Set on a hill above the Po River in Turin, this late-Renaissance church took shape between 1583 and 1656. Today its terrace is considered one of the city’s classic viewpoints, framing the Mole Antonelliana against the Alps in the distance. Locals recommend visiting near sunset, when the light over the mountains is at its best.

Architect Giuseppe Poggi designed this hilltop terrace in Florence in 1869, as part of the city’s transformation into Italy’s short-lived capital, with the square meant to serve as a monument to Michelangelo, as noted by Visit Tuscany. At its center stands a bronze copy of his David, flanked by casts of the Medici Chapel allegories, gazing out over the Duomo and the Arno below.

Set on Rome’s Janiculum Hill, this terrace overlooks the Pantheon, the Altare della Patria, and the hills of Lazio beyond, as described by Italia.it. At its center stands sculptor Emilio Gallori’s 1895 equestrian monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi, who defended the short-lived Roman Republic against French troops here in 1849. Every day at noon, a howitzer still fires a single shot, a tradition tied to the hill’s military past.

Villa Cimbrone in Ravello dates back at least to the 11th century, but its famous Terrazza dell’Infinito, or Terrace of Infinity, took its current shape in the early 20th century under English nobleman Lord Grimthorpe, as detailed by Ravello.com. Lined with classical marble busts, the terrace looks out over the Gulf of Salerno. Writer Gore Vidal once called the view from here among the finest he had ever seen.

This star-shaped fortress on Naples’ Vomero Hill began as a 14th-century stronghold before Spanish Viceroy Pedro de Toledo rebuilt it into its current form between 1537 and 1547, according to its official visitor site. In 1799, revolutionaries seized the castle to proclaim the short-lived Neapolitan Republic. Today its terrace offers sweeping views of the bay, Vesuvius, and the historic center below.

At 589 meters, Monte Solaro is the highest point on Capri, reachable either by an hour-long hike or a chairlift that has carried visitors to the summit since 1952. From the top, the view stretches across the Faraglioni sea stacks, the Bay of Naples, and, on clear days, Mount Vesuvius and the Sorrento Peninsula.Taormina’s main square earned its current name after a false rumor spread during Mass on April 9, 1860, claiming that Giuseppe Garibaldi had landed to liberate Sicily. He actually arrived a month later, as recounted by ItalyScapes. Today the square’s terrace looks out over the Ionian Sea and Mount Etna, making it one of the island’s most photographed views.

Taormina’s main square earned its current name after a false rumor spread during Mass on April 9, 1860, claiming that Giuseppe Garibaldi had landed to liberate Sicily. He actually arrived a month later, as recounted by ItalyScapes. Today the square’s terrace looks out over the Ionian Sea and Mount Etna, making it one of the island’s most photographed views.