A trip around the best museums in Italy

In the land of Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Botticelli lies a trove of world-class art museums, including Renaissance masterpieces and priceless artifacts from ancient civilizations. So before you visit Italy's many other beautiful places—Venice, Rome, Florence and more—take time to see these incredible galleries. WhIle planning your wonderful trip around the ebest museums in Italy we strongly recommend you to rent a car in Italy at your own tempo.

Galleria degli Uffizi

The Galleria degli Uffizi is the world's most visited museum, with more than 5 million visitors every year. It was founded in 1784 as a collection of paintings from Florentine institutions and private collections.

The gallery houses masterpieces by Botticelli, Raphael, Caravaggio and Leonardo da Vinci. The latter's best known painting "Mona Lisa" (1503-1517) hangs here too - an iconic work that has inspired countless imitations over the centuries.

Museo Archeologico Nazionale Napoli

The Museo Archeologico Nazionale Napoli is located in Naples and is one of the oldest museums in Italy. It has one of the largest collections of Greek and Roman antiquities in Europe, as well as an extensive collection of mosaics from Pompeii and Herculaneum. The museum was founded by Ferdinand I of Bourbon, King of Naples (1735-1825), who had inherited many pieces from his predecessor Charles VI after he died without an heir.

The Castel Nuovo (New Castle) was constructed between 1282 and 1302 by Charles I Robert d'Anjou as part of his program to fortify Naples against attack from rival powers such as France or Aragon/Sicily on one side;and inland cities such as Florence or Venice on another side.

Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze

The Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze is one of the best art schools in the world, and it's where you'll find Michelangelo's David. The statue was completed by the artist in 1504 and has become a symbol for both Florence and Italy as a whole.

The museum also houses some other important works by Renaissance artists such as Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Donatello's St George and the Dragon, which were created around 1425 CE.

Galleria Borghese

The Galleria Borghese is a museum in Rome, Italy, built around the private art collection of Cardinal Scipione Borghese. It houses one of the most important painting collections in the world and it also boasts sculptures and other works of art by Bernini. The gallery is housed in Palazzo Borghese on Piazza del Popolo which was built by Carlo Maderno for Paul V's nephew Scipione (as well as being his namesake). The building was originally designed as a villa with gardens but later became an art gallery after its purchase by Camillo Pamphilij in 1649.

Palazzo Pitti

Palazzo Pitti is a museum in Florence, Italy. It's the world's largest private art collection and includes paintings, sculptures, furniture and jewellery. The palazzo was built in the 16th century by Luca Pitti and his wife Margherita Vecchia.

The collection contains more than 1 million pieces from all over Europe including works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti and Raphael Sanzio (Raphael). It also has some possessions from Napoleon Bonaparte who lived here between 1801-1805 after he became first consul of France following his victory over Austria at Marengo on June 14th 1800.

Museo Egizio

The Museo Egizio is located in Turin, Italy. It was founded in 1771 by King Vittorio Amedeo III and houses over 30,000 Egyptian artifacts from the Ptolemaic era (323 BC to 30 BC). The collection includes sculptures, paintings and mummies; visitors can also see a replica of an Egyptian temple built for Napoleon Bonaparte during his stay in Egypt.

The museum has undergone several renovations since its inception; most recently it reopened after an extensive renovation in 2015 that included adding more space for special exhibitions as well as updating parts of the permanent collection with new pieces from recent excavations around Egypt. The museum opens daily from 9am-6pm (Tuesday until 8pm), except Mondays when it closes at 2pm instead of 6pm.

National Museum of Cinema

The National Museum of Cinema is located in Turin, Italy. It was founded in 1978 and has a collection of over 6,000 objects that date back to the early days of cinema. The museum also has an archive containing over 2,000 films as well as a library with over 15,000 books related to film studies.

Museo del Novecento

If you're in Milan, the Museo del Novecento is a must-see. It's located inside the Palazzo della Ragione and was designed by Zaha Hadid, who also designed Rome's MAXXI Museum (see below). The building itself is worth seeing; it looks like a giant spaceship landed on top of a castle!

The museum displays works by artists that were born or died between 1900 and 1980, including sculptures by Antonio Canova (1757-1822), paintings by Giorgio de Chirico (1888-1978) and sculptures by Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966).

If you like art, Italy is a great place to visit

In addition to the country's natural beauty and rich history, there are many museums that showcase the best of Italian culture.

The National Museum of Rome (Museo Nazionale Romano) holds one of the largest collections of Roman sculptures and mosaics in Europe at its Palazzo Massimo alle Terme branch; don't miss it if you're visiting Rome! And if you want to see more than just paintings or sculptures at your local museum? Well then head over to Florence where The Galleria degli Uffizi houses some of Western civilization's most valuable works by artists such as Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti himself among others.

Italy is a great place to visit if you like art. There are so many museums to choose from, and all of them have something special to offer visitors. If you're looking for something a little more contemporary or modernist than traditional Italian paintings, there are plenty of options as well!