Italy’s Smartest Cities 2026: City Vision Score Ranking

Beautiful to visit, but also smart to live in! In 2026 Italian cities are competing with innovations, efficient services, mobility and sustainability. But which ones really manage to make life easier for residents and visitors? Revealed by the City Vision Score, the ranking that analyzed 7,896 Italian municipalities across 30 indicators, from quality of life to the environment, including economy, governance and mobility. The result? An Italy in which the North continues to dominate, but with some interesting surprises.

Here are the podium finishers and the 10 smartest cities in Italy in 2026.

Bologna Is Italy’s Smartest City in 2026

Endless porticoes, squares full of life, culture and good food: Bologna already has many reasons to win over those who visit. Now it can add one more to the list. In its second consecutive year, the capital of Emilia-Romagna claims the title as Italy’s smartest city, earning 100 points out of 100 in the City Vision Score.

The crown fully reflects how the city is able to pair its historic and cultural heritage with an urban system that increasingly leans toward innovation and the quality of services. Those who love to travel appreciate not only its calendar of exhibitions and events but also a spirit that goes beyond being beautiful to photograph, because it works and is organized thanks to technological implementation.

The Top 10 for 2026

Challenging Bologna’s lead is Pordenone, which takes second place with 99.96 points, marking a real leap in quality compared with its eighth position in the previous edition. In third place we find Casalecchio di Reno, with 99 points.

Just outside the podium stand two Lombard cities that are well worth rediscovering: Bergamo, in fourth place, with the irresistible charm of its Upper Town (Città Alta), and Brescia, in fifth, where history and culture make every itinerary a discovery. They follow Rovereto, in Trentino-Alto Adige, and Agrate Brianza, in Lombardy, ranked sixth and seventh respectively.

The eighth position brings a surprise: Florence is the only city in Central Italy in the top 10, proving that Renaissance heritage can coexist with an increasingly smart urban model. Completing the ranking are Milan, ninth, and Udine, tenth.

The telling data? Nine of the top ten cities are in the North and no municipality from the South or the Islands appears in the top 100. Regionally, Lombardy leads with 43 municipalities in the top 100, followed by Emilia-Romagna with 23.

A snapshot of a changing Italy, where innovation and services are becoming increasingly important even for those choosing a destination to explore.

Here is the top 10 of Italy’s most smart cities in 2026, according to the City Vision Score:

1. Bologna, Emilia-Romagna;
2. Pordenone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia;
3. Casalecchio di Reno, Emilia-Romagna;
4. Bergamo, Lombardy;
5. Brescia, Lombardy;
6. Rovereto, Trentino-Alto Adige;
7. Agrate Brianza, Lombardy;
8. Florence, Tuscany;
9. Milan, Lombardy;
10. Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia.