If you like art, between 50% and 60% of all the major catalogued art in the world is in Italy. Nearly half of that is in Florence (Accademia di Belle Arti, Uffizi, Bargelo sculpture museum, the Duomo and Baptristry, Pitti Palace, Palazzo vecchio, and the churches, particularly the Church of San Lorenzo with its Capelle Medicii). Florence is my favorite place in the world.
A large part of the remaining art is in Rome (Vatican Museums and the many (over 500) churches, as well as the fountains).
You can also visit smaller towns, which are relatively close, such as Siena, San Gimignano, Assisi, Orvieto, Ostia Antica, and others. And you can also go farther south to Naples, Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Pompeii. Climb Mt. Vesuvius. Take a ferry to Palermo and visit Sicily, home to many unique sites.
I have been to Italy many times and begin planning my next trip as soon as I return from the last one. In central and northern Italy, nearly everyone speaks English, albeit with a sometimes heavy accent. The food and wine is delicious and inexpensive, the people are friendly and helpful. What more could you want?
I will be taking a group to Venice, Florence and Rome, and a few other towns in between. We will be leaving March 9, returning March 18. If you are interested, send me an e-mail and I will send you my toll-free number. I am in Ohio. I am a travel agent and specialize in Italy.