in the evening
- History, art, culture : 3.86 / 4
- Gastronomy : 3.86/4
- Leisure, entertainment : 2.43 / 4
- Liveability (services, cleaning): 3.86 / 4
4 – Milan, Lombardy: 13.2% of the votes
Big numbers are starting in the Italian business capital . The most important city in Italy, economically speaking, is a huge, dynamic metropolis full of opportunities . A city that never goes to sleep, where things to do are almost endless.
Unlike the villages encountered so far, now the opinions on leisure and entertainment are full . A little surprisingly, even the judgment on gastronomy is almost a full 4 out of 4: it will be that in such a large city, you can find practically everything!
And according to travel bloggers, it seems that the equation big city = poor livability does not apply to Milan: even in this entry, the Lombard capital defends itself in a big way!
SEE ALSO : 10 things to see in Milan
- History, art, culture : 3.5 / 4
- Gastronomy : 3.83/4
- Leisure, entertainment : 3.83 / 4
- Liveability (services, cleaning): 3/4
4 (ex-aequo) – Verona, Veneto: 13.2% of the votes
The city with the most famous balcony in the world is perhaps tired of being known for the story of Romeo and Juliet, and in ex-aequo with Milan it is just under the podium. It is a fact that it is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy . UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site for its urban structure and architecture.
Among the cities in the ranking is the one with the highest and most balanced votes in all 4 judging items : 4 full (excellent) for history, art and culture, slightly less for the other items. You live well, eat well, and have great fun. More
SEE ALSO : 10 things to see in Verona
- History, art, culture : 4/4
- Gastronomy : 3.83/4
- Leisure, entertainment : 3.83 / 4
- Liveability (services, cleaning): 3.66 / 4
3 – Florence, Tuscany: 41.5% of the votes
And here we are to climb the lowest step of the podium, dominated by the Tuscan city, symbol of Made in Italy in the world .
Florence is the cradle of the Renaissance , a concentration of monuments and works of art. Here is the most visited Italian museum: The Uffizi Gallery.
Florence is one of the key cities of Italian cultural tourism , home to the greatest Italian artists and poets, from Dante Alighieri to Petraca, from Michelangelo to Leonardo da Vinci. In fact, the data speak for themselves: from now on, the 3 cities on the podium have practically cannibalized the votes by making the void behind them.
Of the 3 cities on the podium and the one with the highest marks: full marks (or almost) for the items on art and culture and gastronomy, well above the mark for entertainment and liveability.
SEE ALSO : 10 things to see absolutely in Florence
- History, art, culture : 3.94 / 4
- Gastronomy : 3.76/4
- Leisure, entertainment : 3.29 / 4
- Liveability (services, cleaning): 3/4
2 – Rome, Lazio: 45.3% of the votes
The second of the magnificent three and the most visited city in Italy .
Roma Caput Mundi is an open-air museum, one of the most historically important cities in the world .
Unanimous opinions regarding history, art and culture: of course, full excellence. And it couldn’t be otherwise. It pays in terms of livability and services , a real sore point of a city that otherwise would have no equal in the world. In this aspect, only Naples has worse ratings.
But on the other hand, a ranking without Rome would be unthinkable: obviously the judges also thought so.
SEE ALSO : 10 things to see in Rome
- History, art, culture : 4/4
- Gastronomia: 3,79/4
- Svago, divertimenti: 3,68/4
- Vivibilita (servizi, pulizia): 1,79/4
1 – Venice, Veneto: 54.7% of the votes
The rankings change, but the result does not change: it is useless to worry so much, at the end of the race she will always arrive in the head: the Serenissima!
Most romantic city in the world, third most visited city in Italy, 6 among the most beautiful cities in the world, since 1987 a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
With such a presentation it could only be in first place among the most beautiful cities in Italy, also according to Travel Bloggers. Its strong point is its unique and characteristic charm : its canals with traditional gondolas, the noble palaces, the lagoon … visiting it certainly does not disappoint expectations.
And it does not matter if the judgments are not excellent in all the items, the fact remains that Venice is the first choice not only for tourists, but also for those who have made a profession of travel and its story.
SEE ALSO : 10 things to see in Venice
- History, art, culture : 3.95 / 4
- Gastronomy : 3.1/4
- Leisure, entertainment : 2.85 / 4
- Liveability (services, cleaning): 2.6 / 4
Off the charts: the other cities voted by Travel Bloggers
It is clear that the rankings, at least the “unscientific” ones, always have a relative and certainly not heuristic value. Therefore, the other cities do not want it, because Italy is all beautiful, and we know it well. Here are the other cities among the 60 candidates who received at least a preference from the 300 Travel Bloggers called in:
Alberobello, Genoa, Bergamo, Bolzano, Riva del Garda, Trieste, Bologna, Viterbo, Polignano a Mare, Cefalu, Perugia, Parma , Padua, Sanremo, Aosta.
