5 Italian Towns We Recommend

Five Italian Towns We Recommend

We moved to Foligno, Italy in April, 2014. We live right in the middle of the country. Foligno is known as “Centro del Mondo” or the center of the world, and, as it turns out, being in the middle of Italy has allowed us to visit a lot of wonderful and interesting Italian villages, towns and cities. Our colleagues joke that Virginia and I have seen more of Italy than they have. Many foreigners who move to a new country have this experience. For us, every town or beach or museum or delicious meal is a new and exciting adventure. We’re motivated to see as many things as possible. The locals are less inspired because, well, it’s normal!

Which leads to the subject of this post. A lot of people ask us where they should go if they come here for vacation. Well, that’s not an easy question to answer because everyone has his or her idea of what a great vacation should include. For some it’s the sea. Italy has a LOT of that. For others, the mountains, check. The foodies want to eat, big check, The history buffs want art and museums, triple check! Some people prefer the quite of small villages and others the insane chaos of towns like Rome or Milan. When it comes to Italy, you can, quite literally enjoy all of these things and much, much more.

Our Travel Philosophy

In 1998, we rode our tandem bicycle from Seattle, WA to Bar Harbor, ME. We rode approximately 4547 miles (7300 km…sounds more impressive) over 70 riding days. This means we saw the U.S. at about 12 miles per hour, 60 miles a day. Right before our adventure, a local uber-bicyclist named Willie Weir (who has literally been everywhere on a bike) offered us the following sage advice: “Whenever possible, leave your planned route and get off the main road, that’s where the real fun happens!” Not only was this advice true for our bike adventure, but it’s a metaphor to live by. We have found that once you leave the main road and quit following the crowds, once you try that “unusual” dish at a local cafe or wander through a small town or hike on a quiet trail, the universe explodes with possibility, with vitality and life, This is especially true of Italy, a country whose people are engaging and fun and, for the most part, kindhearted.

Whenever possible, get off the main route – Italy is more than just Rome and Florence
“Festina Lente” – As Emperor Augustus said, “make haste slowly!”
Spend more time in fewer places – you can take small trips from anchor towns
Thou shalt not complain about small hotel rooms! You should be out playing!
Try to eat at the Cafes, Osterias, Enotecas, Tavola Caldas, etc. instead of alwyas eating at formal restaruants.

Here's the List!

OK, here’s the list (in no particular order) of our recommended town in Italy. Please keep in mind that this isn’t intended to be a Rick Steves or Michelin travel guide. We simply want to share towns with you that are not on most people’s radar (with the exception an “eternal” place). These towns have something for everyone. They are close to major attractions or the sea. You can be as busy or laid back as you want. You can use it as a hub or spend more time exploring the town itself.

1) Matera in the Province of Basilicata

It is believed that humans have inhabited Matera continuously for over 7000 years. It is located in an area filled with natural caves and Matera itself is famous for being a town of caves. In more recent history, in 1952, Matera had to be evacuated because the people were living in squalor. The government relocated them to a more modern part of the city. The Sassi or rocks were uninhabited until the 1980’s when the town began to be renewed. Today, many of the cave dwellings have been restored, turned into homes, restaurants and hotels. The more modern part of town is quite beautiful as well.

Why Matera? We had a sense of timelessness there. It’s an place where you can truly envision how people lived in ancient times and if you visit exhibits that show how people lived in the caves, you’ll be shocked. Matera is literally off the beaten track in the South. You’ll definitely need a car to get there.

2) Verona in the Province of Verona

Verona is a beautiful mid size town, located in the Veneto region. The old town is Medieval and sits along the beautiful Adige River. The Verona Arena is a huge 1st-century Roman amphitheater that’s also in the city center. It’s fabulous. Even though we haven’t attended one, they host concerts and large-scale opera performances in it.

Verona has a lot going for it: beautiful historic center, a number of interesting cathedrals, the Amphitheater, the lush riverfront and the food and wine are fabulous.

3) Lucca in the Province of Tuscany

Our first visit to Lucca was in 1981 when it was virtually unknown to tourists. We were there because my grandfather, Tranquillo grew up close to Lucca and I have a lot of 2nd cousins close to the town. My last name origiated in this region of Italy.

Lucca is distinctive because its historic center is relativly small and easy to get around. Cars are highly restricted, so the town is one big pedestrian zone. The streets are filled with small markets, boutiques and great restaurants, cafes and bars. The center is surrounded by Renaissance walls encircling its historic city center. The wall is quite wide and on top there’s a path where you can walk, run or bicycle.

Lucca is as Tuscan as it gets. Also, its location is incredibly strategic. From the city center you are 30 minutes from the sea and the beaches of Viarreggio and Forte dei Marmi. Pisa is 30 minutes by car. You can visit the mountains to the north which are very close by. Florence is a little over an hour by car or train.

We feel truly blessed that I’m of Tuscan origin and have deep roots in the region and particularly in Lucca. There are a lot of incredibly beautiful towns in this region, but Lucca still remains our favorite.

4) Torino in the Piedmont

Torino is a BIG place. It’s city with huge piazzas and monuments, wide avenues, enormous churches, great food and friendly people. It has one of the world’s largest Ancient Egyptian exhibits. And of course you know it is the home of FIAT. And yet, it is likely the least visited of the large Italian cities.

Torino became the Capital of Modern Italy in 1861. It was the the Capital of the House of the Savoy before that. It is a “city of kings.” A snippet from Wikipedia: It’s well known for its Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Neo-classical, and Art Nouveau architecture. Many of Turin’s public squares, castles, gardens and elegant palazzi such as the Palazzo Madama, were built between the 16th and 18th centuries.

We also visited Torino for the first time in 1981 because, yes, indeed, my maternal grandparents were from the mountains northwest of Torino. So, I have a number of cousins who live in the city and we visit them periodically (not often enough!).

One of the most interesting things about Torino is how FIAT, which became an industrial powerhouse after WWII created a unique Italian culture in the city. It was a magnet for Italians from all over, north and south, east and west. It’s a sort of Italian melting pot where people from every area of the country immigrated for the economic opportunity. As a result, it is probably our favorite large city in the country!

5) Rome in the Province of Lazio

This is a picture of me in 1981 in St. Peter’s Square. Yes. We had to include Rome in our recommended cities because it truly is the eternal city. You can spend a lifetime exploring Rome and just scratch the surface of what’s there. If it’s not the famous monuments, it’s the vast number of churches (I think there are over 900), the art exhibition halls, the shops, the plazas, the statues and, of course, the food.

Living here in Foligno is wonderful because we can be in Rome in less than 2 hours by train. As a result, we have been there quite a few times since we moved here. We especially like to visit art exhibitions. We also like to simply pick a part of town and wander the streets, check out the shops and have something to eat.