Villa d'Este in Tivoli is a 16th-century villa built for Cardinal Ippolito d'Este. It is famous for its terraced Renaissance garden with hundreds of fountains, pools and water features, such as the Hundred Fountains and the Fountain of the Organ, which plays music using water pressure. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Hadrian's Villa near Tivoli was the country retreat of Emperor Hadrian, built in the early 2nd century AD. It covered a huge area with palaces, baths, theatres and gardens, inspired by places he had seen on his travels. The Canopus, a long pool lined with statues, is its best known part. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ostia Antica was the harbour city of ancient Rome, at the mouth of the Tiber. Silt later left it inland, and it was abandoned. Its well preserved ruins include streets, apartment blocks, shops, warehouses, baths, a theatre and fine floor mosaics. It gives a vivid picture of daily life in a Roman town and is often less crowded than Pompeii.

Civita di Bagnoregio is a hilltop village in Lazio, standing on a crumbling plateau of volcanic rock. Erosion has left it almost cut off, and it is reached only by a long footbridge. It is often called the dying town because its edges are slowly falling away. Its medieval houses, church and lanes are beautifully preserved.

Orvieto Cathedral stands in a town built on a cliff of volcanic rock in Umbria. Building began in 1290. Its Gothic facade glows with gold mosaics, carvings and a rose window. Inside, the San Brizio Chapel has dramatic frescoes of the Last Judgement by Luca Signorelli. The cathedral walls are striped in black and white stone.