Italian artists have had a major influence in many European art movements going back to hundreds of years. Italian art is also known historically as being the driving force between major periods of European as well as world art; the Renaissance and Baroque artistic and cultural movements have had their start in Italy. The iconic works of artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello, Botticelli, Caravaggio, Titian and Raphael are considered priceless today and continue to attract millions of visitors from all over the world. Da Vinci's Mona Lisa and Michelangelo's paintings on the ceiling of Sistine Chapel are arguably the most important and well-known art pieces in human history. Italy's visual arts are not limited to the Middle Ages; the 20th century brought by itself new artistic movements such as expressionism, cubism, futurism and surrealism. These new art currents have played an important part in the shaping and continue to influence heavily contemporary visual arts in Italy and the world.
Historical cities such as Rome, Venice, Florence and Milan are all major centres of Italian visual arts, housing their masterpieces in many museums that also are home of many of the most important and notorious sculptures. Walking down any of their streets, the tourist will find museums that hold classical art examples as well as modern galleries that display the latest trends in art. In fact, many of the buildings themselves in the historical districts of Italian cities are works of art since their architecture reflect the changes in architectural and art styles of the time when they were built.