December 20, 2022

Italy Road Trip Along the Historic Grand Tour

The Grand Tour of Italy was a way for a gentleman to finish their education by travelling through Italy’s cultural city centres. It was undertaken primarily by upper-class young European men in between the 17th-19th centuries when they had come of age as a means to expose themselves to the cultures of the Renaissance and classical antiquity.

Nowadays, you can enjoy all the cultural and classical elements of these beautiful locations across the grand tour route in Italy all with ease by hiring a car in Italy and setting off on your adventures. Take a look at our suggested itinerary below and get your fix of classical Italian culture in these stunning locations.

1. Setting off from Turin

Situated in the north-west corner of Italy not far from the French and Swiss borders, Turin is the first point of call on the Grand Tour and today’s tourists can take in:

• Museo Egizio, the only museum other than the Cairo Museum dedicated exclusively to Egyptian art and culture. Currently features In Search of Life a new permanent space devoted to life in ancient Egypt through the study of human remains.
• Museo Nazionale del Cinema is located inside the Mole Antonelliana, a monument which is the symbol of the City of Torino, and hosts the Turin Film Festival as well as special screenings and retrospectives.
• Palazzo Reale Di Torino is a magnificent royal palace with the State Rooms, the Royal Armoury, the Royal Library and the Royal Gardens and the Galleria Sabauda all included on one ticket.

Hire a car at Turin Airport if you’re setting off from here.

2. Down Along the Coast to Genoa

Genoa has historically been one of the principal ports on the Mediterranean and it is currently the busiest in Italy. If you’re starting your journey here, consider hiring a car at Genoa Airport to get started. Here, you can indulge in:

• Galata Museo del Mare is a maritime museum, one of the largest in Italy, located in the city’s old port area. It covers the entire history of seafaring, from Genoa’s reign as Europe’s greatest dockyard to the ages of sail and steam.
• Museo di Palazzo Reale is a palace with rooms of luscious opulence and a terrace offering stunning views of the city and port.
• Cattedrale di San Lorenzo – Duomo di Genova is a Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to Saint Lawrence in both Romanesque and Gothic design dating back to the early 13th century.

3. Heading East to Padua

Founded by Trojans in 12th century BC which may make it the oldest city in Italy. Your must-see itinerary includes:

• Padua Botanical Garden, founded in 1545, is the oldest in the world to have maintained its original location and architectural layout and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.
• Cappella degli Scrovegni is a masterpiece of 14th century Italian and European painting, is considered the most complete cycle of frescoes made by the great Tuscan master in his maturity.
• Basilica di Sant’ Antonio a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica dedicated to St. Anthony. It is a mixture of mainly Romanesque and Byzantine elements, with some Gothic features.

4. A Romantic Time in Venice

Venice needs no introduction as a city of romance and culture. Hire a car at Venice Airport (if you’re starting from here) and head into the city. Here are some tips on some things to do in Venice:

• Carnevale di Venezia is an annual festival ending on Shrove Tuesday (Martedì Grasso or Mardi Gras), which is the day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. The festival is world-famous for its historic masks and costumes for the celebratory balls and parades.
• Gallerie del Accademia is the city’s major and world-famous art gallery with an unsurpassable collection of Venetian paintings and works by such artists as Bellini, Titian and Mantegna.
• Campanile di San Marco offers a trip by elevator to the top of the bell tower to experience incredible views of Venice, the lagoon and the Alps in the distance.

5. Down to Bologna

Bologna, compared with your destinations to date, is a comparatively quiet medieval university town that features:

• Basilica di San Petronio overlooks Piazza Maggiore and is dedicated to the patron saint of the city, Saint Petronius, who was the bishop of Bologna in the fifth century.
• Palazzo Poggi includes a hall dedicated to the poet Giosuè Carducci, the Hercules Room, and various university museums, the university rectorate, the Bologna University Library and the picture gallery, with over 600 fine portraits.
• Pinacotica Nazionale is located in the university area, with the Academy of Fine Arts and has some thirty exhibition halls displaying the Bolognese and Emilian pictorial school from its fourteenth-century flourishing with Vitale da Bologna to the eighteenth-century painting of the Gandolfi.

6. Florence – The Heart of the Renaissance

Dubbed as the ‘cradle of the Renaissance’ Florence is an intense experience for any culture-loving vulture. There are world-famous examples of art and architecture at every turn. But as well as museums there are 15th and 16th century palaces, medieval chapels and marble basilicas. We offer car hire at Florence Airport and car hire in Florence in general if you wish to start your journey here. Your itinerary should include:

• Piazza del Duomo, Florence’s large city square contains the third largest cathedral in the world Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore, and Museo dell’Opera del Duomo with masterpieces of Michelangelo, Donatello, Lorenzo Ghiberti, and numerous others.
• Galleria dell’Accademia is most famous for its sculptures by the great Renaissance artist, Michelangelo. Alongside these are works by great Italian artists such as Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Pontormo, Andrea del Sarto, Allessando Allori and Orcagna.
• Galleria degli Uffizi is located in the heart of the city and hosts works of art by great Italian artists such as Botticelli, Giotto, Cimabue, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raffaello dating back to the 12th century.

7. Venerable Viterbo

The largest town in northern Lazio, Viterbo may be passed over in many guide books but really deserves more attention for its charming medieval historic quarter and a relaxed, provincial feel.

• Terma dei Papi includes a monumental pool that covers an area of two thousand square meters with all the wonder of hyperthermal water; a therapeutic cave for which hard and icy stone opens a cavity that turns into a natural Turkish bath; a spa and treatment centre.
• The gardens of the Villa Lante feature cascades, fountains and dripping grottoes making the visit a real way to connect with the beauty of nature.

8. Rome: the Centre-Piece of Italian History

Arguably the high point of the Italy Grand Tour it is clear that, indeed, Rome was not built in a day. Rather it has the most breath-takingly authentic ancient sites whilst also being bang up-to-date in its modernity too.

• The Colosseum is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built and held some 50,000 spectators for its gladiatorial spectacles.
• Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna E Contemporanea hosts 20,000 works – paintings, drawings, sculptures and installations – and presents the very best of contemporary art from the 1800’s to today.
• Borghese Museum in the stunning setting of Villa Borghese in Rome preserves sculptures, reliefs and ancient mosaics, and paintings and sculptures from the 15th to the 18th century. With work by Antonello da Messina, Giovanni Bellini, Raffaello, Tiziano, Correggio, and Caravaggio.

Check out our car hire in Rome options too – we offer car hire at both major Rome airports (Ciampino and Flumicino) as well as at Rome train station.

9. Heading South to Naples – Our Final Stop

Situated in the shadow of the mighty Mount Vesuvius, Naples offers plenty of cultural activities including:

• Teatro San Carlo opera house is connected to the Royal Palace and adjacent to the Piazza del Plebiscito. Having opened in 1737 it is the oldest consequatively active site for opera in the world.
• Museo Archieolgoico Nazionale is a significant Italian archaeological museum, particularly for ancient Roman remains. Its collection includes works from Greek, Roman and Renaissance times.

And so, taking after the likes of Shelley and Byron, you will have completed your Grand Tour with its plethora of magnificent sights and sounds – a road trip you will never forget. So before you go, book with Indigo for a car to go!