The prettiest villages
Assessed and admitted by the national association of Italy's most beautiful villages.
87 lists
Alternatives to Alberobello: every small town in Puglia, trulli or notAll the small towns of Puglia in our catalogue as alternatives to Alberobello, Ostuni and Polignano: the Itria valley, the Murge, the Gargano and the Salento inland.
Alternatives to Matera: every small town in Basilicata, in one listAll the small towns of Basilicata in our catalogue as an alternative to Matera: Castelmezzano and Pietrapertosa on the Dolomiti Lucane, the Pollino, Maratea's coast, the empty middle.
The prettiest villages in the province of TrentoVillages across the province of Trento that have passed the assessment of the national association of Italy's most beautiful villages, from the Val di Non and the Valsugana to the Cimbrian plateau above Lake Garda.
The prettiest villages in the province of RomaStone villages in the hills, craters and monasteries around Rome, from the Castelli Romani to the Monti Lucretili, all recognised by the national association of Italy's most beautiful villages.
The prettiest small villages in the province of ImperiaStone villages in the hills behind the western Ligurian coast, in the province of Imperia, where olive groves, Taggiasca oil and slate-roofed lanes matter more than the beach. Each of these small places has passed the assessment of the national association of Italy's most beautiful villages.
The 10 prettiest small villages in the province of L'AquilaStone villages high in the province of L'Aquila, from the limestone lanes of Santo Stefano di Sessanio to the wool towns of the Peligna valley, each recognised by the national association of Italy's most beautiful villages.
The prettiest villages in SardegnaEight Sardinian villages certified by the national association of Italy's most beautiful villages, from painted river houses on the Temo to granite towns in the Gallura interior and a Ligurian-speaking island in the south-west.
The 10 prettiest hidden villages in VenetoTen Veneto villages assessed by the national association of Italy's most beautiful villages, from the Prosecco hills and the Euganean volcanic cones to walled towns on the plain and stone hamlets under the Dolomites.
The prettiest small villages in Emilia-RomagnaSmall villages across Emilia-Romagna, from the Apennine ridges above Modena to the brick keeps of the Romagna hills, each one assessed and admitted by the national association of Italy's most beautiful villages.
The 8 prettiest small villages in BasilicataBasilicata's smallest villages sit on sandstone crags, limestone ridges and Tyrrhenian cliffs, built from the stone they stand on. These are the ones vetted by the national association of Italy's most beautiful villages.
The prettiest villages in the province of UdineIn the province of Udine, Friulian stone villages sit between the Julian Alps and the flat plain, with frico and montasio cheese on the table and Ramandolo wine in the glass. These are the ones the national village association has assessed and admitted.
The prettiest villages in the province of BresciaFrom the lemon terraces above Lake Garda to the iron-working valleys of the Valle Camonica, the province of Brescia holds villages of stone houses, painted facades and steep lanes that have passed the assessment of the national association of Italy's most beautiful villages. Olive oil, lake fish, spit-roast meats and casoncelli pasta come with them.
The prettiest villages in the province of PordenoneIn western Friuli, between the Tagliamento gravel beds and the first slopes of the Carnic prealps, the villages of the province of Pordenone are built of river stone, brick and Venetian plaster, with mosaic workshops, spring water and San Daniele ham on the table.
The prettiest villages in the province of AvellinoIrpinia is Campania's mountain interior, a province of chestnut woods, Aglianico vineyards and stone villages built along ridges above the Ofanto and Calore valleys. These are the Avellino villages judged among the most beautiful in Italy, each with a castle, a belltower or a walled centre worth the climb.
The prettiest villages in the province of GrossetoThe Maremma end of Tuscany builds its villages out of volcanic tuff and dark stone, hangs them over gorges and holm-oak woods, and feeds them wild boar, pecorino and Morellino. These are the Grosseto villages that have passed the assessment of the national association of Italy's most beautiful villages.
The prettiest villages in the province of MessinaStone villages above the Ionian and Tyrrhenian coasts of north-eastern Sicily, where Norman churches, Arab-Norman street plans and Nebrodi pasture cheese sit within an hour of the sea, and each village has passed the assessment of the national association of Italy's most beautiful villages.
The prettiest villages in the province of MacerataBrick and travertine hill towns between the Sibillini mountains and the Adriatic, where Macerata's villages keep their walls, their loggias and their vincisgrassi. Slow roads, wide views and villages assessed among Italy's most beautiful.
The prettiest villages in the province of La SpeziaLigurian villages between the Val di Vara chestnut woods and the Gulf of Poets, where the houses are painted plaster over stone and the kitchen runs on basil, chestnut flour and anchovies. The province of La Spezia beyond its most photographed stretch of coast.
The prettiest villages in the province of CuneoStone and brick villages in the vineyards of the Langhe and the valleys under Monviso, in a province that eats hazelnuts, tajarin and Castelmagno cheese and drinks Nebbiolo. Autumn brings truffles, fog and the last harvest.
The 8 prettiest villages in the province of Pesaro e UrbinoInland from the Adriatic, the province of Pesaro e Urbino runs up into the Montefeltro in ridges of pale limestone, walled villages, brick towers and hill roads that smell of wild fennel. These are the villages judged among the most beautiful in Italy by the national association that assesses them, with castles, truffle woods and Metauro valley pasta to go with the view.
The 6 prettiest villages in the province of MantovaThe flat rice and pumpkin country south of Lake Garda, where brick villages sit behind Renaissance walls, Po embankments run straight to the horizon and winter fog settles over porticoed squares. Villages in the province of Mantova that have passed the assessment of the national association of Italy's most beautiful villages.
The prettiest villages in the province of CosenzaStone villages stacked on the ridges between the Pollino massif and the Tyrrhenian, where Cosenza's inland Calabria keeps its Norman keeps, its lemon terraces and its bread baked in wood ovens. A guide to the province's most beautiful hill towns, from the Sila foothills to the Ionian coast.
The prettiest villages in the province of SavonaInland from the Riviera delle Palme, the province of Savona stacks slate roofs and ochre plaster up limestone ridges, with vaulted alleyways, chestnut woods and Ligurian kitchens turning out farinata and trofie al pesto. These villages have all passed the assessment of the national association of Italy's most beautiful villages.
The prettiest small villages in VenetoVeneto beyond the lagoon is a region of walled villages in warm Euganean trachyte, Prosecco hills sloping up to Cansiglio, and Dolomite valleys where the houses are stone below and timber above. These small villages have all passed the assessment of the national association of Italy's most beautiful villages.
The 7 prettiest villages in the province of PotenzaStone villages balanced on sandstone spires in the Lucanian Dolomites, Norman cathedrals on wheat-coloured ridges, and peperoni cruschi fried until they shatter: the province of Potenza rewards drivers willing to keep climbing. These are the Basilicata villages assessed as among Italy's most beautiful.
The 8 prettiest villages you can reach by train in the province of PerugiaUmbrian hill villages built in pink limestone and travertine, ringed by olive terraces and reachable on the regional railways that thread the Tiber valley and the shore of Lake Trasimeno. Painted majolica, black truffle, new oil in November, and station platforms within walking distance of the old gates.
The prettiest villages that eat well in AbruzzoStone villages on the flanks of the Maiella and the Gran Sasso, where the kitchens still turn out maccheroni alla chitarra, mutton cooked slowly with peppers, and pecorino aged in the mountain air. Each of these Abruzzo villages has passed the national assessment of Italy's most beautiful borghi, and each has a table named by a dining guide.
The 7 prettiest villages with a food festival in ToscanaTuscan villages of stone and pale plaster that build an annual festival around one ingredient: chestnut flour, new oil, wild boar, truffle, the first wine of the year. All of them have passed the national assessment of Italy's most beautiful villages, and all of them cook in public at least once a year.
The prettiest villages on a walking route in LazioVolcanic lakes, tufa ridges and beech woods in the hills around Rome, where old pilgrim roads still run through stone villages that have passed Italy's national assessment of its most beautiful borghi. Walking country, best in late spring and October, with porchetta, lake coregone and Cesanese on the table at the end of a stage.
The prettiest villages with a serious restaurant in LiguriaLigurian villages of slate and painted stucco where the kitchen is as good as the view: trofie with pesto pounded in marble, anchovies from the boats below, Vermentino from terraces cut into the hillside. Each has passed the national assessment of Italy's most beautiful villages, and each holds a table the strictest guides bother to list.
The prettiest villages that eat well in CampaniaCampania's inland hills and Amalfi cliffsides hold small villages judged among Italy's most beautiful, and in each one a dining guide has singled out a table worth sitting down at, from Irpinian Aglianico country to the lemon terraces above the sea.
The prettiest hidden villages with a serious restaurant in ToscanaStone villages across Tuscany, from the Casentino to the tufa country of the Maremma, that combine a recognised architectural core with a kitchen serious enough to be listed by the strictest Italian guides. Pici, chestnut flour, wild boar, Vin Santo and hillside terraces well away from the main road.
The prettiest villages you can reach by train in SiciliaSicilian villages of tufa and lava stone, reachable by rail and bus rather than hire car, from the baroque terraces of the Val di Noto to the vine slopes under Etna and the salt-scented ridges above the Tyrrhenian coast.
The prettiest villages with a food festival in MarcheMarche villages of brick and travertine where the year turns on one ingredient: white truffle, wild fennel sausage, ciauscolo, the local red. Each of these hill towns has passed the national assessment of Italy's most beautiful villages and each keeps a food festival that comes back on the same weekend every year.
The 7 prettiest villages you can reach by train in LombardiaLombardia's regional railways run past lake water, brick farmland and walled towns, reaching villages recognised nationally for their beauty. Stone lakeside terraces, Po plain abbeys and Franciacorta hills, all without hiring a car.
The prettiest villages that eat well in PiemonteVillages of brick and stone across Piemonte, from the Langhe vineyards to the shore of Lake Orta, where the setting has passed the national assessment of Italy's most beautiful villages and a dining guide has named a table worth booking.
The prettiest villages that eat well within 90 minutes of TerniSouthern Umbria and the Sabina hills around Terni run to stone villages on ridges, black truffles, norcineria pork, olive oil pressed within sight of the trees, and dining rooms that a national guide has thought worth naming. These are the villages that hold both, beauty and a table.
The prettiest villages inside a national park within 90 minutes of PescaraInland from Pescara the Abruzzo mountains rise fast, and the villages built into them are made of pale limestone, with wolves and bears in the beech woods above and mutton, saffron and pecorino on the table. These are the stone villages that sit inside the national parks, all within an easy drive of the coast.
The prettiest villages with a medieval festival within 90 minutes of PerugiaUmbrian and border-Tuscan villages built of pink limestone and river brick, where the summer calendar turns on crossbow contests, torchlit processions and quarter-against-quarter races, and the local table runs to torta al testo, goose ragù and lentils from the high plains.
The 9 prettiest villages you can reach by train within 90 minutes of GenovaLigurian villages of slate roofs, painted plaster and stone alleyways, all rated among Italy's most beautiful and all reachable from Genova Piazza Principe or Brignole on an ordinary regional ticket. Beaches, focaccia, olive groves and the odd inland ironworking valley, without a hire car.
The prettiest villages with a food festival within 90 minutes of PerugiaWithin an easy drive of Perugia, stone villages on the Umbria and Tuscany border hold annual food festivals built around a single ingredient: black truffle, new oil, saffron, red onion, Sagrantino. Autumn is when the trestle tables come out.
The prettiest villages inside a nature park within 90 minutes of RomaWithin easy reach of Rome, volcanic lake rims, beech woods and tufa gorges are protected as regional parks, and inside their boundaries stand villages that have passed Italy's national assessment of its most beautiful small towns. Wild strawberries, park-lake fish, chestnut woods and stone streets, all within a morning's drive of the capital.
The prettiest villages that eat well within 90 minutes of GenovaSlate doorframes, salt cod with olives and a dining room worth the drive: Ligurian villages inland and along the coast from Genova where the cooking is taken as seriously as the architecture, all within an easy morning's travel of the city.
The prettiest hidden villages with a serious restaurant within 90 minutes of PerugiaUmbrian and eastern Tuscan hill villages built in pale travertine and rough sandstone, where the church key still hangs behind the bar and the kitchen down the lane cooks lentils, pigeon and Sagrantino with real intent. All of them sit within an easy drive of Perugia.
The prettiest villages you can reach by train within 90 minutes of TerniSouthern Umbria and the Sabina hills within easy rail reach of Terni: villages built from grey travertine and tufa, mineral water springs, olive oil pressed in November, and the Nera valley running green below the stone.
The prettiest villages inside a nature park within 90 minutes of SalernoVillages inside Campania's regional parks, all within an easy drive of Salerno, where lemon terraces, chestnut woods and hand-painted ceramics sit under protected hills. Stone houses, mountain beech forest and a coastline of fjord-cut inlets, in places the coach tours pass by.
The prettiest small villages inside a national park in AbruzzoStone villages built high inside Abruzzo's national parks, where beech woods give way to bare limestone, wolves and bears still range the ridges, and the kitchens run to mutton, saffron and lentils grown on the plateau.
The prettiest villages you can reach by train within 90 minutes of UdineFriuli's regional railway runs out of Udine across a plain of vineyards and stone-built villages, past Roman foundations, Venetian walls and abbey cloisters, all within an easy morning's ride. Frico, San Daniele ham and a glass of Friulano wait at the other end.
The 9 prettiest villages within 90 minutes of RiminiBehind Rimini's beach strip, the Marecchia and Conca valleys rise into a country of sandstone ridges, Malatesta fortresses and brick villages where the piadina is still cooked on a terracotta disc. These are the walled hill towns that have passed Italy's national assessment of its most beautiful villages, all within easy reach of the coast.
The 7 prettiest villages you can reach by train within 90 minutes of PerugiaUmbrian and eastern Tuscan villages of pink limestone and brick, ringed by olive terraces and lake water, all served by regional trains out of Perugia. Ceramics, black celery, new oil in November, and platforms within walking distance of the old gates.
The prettiest villages within 90 minutes of FoggiaInland from the Tavoliere plain, the hills of the Daunia, the Irpinia border and the Vulture rise into stone villages of pale limestone and tufo, where the cooking runs to lamb, wild greens, cardoncelli mushrooms and hard durum bread. All lie within an easy drive of Foggia and each has passed the national assessment of Italy's most beautiful villages.
The prettiest villages that eat well in VenetoVillages of brick and river stone between the Prealps and the Po plain, where Prosecco hillsides, Valpolicella terraces and Lake Garda's olive slopes all come with a kitchen worth sitting down in. Veneto eats well away from its famous cities, and these villages have both the looks and the table.
The prettiest villages inside a nature park in SiciliaInside Sicily's regional nature parks, on the flanks of Etna and along the ridges of the Madonie and Nebrodi, stand villages of dark lava stone and pale limestone where chestnut woods, sheep cheese and mountain air replace the coastal heat. These are the ones that have passed the national assessment of Italy's most beautiful villages.
The prettiest villages within 90 minutes of TorinoWithin an easy drive of Torino the country changes fast, from the vine terraces of the Langhe and Roero to the stone hamlets under the Aosta valley peaks. These are villages judged among the most beautiful in Italy, built of brick, tufo and grey slate, with tables that take Barbera and Nebbiolo seriously.
The prettiest villages you can reach by train within 90 minutes of PescaraStone villages within easy rail reach of Pescara, where the Adriatic beaches give way to Maiella foothills, and where arrosticini, ventricina and mostly hillside walking wait at the end of a short journey.
The prettiest villages you can reach by train in ToscanaTuscan villages of stone and brick that sit within walking distance of a railway station, from the chestnut hills above the Serchio to the Maremma coast, with regional trains doing the work a hire car usually does.
The 8 prettiest villages that eat well in MarcheBrick and travertine hill villages between the Sibillini and the Adriatic, where the national beauty assessment and a dining guide agree: olive ascolane, vincisgrassi, verdicchio and slow lunches in towns most people drive past on the way to the coast.
The prettiest villages within 90 minutes of NovaraRice fields, Alpine foothills and the Monferrato hills meet within easy reach of Novara, where villages of river cobble, brick and pale stone hold onto their arcaded squares, wool mills and wine cellars.
The prettiest small villages within 90 minutes of RiminiBehind Rimini's beach the Marecchia and Conca valleys climb into Malatesta castle country, where villages of pale sandstone sit on ridges above vineyards, sangiovese cellars and piadina counters. All of these have passed the national assessment of Italy's most beautiful villages.
The prettiest villages you can reach by train in PugliaWhitewashed hill towns, limestone streets and slow regional trains across the Murgia and the Salento: Puglia rewards travellers without a car, from orecchiette and burrata to Adriatic swimming and inland villages rated among Italy's most beautiful.