The 11 prettiest small towns in Italy
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Italy’s great art cities attract millions of visitors each year, and quite rightly so. But this extraordinarily diverse country is stuffed with glorious, lesser-known destinations, many of which lie well off the beaten tourist trail. This is our choice of some of the best small towns and villages covering sleepy, sun-drenched fishing communities, splendid bastions of the Baroque and medieval hilltop set-pieces. Efforts will be rewarded by fabulous food and wine, warm hospitality and a sense of having discovered something a bit different.
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Portofino, Liguria
If you want to see postcard-perfect Portofino without the crowds, you need to visit in the winter months, but even when it is overrun with day-trippers, this seaside set piece is ridiculously pretty. Ochre-hued houses, cafés and restaurants enclose the deep slash of a natural harbour like a stage set; wooded hills hide the villas of the Agnellis and Dolce & Gabbana. In summer, the mega-yachts drop anchor, tenders whisking their cashmere-and-loafer-clad owners to feast on trofie al pesto at chic little Chuflay with its grandstand views of the piazzetta.
STAY: Belmond Splendido Mare
EAT: Taverna del Marinaio - Getty Images
Matera, Basilicata
It’s difficult to believe that Matera, located in the little-visited region of Basilicata and now glowing from its 2019 stint as European Capital of Culture, was one of western Europe’s most deprived towns until the 1950s. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the honeycomb of ancient troglodyte dwellings (sassi) that lies below the honey-hued medieval town is now largely restored and occupied by galleries, restaurants and hotels. But to get an idea of what cave living must have been like, you can visit the fascinating Casa Grotta di vico Solitario, or even sleep in one if you don’t mind windowless rooms.
STAY: Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita
EAT: Dimora Ulmo - Getty Images
Cetara, Campania
For a taste of what the Amalfi Coast must have been like before the crowds moved in, head east of Amalfi to the weathered little fishing port of Cetara, famous for its production of salted anchovies and their by-product colatura fish sauce, similar to the Roman garum. Like many of the villages in these parts, Cetara’s pastel-hued buildings cling to a deep natural gorge, its sloping main street leading down to a small sandy beach and working harbour. There’s not a lot to do here except eat; a steaming plate of spaghetti con colatura is a must-try.
STAY: Hotel Santa Caterina
EAT: Acquapazza - Getty Images
PIETRASANTA, Tuscany
Lying just inland from the wide strip of lido-occupied beaches that fringe the Versilia coastline north of Pisa and backed by the majestic, marble-rich Apuanian Alps, mellow old Pietrasanta has long been home to a vibrant community of artists and sculptors, its bronze foundries and marble studios attracting the likes of Mitoraj, Botero and Henry Moore. It is dozy off-season, but busier in warmer weather when a cool, arty crowd drifts up from the coast to explore its galleries and independent boutiques and sip Campari spritz in the lovely Piazza del Duomo.
STAY: Albergo Pietrasanta
EAT: Enoteca Marcucci
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Orta San Giulio, Piedmont
The smallest of the Italian Lakes, narrow Lago d’Orta has a bucolic air and is far less touristy than Como and Maggiore. Set on a little promontory on its south-eastern shore, the enchantingly retro medieval town of Orta San Giulio is an assembly of ancient stone buildings and cobbled lanes built around the lakeside rendezvous of Piazza Motta, filled with pavement cafés. There are lovely walks in the surrounding hills, and a visit to the mystical island of San Giulio is a must; St. Julius is said to have floated to the island on his cloak to banish the snakes and dragons after which he established a church, the present-day Basilica, founded in AD 392.
STAY: Villa Crespi
EAT: Locanda di Orta - Getty Images
Montefalco, Umbria
In the wine world, the charming little medieval hilltown of Montefalco is synonymous with Sagrantino, the full-bodied and highly prized local red wine, its vines turning the surrounding hills deep russet-red just before the grape harvest. Known as ‘the balcony of Umbria’ because of its far-reaching views, the town has five entrance gates, each of which leads, via a cobbled lane, up to the round-ish central piazza. Don’t leave without tasting the wine and seeing Benozzo Gozzoli’s exquisite 1452 fresco cycle depicting the life of St Francis in the Convento di San Fortunato.
STAY: Palazzo Bontadosi
EAT: Coccorone - Getty Images
Chioggia, Veneto
The ancient port of Chioggia lies at the southern end of the Venetian lagoon, the snowy peaks of the Dolomites as its backdrop. This miniature Venice-without-the-crowds, a criss-cross of canals and weathered old buildings, is home to a huge fishing fleet – early mornings down on the quayside are a-buzz with trawlers returning from the night’s fishing and punters eyeing up crates of slippery, slithering sea creatures destined for auction at the local market. Lunchtimes are characterised by the smell of frying fish emanating from local trattorie. Venice is just a short hop away.
STAY: B&B La Caneva
EAT: El Gato - Getty Images
GALLIPOLI, Puglia
The name of this sun-bleached town on Puglia’s Ionian coast aptly derives from the Greek for ‘beautiful city’. Perched on its own little islet and joined to the mainland by a causeway, its compact centro storico reveals a maze of flat-roofed whitewashed houses, Baroque courtyards, narrow arched passageways, some glorious churches and a 13th-century Angevin fortezza. Excellent restaurants where you can sample the local hopping-fresh fish and seafood abound, while beyond its bastions lies the shimmering, turquoise sea and some of the most beautiful beaches in Italy.
STAY: Palazzo Presta
EAT: Il Bastione
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Mantua, Lombardy
A wondrous jumble of ancient towers, cupolas, wide piazzas and porticoed streets encircled by extensive wetlands, sleepy, handsome Mantua is often bypassed. But it holds much for the visitor, including the vast Palazzo Ducale with works by Raphael, Tintoretto and Rubens; neoclassical Palazzo Canossa; and Renaissance Palazzo Tè, built as a love nest for Federico II’s mistress and filled with extraordinary frescoes. Then there is the excellent food; traditional dishes famously include stracotto d’asino (donkey stew) and the safer tortelli di zucca (pumpkin-stuffed tortelli).
STAY: Palazzo Castiglioni
EAT: Il Cigno dei Martini - Getty Images
Carloforte, Isola di San Pietro
Tiny Isola di San Pietro lies a scant hour’s ferry ride off southwestern Sardinia, way off the international (and even Italian) radar. Carloforte is its capital, a colourful, bustling little port town founded by Genoese-Tunisian coral fishers and home to a community that speaks Ligurian dialect and serves up lasagna with tuna and pesto. One of the Mediterranean’s most important tuna-fishing fleets is based here, and the town celebrates its culinary heritage each May with the Girotonno festival, which showcases il tonno. Close by, through macchia scented with gorse and myrtle, lie sandy beaches lapped by clear waters.
STAY: Hotel Hieracon
EAT: Da Andrea - Ana Lui
Noto, Sicily
Located in the sun-drenched south-eastern corner of Sicily, the golden town of Noto is a superb example of gloriously elaborate Sicilian Baroque style. Extensively rebuilt after a devastating earthquake in 1693, it is now popular with an arty design and fashion crowd (Gordon Guillaumier and Jacques Garcia have property here) who hang out in the hip cafés and restaurants. For foodies, the main draw is the wonderfully retro Caffè Sicilia; chef Corrado Assenza’s ice cream, granite and pastries are among the best in Italy.
STAY: Seven Rooms Villa Dorata
EAT: Ristorante CrocifissoLike this? Now read:
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