Italy's Best Kept Secrets
Italy's best kept secrets
The Moment one plans to visit Italy, The Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the canals of Venice shall be on top of their must-see list.
But We Now take you around some of the lesser known attractions in the Italian peninsula.
Number 1 - San Gimignano
This walled medieval hill town in Tuscany is known as “the Town of Fine Towers”, and is famed for its medieval architecture. Over a dozen towers, coupled with its hilltop location, gives San Gimignano an enchanting skyline. A favorite of writers, a fictionalized version of the town features in EM Forster’s “Where Angels Fear to Tread” as well John Grisham’s “The Broker”. The Sant'Agostino Church houses some artwork from the Renaissance era for art connoisseurs.
Number 2 - Civita di Bagnoregio
A town in the province of Viterbo, about 120 Kilometers north of Rome. Civita di Bagnoregio, founded 2500 years ago by the Etruscans, is home to only ten people and has no post office, supermarket or hospital. Located atop a plateau overlooking the Tiber valley, this beautiful town has stood tall despite witnessing countless wars.
Number 3 - Salina
This island, which is home to six volcanoes, features on the World Heritage List primarily because of its value to vulcanology. The island has abundant vegetation with ferns, poplars, and chestnut trees of various kinds. It takes quite a while to reach Salina from mainland Italy, which is why it is less popular with tourists than many of Italy's other attractions.
Number 4 - Santo Stefano di Sessanio
A small town in Abruzzo, located in Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park. Many properties in the region have been restored due to the efforts of Swedish-Italian entrepreneur Daniele Kihlgren in the early 2000s: his commitment to preserving the town's ancient architecture has made it a hugely popular destination for Italian tourists.
Number 5 - Castel del Monte
Located in the heart of the Gran Sasso mountain range, the town is set in a steep hillside near the high plain of Campo Imperatore. “La Notte delle Streghe” or “The Night of the Witches” is one of the major tourist attractions of the town, whose population was just above 450 in December 2013.
Number 6 - Bolzano
The capital of Italy’s northernmost region of South Tyrol, it was part of Germany until World War I. The discovery of Otzi – the well-preserved natural mummy of a man who lived around 3,300 BCE – was made in this region. Bolzano is a perfect mixture of Northern European and Mediterranean influences
Number 7 - Calabria
It is located at the toe of the Italian peninsula in Southern Italy. Calabria is bordered to the west by the Tyrrhenian Sea, and to the east by the Ionian Sea. Interestingly, in ancient times the region of Calabria was known as Italy before the name was extended to the entire peninsula. Scilla, Tropea, Capo Vaticano, Gerace, and Squillace are some of the best-known coastal attractions of Calabria.
Number 8 - Selinunte
The abandoned city of Selinunte contains five temples centered on an acropolis, including the historic Temple of Hera. Located on the south-western coast of Sicily, it is considered one of the most impressive ancient sites in the Mediterranean.
Number 9 - Marettimo
One of the Aegadian Islands in the Mediterranean Sea west of Sicily, Marettimo is a haven for scuba divers. Home to 300 people in winter, the number of residents more than doubles in the summer on an island that is also a breeding ground for some very rare species of plants.
Number 10 - Porto Venere
Designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997, along with five nearby villages that make up the Cinque Terre, Porto Venere is located in the province of La Spezia. The Gothic Church of St. Peter, Doria Castle, and the Romanesque church of St. Lawrence are some of the must visits for travelers to the town.