Population
10 comuni smaller than a cruise ship's passenger list
Ten towns: what each is best for, what a home costs, and the catch. A square meter runs from €300 in Celle di San Vito to €1,550 in Bard.
A large cruise ship carries about 3,000 passengers. These comuni hold fewer people than one boat. 10 towns shown, smallest first.
Table no. 17 · Ranked by residents · 10 towns
A large cruise ship carries about three thousand passengers. Every comune on this list holds fewer people than one boat, which puts the day-tripper economics of Venice and Civitavecchia in a certain light.
Ten towns, smallest first. Any one of them receives fewer visitors in a year than a liner disembarks before lunch.
- 1.Montelapiano67 residentsChieti · Abruzzo1 h 24 min from Pescara · homes €420 to €630 a m² in the center
- 2.Ostana87 residentsCuneo · PiemonteBest for a walk through the old town. It is on the list of Italy's most beautiful villages.1 h 34 min from Turin · homes €660 to €950 a m² in the centerThe catch: January nights average 3 degrees below zero.
- 3.Bard102 residentsAosta Valley · Aosta ValleyBest for a long lunch. A food guide lists Ad Gallias here.1 h 12 min from Turin · homes €1,050 to €1,550 a m² in the center
- 4.Monteferrante103 residentsChieti · Abruzzo1 h 25 min from Pescara · homes €420 to €630 a m² in the centerThe catch: It has lost 25% of its people since 2015.
- 5.Santo Stefano di Sessanio105 residentsL'Aquila · AbruzzoBest for a walk through the old town. It is on the list of Italy's most beautiful villages.1 h 18 min from Pescara · homes €810 to €1,150 a m² in the centerA Medici outpost at 1,250 meters, restored building by building since 1999 into Italy's first scattered hotel.The catch: January nights average 3 degrees below zero.
- 6.Calascio122 residentsL'Aquila · AbruzzoBest for walks in a national park. Part of the comune lies in a national park.1 h 16 min from Pescara · homes €580 to €840 a m² in the center
- 7.Castelvecchio Calvisio124 residentsL'Aquila · AbruzzoBest for walks in a national park. Part of the comune lies in a national park.1 h 11 min from Pescara · homes €340 to €490 a m² in the centerThe catch: It has lost 21% of its people since 2015.
- 8.Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena126 residentsSavona · LiguriaBest for a slow weekend. The Touring Club gives it its orange flag for small inland towns.1 h 33 min from Genoa · homes €710 to €1,050 a m²The catch: It has lost 20% of its people since 2015.
- 9.Celle di San Vito142 residentsFoggia · Puglia55 min from Foggia · homes €300 to €450 a m² in the centerThe catch: It has lost 15% of its people since 2015.
- 10.Usseaux174 residentsTorino · PiemonteBest for a slow weekend. The Touring Club gives it its orange flag for small inland towns.1 h 32 min from Turin · homes €680 to €1,000 a m² in the centerA Val Chisone village at 1,416 meters with four scattered borgate and more than forty murals painted across the stone facades.The catch: January nights average 7 degrees below zero.
FIVE OF THE TOP TEN ARE IN ABRUZZO
We write letters from the Italian towns we visit: the town, what is worth eating there, and when to turn up. It is free, and you can leave whenever you like.