“Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations.” –UNESCO World Heritage Center

Since 1972, UNESCO has designated more than 1,000 sites worldwide as World Heritage Sites, with 55 of those in Italy (the country tied for China for the most World Heritage Sites.) Recognized for their outstanding universal value or natural beauty, the World Heritage Site list is “the ultimate traveler’s guide — a bucket list of destinations worth seeing.”  – source

• The Historic Center of Rome, including the Properties of the Holy See and Saint Paul Outside the Walls
• Hadrian’s Villa and Villa d’Este in Tivoli
• Etruscan Necropoli in Cerveteri and Tarquinia
• Assisi and its Basilica di San Francesco
• The Temple of Clitumnus
• Historic Center of Urbino

Note to travelers: sites within the Lazio region are reasonable day trips from Rome. Sites in Umbria and Marche are better as destinations from Rome, given their geographic proximity. If you have the luxury of slower travel, it’s recommended to unpack a bit in Umbria and/or Marche, if possible.

Province of Umbria

Lazio’s neighboring Umbria is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, juxtaposed in size and stature:  the medieval Assisi and its Basilica of San Francesco, and the lesser-known Temple of Clitumnus in the town of Pissignano. The latter is granted World Heritage status as part of a group of seven religious sites connected with the Germanic Longobards, who had an influential presence in Italy from the 6th to 8th centuries.   

Northeast from Assisi about two hours by car is the city of Urbino and its historic center, nestled in the province of Marche. Accessing Urbino from Rome is about four hours by car, but can also be reached by a train/bus combination.

 

While there is much more to say about each of these cultural treasures, this article hopefully serves as an overview of what you might want to mix in to your next visit to Rome.