To see the "Mona Lisa," you need to take to your tiptoes to peer over the swarm of admirers in her hall in the Louvre. Standing before the "Last Supper" requires loitering in a painfully long queue snaking out of Milan's Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie.

Marveling at the "Vitruvian Man" means battling your way through the densely congested canal sides of Venice. Art lovers worldwide will contend with the thronging crowds and tourist trappings just to get a glimpse at the works of Leonardo Da Vinci. Yet, his hometown has managed to bypass the fate of the beautiful destinations in the world sadly ruined by overtourism.