Top 10 Best Places to Live in Italy

For the past 30 years, Il Sole 24 has put out an annual Quality of Life Index report. This index ranks cities across Italy to find out which are the best places to live.  The cities are judged in six categories: Wealth and Consumption, Environment and Services, Justice and Security, Business and Work, Demography and Society, and Culture and Leisure. Here’s what they found for 2019-2020.

10. Parma

Parma, located in the Emilia-Romagna region, was ranked as the 10th most desirable place to live. It ranked 4th in Wealth and Consumption,  21st in Business and Work, 27th in Culture and Leisure, 28th in Demography and Society, 39th in Environment and Services, and 66th in Justice and Security.

9. Venice

Venice was ranked the 9th most desirable place to live in Italy. This is a big step for Venice as it did not even rank in the top 25 last year. The city had the same rankings as Parma in all six categories.

8. Treviso

Treviso, coming in 8th place, is a city famously known for The Fontana delle Tette, a 16-century fountain that pours out free wine during city celebrations. The city ranked 2nd in Justice and Security, 12th in Demography and Society, 22nd in Wealth and Consumption, 30th in Business and Work, 42nd in Culture and Leisure, and 51st in Environment and Services. 

7. Verona 

The land of Romeo and Juliet ranked as the 7th best place to live in Italy. Verona ranked 5th in Demography and Society, 12th in Business and Work, 20th in Wealth and Consumption, 23rd in Justice and Security, 24th in Culture and Leisure, 49th in Environment and Services. 

6. Monza e Brianza

Monza e Brianza is located in the Lombardy region and is home to almost 900,000 people. The city also had the same ranking as Verona. 

5. Trieste

The coastal town of Trieste, located close to the Slovenian border, was ranked number 5. Trieste took 2nd place for Environment and Services, Business and Work, and Culture and Leisure. It ranked 3rd in Wealth and Consumption, 97th in Justice and Security, and 98th in Demography and Society. 

4. Aosta

Aosta is located in the Western Alps close to France and Switzerland, with a population of almost 130,000. It ranked 1st in Wealth and Consumption, 3rd in Justice and Security, 5th in Culture and Leisure, 13th in Environment and Services, 23rd in Business and Work, and 78th Demography and Society. 

3. Trento

Trento, located 2 hours from Venice, was rated the 3rd best place to live in Italy. It ranked 1st in Environment and Services, 11th in Business and Work, 14th in Culture and Leisure, 15th in Wealth and Consumption, 20th in Demography and Society, and 42nd in Justice and Security. 

2. Bolzano

Located in Northern Italy, Bolzano acts as a gateway to the Dolomites Mountains in the Alps. It ranked 1st in Demography and Society, 3rd in Business and Work as well as Environment and Services. It ranked 28th in Justice and Security, 30th in Culture and Leisure, and 51st in Wealth and Consumption. 

1. Milan 

For the second year in a row, Milan has been named the best place to live in Italy. With a population of almost 1.5 million, Milan is the second-most populous city in Italy. The city had the same rankings as Bolzano in all six categories. 

Sources:

• Quality of Life Index [Lab 24]
• Milan Wins Again [Italofile.com]
• Feature Picture [Wikimedia]