Italian market towns off the beaten path.
What are some less-touristed market towns in Italy, for travelers seeking beautiful places with fewer crowds? Answer
Options include Cividale del Friuli, a former Lombard capital on the river Natisone; Omegna, a lakeside town at the northernmost tip of Lago d'Orta; and Enna, a ridge-top provincial capital at the centre of Sicily. This page includes more than 20 options. Click here to see which are close enough to be day trips from major cities like Naples, Rome or Milan.
Oppido Mamertina
A broad stone piazza fronts a grand white-facade church with a clock tower in this compact Calabrian town, backed by green forested hills and animated by the…
Omegna
At the northernmost tip of Lago d'Orta in Piedmont, Omegna sits directly on the water with a lakeside boulevard where a street market runs every Thursday mor…
Sondrio
Walkable wine-country town at the heart of the Valtellina valley in Lombardy, Sondrio serves as the provincial capital and was named Alpine Town of the Year…
Iglesias
A walkable town in southwestern Sardinia with a centre dense with historic churches, cafés, and restaurants, Iglesias was one of the most important royal cit…
Cividale del Friuli
Founded by Julius Caesar as Forum Iulii — the name that eventually gave the entire Friuli region its identity — Cividale del Friuli later became the capital…
Itri
Sitting in a valley between the Monti Aurunci and the Gulf of Gaeta, Itri is a tiny agricultural town in Lazio's Latina province with a photogenic medieval c…
Enna
Italy's highest provincial capital, Enna sits atop a ridge at the centre of Sicily, earning it the nickname "Belvedere of Sicily" for its sweeping views acro…
Lanusei
This compact Sardinian hill town serves as co-capital of the Province of Ogliastra alongside Tortolì, sitting in mountain terrain with scenic surroundings an…
Lanciano
Lanciano, a town in Abruzzo's province of Chieti, is known as the site of the first recorded Catholic Eucharistic Miracle, drawing pilgrims to its historic c…
Oristano
This walkable Sardinian town on the Campidano plain with a food-and-drink scene concentrated in its centre, several historic churches, and vineyards in the s…
Giugliano in Campania
A large city in the Metropolitan City of Naples with a walkable centre full of cafés, restaurants, and historic churches, and vineyards in the surrounding area.
Ozieri
Ozieri, in Sardinia's Logudoro region, is the centre of the earliest known archaeological culture on the island — the Ozieri culture — giving it a deep prehi…
Bronte
Pistachio cultivation defines Bronte, a Sicilian town on the western slopes of Mount Etna whose green pistachios are among the most prized in Italy.
Poggio Mirteto
Little Tiber Valley town in Lazio's Rieti province, Poggio Mirteto sits on a knoll northeast of Rome amid wine country, with scenic views across the surround…
Lipari
The largest of the seven Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea off northern Sicily, Lipari is the main gateway to the archipelago and the administrative cent…
Guardiagrele
Poet Gabriele d'Annunzio called Guardiagrele "Abruzzo's terrace" for the sweeping views of the Maiella mountain it commands from its hilltop position in the…
Centuripe
A hilltop town in eastern Sicily's Enna province, Centuripe sits high above the Simeto and Dittaino valleys with broad views toward the surrounding mountains.
Montella
Small mountain town in Campania's Avellino province, Montella sits within the Monti Picentini regional park and is known for its IGP-certified chestnuts and…
Adrano
At the foot of Mount Etna, where the Simeto and Salso rivers meet, Adrano is a Sicilian town with a compact centre dense with historic churches, cafés, and r…
Conversano
This town in Apulia with a notably dense concentration of historic churches in its centre, Conversano sits on the first ridges of the Murgia plateau southeas…
Manfredonia
Founded in the 13th century by Manfred of Sicily, son of Emperor Frederick II, this Apulian coastal town sits on the gulf that bears its name, at the souther…
Italian market towns: quick answers
Which Italian market towns can you visit on a day trip from Naples, Rome or Milan?
Montella, Itri and Lanciano are among 3 market towns on our day trips from Naples. Poggio Mirteto is among 2 market towns on our day trips from Rome. And Omegna and Sondrio are among 2 market towns on our day trips from Milan.
Where are Italy's less-touristed market towns?
Wandering Well lists 21 market towns across Italy. The most are in Enna (2), Chieti (2) and Catania (2).
Which are the highest-rated?
7 are rated gold, including Omegna, Iglesias, Lanusei and Giugliano in Campania.
Which can you reach by train?
8 of the 21 have a railway station within a 10-minute drive, including Iglesias, Oristano, Cividale del Friuli and Lanciano.