There are those who dream of the crystal clear sea, those who flee from the gray of rainy days and those who simply cannot live without light and blue skies. But which are really the Italian cities where the sun shines the longest during the year? The answer is the ranking of the sunniest cities in Italy according to Holidu, one of the most important European search engines dedicated to holiday homes and apartments, which analyzed the main Italian cities by comparing average monthly hours of sunshine, temperatures and prices of tourist accommodation.
The result draws a surprising map of Italy: Sicily dominates unchallenged, Puglia confirms itself as queen of the mild climate and some cities in the Center-South even exceed expectations. The situation in the North, however, is more complicated, where several metropolises remain far from the summit. Between confirmations, surprises and great climatic distances, the ranking tells of a country in which not only the landscapes change, but also the quantity of light that accompanies daily life.
Syracuse conquers the primacy of the sun
Yes, but who wins above all? Well, there is a city where the sun never seems to want to set and it is Syracuse, the authentic queen of Mediterranean light which totals 272.61 hours of average sunshine per month, very slightly surpassing Catania, which stops at 272.39 hours. An almost imperceptible difference – just thirteen minutes a month – which however is enough to crown Syracuse as the brightest city in Italy in 2026. Completing the podium is Cagliari, with 266.02 hours of sunshine per month, confirming the absolute dominance of the large Italian islands. Sicily and Sardinia monopolize the first three positions in the ranking.
Sicily and Puglia dominate the top 10
Behind the island cities, Puglia emerges strongly, placing four locations in the top 10. Andria takes fourth place with 249.83 hours, while Bari ranks fifth with 248.44 hours of sunshine per month.
The ranking continues with Palermo, sixth at 246.95 hours, followed by the real surprise of the survey: Pescara. The Abruzzo city in fact takes seventh place with 246.88 hours, demonstrating that it is not only the extreme South that shines.
Eighth position for Taranto with 246.47 hours, while Rome enters the top 10 placing ninth with 246.21 hours of average monthly sunshine. Foggia closes the ranking of the top ten cities, with 243.83 hours.
Milan disappoints, Florence even lower
If the South dominates, the North struggles. The first large northern city is Turin, which stops in sixteenth place with 237.94 average hours of sunshine per month. Much lower we find Milan, only thirty-fourth with 218.87 hours, while Florence actually drops to forty-third place with 210.82 hours.
Some cities in the North-East are even worse. The last positions in the ranking are occupied by Trieste with 205.55 hours, Prato with 205.23, Udine with 204.88, Trento with 185.10 and finally Aosta, bringing up the rear with just 170.20 hours of average monthly sunshine. Compared to Syracuse, the Aosta Valley capital records over 102 fewer hours of sunshine every month.
The hottest cities? Sicily is still the protagonist
The sun also brings with it higher temperatures. And here too Sicily dominates without rivals. Syracuse also leads the ranking of average annual temperatures with 19.18 degrees, followed by Catania with 18.62 degrees. Third position for Messina with 18.20 degrees, while Palermo is fourth with 17.94 degrees. Bari and Taranto follow practically tied with 17.79 and 17.78 degrees. On the opposite front, the coldest cities are Trento with 10.48 degrees, Bolzano with 9.52 and once again Aosta, also last here with just 6.50 degrees on average per year.
Where holiday homes cost the most
The Holidu study is not limited to climate. The analysis also includes the average price of tourist accommodation in February 2026, showing notable differences between Italian cities. The most expensive is Bolzano, where a holiday home costs on average 192 euros per day. Followed by Milan with 165 euros, Rome with 161 euros, Venice with 160 euros and Florence with 155 euros. Among the cheapest cities, Reggio Calabria stands out with 80 euros, Potenza with 71 euros, Campobasso with 70 euros and above all Foggia, the most convenient of all with just 68 euros per day.
How the ranking was created
To draw up the ranking, Holidu analyzed the meteorological data collected by World Weather Online between 2012 and 2026, examining the main Italian cities by number of inhabitants. The study includes the 47 most populous cities according to the latest ISTAT data updated to 30 September 2025, as well as the regional capitals not present in the top 47: Potenza, Campobasso and Aosta. Venice was also included, considered fundamental for its cultural and tourist relevance. In the event of a tie in hours of sunshine, precedence was assigned to the city with the highest average temperature and, subsequently, to the one with the most inhabitants.
The top ten cities with the most hours of sunshine
Below are the top ten cities with the most hours of sunshine:
- Syracuse – 272.61 hours
- Catania – 272.39 hours
- Cagliari – 266.02 hours
- Andria – 249.83 hours
- Bari – 248.44 hours
- Palermo – 246.95 hours
- Pescara – 246.88 hours
- Taranto – 246.47 hours
- Rome – 246.21 hours
- Foggia – 243.83 hours
