Italian wine regions off the beaten path.
What are some less-touristed wine towns in Italy, for travelers seeking beautiful places with fewer crowds? Answer
Options include Saluzzo, a medieval hill town and former marquisate capital; Bevagna, a flat town in the Topino plain with Roman traces; and Bagnara Calabra, a small Tyrrhenian coast town with vineyards in the hills. This page includes more than 200 options. Click here to see which are close enough to be day trips from major cities like Rome, Naples or Florence.
Corciano
This hill village in Umbria recognised as one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia, Corciano preserves a medieval centre of almost circular shape, partly still enc…
Pacentro
This particularly photogenic medieval village in Abruzzo's Maiella National Park, Pacentro sits a short distance from Sulmona and holds a concentration of hi…
Campagna
This pocket-sized town in the Picentini Mountains of Campania's Salerno province, Campagna has an unusual density of churches and cafés for its size, set aga…
Saluzzo
A medieval hill town in Piedmont's Cuneo province, Saluzzo served as capital of its own marquisate for over four centuries — from 1142 to 1548 — and retains…
Saint-Pierre
A medieval castle rises dramatically above this compact Alpine valley village in Italy's Aosta Valley, where snow-dusted terraced hillsides, a lively café sc…
Bevagna
A flat Umbrian town in the Topino river plain — unusual among the hill towns of the region — Bevagna is listed among Italy's most beautiful borghi and carrie…
Picerno
A compact hilltop town in Basilicata's Potenza province, Picerno rises above rolling green valleys with a bell tower and medieval stone tower at its core, su…
Bagnara Calabra
This small Tyrrhenian coast town in Calabria's southernmost stretch, Bagnara Calabra sits directly on the water with vineyards in the surrounding hills and v…
Kastelruth
Photogenic village in the South Tyrolean Dolomites, Kastelruth sits at around 1,000 metres elevation near the Seiser Alm alpine meadow and is a recognised me…
Domodossola
A walkable town in Piedmont's Ossola valley with a centre full of cafés and historic churches, Domodossola is the main hub of the Val d'Ossola, sitting at th…
Montefalco
Wine country defines this small Umbrian hill town, which anchors the production zone for Sagrantino di Montefalco and Montefalco Rosso — both built around th…
Bertinoro
A hilltop wine-country village in Emilia-Romagna with an unusually lively café and restaurant scene for its size, Bertinoro sits atop Monte Cesubeo with view…
Carrara
Marble has defined Carrara since ancient times — the white and blue-grey stone quarried from the Apuan Alps above this Tuscan town has supplied sculptors and…
Bra
Birthplace of Carlo Petrini, founder of the Slow Food movement, Bra is a gastronomically focused town in Piedmont's Roero area whose main claim to fame exten…
Matelica
This modest wine-country town in the Marche region of central Italy, Matelica sits alongside water and has a compact historic centre with cafés, restaurants,…
Pergola
This small town in the Marche region of Italy, Pergola holds a museum displaying the Gilt Bronzes of Cartoceto di Pergola, a set of ancient gilded bronze fig…
Pitigliano
Known as "the little Jerusalem" for its historic Jewish community and working synagogue, Pitigliano is a small Tuscan hill town in the province of Grosseto s…
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…
Massa Marittima
Small Tuscan hill town in the Metalliferous Hills of Grosseto, Massa Marittima sits at the centre of a mining region historically rich in iron, mercury, copp…
Sansepolcro
Birthplace of the Renaissance painter Piero della Francesca and the mathematician Luca Pacioli, Sansepolcro is a compact Tuscan town on the upper Tiber, near…
Pinerolo
A walkable town in Piedmont, southwest of Turin on the river Chisone, with a centre full of cafés, restaurants, and historic churches.
Fénis
Fénis Castle, a well-preserved medieval fortress in the Aosta Valley of north-western Italy, is the main draw to this small village, which also sits in wine…
Susa
This little town in the Susa Valley west of Turin, at the foot of the Cottian Alps, with a concentration of Roman and medieval monuments that reflects its an…
Sutri
Sutri's ancient remains — a Roman amphitheatre carved directly into tuff rock, an Etruscan necropolis of rock-cut tombs, and a Mithraeum embedded in the cryp…
Ivrea
Ivrea earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 2018 for its mid-20th-century Olivetti complex — factories, headquarters, and surrounding modernist buildings th…
Ostuni
Widely known as "the White Town" for its whitewashed houses and medieval walls, Ostuni is a walkable Apulian hill town in the province of Brindisi with a den…
Rieti
Traditionally called the "umbilicus Italiae" — the navel of Italy — Rieti is a walkable hilltop town in Lazio whose centre is dense with historic churches an…
Santa Lucia del Mela
This densely built hilltop town in Sicily's Messina province, its stone houses climbing toward a medieval fortress above tree-covered slopes, with surroundin…
Thiene
This walkable Veneto town in the province of Vicenza, Thiene sits close to the mountains and within reach of the wine country that defines much of the surrou…
Contigliano
A small village in Lazio's wine-growing Rieti province, Contigliano sits close to the mountains and near water, with scenic surroundings and a strong photogr…
Tenno
A small Trentino village a few kilometres from Riva del Garda, Tenno sits on the slopes above Lake Garda and is home to Lake Tenno, known for its vivid blue-…
Villadossola
This compact town in Piedmont's Val d'Ossola, Villadossola sits at the mouth of the Valle Antrona and alongside the Toce river, with mountains close on sever…
Castiglion Fiorentino
A walled Tuscan hill town in the province of Arezzo, Castiglion Fiorentino sits between Arezzo and Cortona in wine-growing country, with an Etruscan archaeol…
Castel San Pietro Romano
Small hilltop village east of Rome recognised among Italy's most beautiful villages and, since 2019, named the most beautiful village in the Mediterranean —…
Poggio Bustone
A compact stone-built village rising above a broad valley in Lazio's upland country, with a bell-towered church at its crown and sweeping views over patchwor…
Nardò
A Baroque town on the Ionian coast of Salento, Nardò has a walkable historic centre dense with palaces, churches, and chapels built in the ornate local style…
Montemezzo
A tiny lakeside hamlet in Lombardy's Province of Como, Montemezzo sits at the northern end of Lake Como with mountain terrain close by and vineyards in the s…
Apricale
A small hilltop village in Liguria's Imperia province, Apricale sits in mountain country with scenic viewpoints, surrounding vineyards, and a striking number…
Cisterna d'Asti
A small hilltop village in Piedmont's wine country, Cisterna d'Asti is shaped by two landmarks that have defined it since medieval times: an 11th- or 12th-ce…
Numana
This compact Adriatic village on the Conero Riviera in the Marche region, Numana sits directly on the water with vineyards nearby and scenic viewpoints along…
Canelli
Canelli, on a bend of the river Belbo in Piedmont's Alto Monferrato, is widely regarded as the birthplace of Italian sparkling wine: the Moscato grape used t…
Pignola
Known locally as "il paese dei portali" — the town of doorways — Pignola is a small mountain town in Basilicata's Potenza province, where the historic centre…
Tomo
Compact Italian hamlet in Belluno's forested valley country, where a classical white-façade church anchors a cluster of red-tile buildings against densely wo…
Castelsardo
A photogenic coastal town on Sardinia's northwest shore, at the eastern end of the Gulf of Asinara, Castelsardo sits right on the water with scenic viewpoint…
Garzeno
A pocket-sized Lake Como-area village in Lombardy with a striking number of churches for its size, vineyards in the immediate surroundings, and scenic viewpo…
Brentonico
A snow-dusted Trentino village in the uplands above Lake Garda, where a tall stone bell tower rises above compact Alpine houses backed by forested slopes, wi…
Castelnuovo Don Bosco
This small Piedmontese hill village near the confluence of the Nevissano and Bardella rivers, Castelnuovo Don Bosco sits in deep wine country east of Turin w…
Spello
This small walled hill town on the southern flank of Monte Subasio in Umbria, Spello has an unusually dense concentration of historic churches and a café and…
Sinalunga
Modest Tuscan hill town in the province of Siena, Sinalunga sits on the ridge dividing the Val di Chiana from the Valle dell'Ombrone, with vineyards in the s…
Tricarico
This modest Basilicata town in the province of Matera holds one of the best-preserved medieval historic centres in Lucania, shaped by an Arab-Norman past and…
Cantalice
This dramatically stacked stone village in Lazio's upland country, its medieval houses and churches climbing a forested hillside above the Rieti valley, with…
Cerreto Sannita
Ceramics have defined Cerreto Sannita for centuries, and the village's planned grid of streets — rebuilt from scratch after a devastating earthquake on 5 Jun…
Amelia
A compact Umbrian hill town crowned by domed churches and stone buildings that cascade down a wooded hillside, Amelia rewards visitors with multiple religiou…
Fossombrone
Compact Marche town where a river curves through a red-tile historic centre, backed by vineyard-covered hills, with a good café and restaurant scene and a no…
Lamezia Terme
This coastal Calabrian town with a walkable centre full of cafés and churches, set between the sea and mountain views, with vineyards in the surrounding coun…
Salemi
A medieval hill town in western Sicily's Trapani province, Salemi clusters around a castle whose battlemented tower offers wide views across the landscape to…
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…
Varzi
This certified member of Italy's "Most Beautiful Villages" circuit, Varzi sits in the Oltrepò Pavese wine country of Lombardy's Pavia province, along the Sta…
Sennori
A small wine-country town in northern Sardinia, Sennori has been a member of Italy's national association of wine towns since the association's founding in 1…
Busca
This compact Piedmontese town of red-tile rooftops spread across a valley floor, Busca sits among vineyards and rolling hills with a walkable centre offering…
Termoli
This coastal town on the Adriatic in Molise, Termoli holds a medieval walled quarter alongside a lively seafront promenade lined with restaurants.
Lacco Ameno
Rebuilt after a devastating 1883 earthquake that destroyed most of its buildings, Lacco Ameno transformed from a fishing village into a thermal-spa resort on…
Stenico
This pocket-sized Trentino village set in a broad Alpine valley of terraced orchards and forested ridges, with several historic churches, nearby scenic viewp…
Uzzano
A compact Tuscan hillside village in Pistoia province, Uzzano stacks ochre-and-stone buildings up a green slope toward a crenellated bell tower, with vineyar…
Marostica
Every two years, on the second weekend of September in even-numbered years, Marostica's central square fills with costumed performers re-enacting a live ches…
Barolo
Barolo, a little Piedmontese village in the Province of Cuneo, lends its name to one of Italy's most celebrated red wines, and the surrounding Langhe vineyar…
Piuro
On 4 September 1618, a catastrophic landslide completely buried the village of Piuro — then part of the Three Leagues — killing between 1,000 and 2,500 peopl…
Benevento
Benevento is a heritage-dense hill town in Campania where the rivers Calore Irpino and Sabato meet, with a walkable centre thick with historic churches and c…
San Lorenzo Maggiore
This compact hillside village in Campania's Benevento province, its terracotta rooftops and a golden-domed church tower rising above rolling green valleys, s…
Avezzano
A compact town in Abruzzo's Marsica area with a café-filled centre and vineyards nearby, Avezzano carries a layered history: first documented in the 9th cent…
Albenga
This heritage-dense coastal town on the Gulf of Genoa, Albenga is known as the city of a hundred spires and holds a well-preserved historic centre within eas…
Sarnico
This tiny lakeside town on the western shore of Lake Iseo in Lombardy's Bergamo province, where the lake meets the River Oglio, Sarnico has a café and restau…
Sovana
This tiny hamlet in southern Tuscany's wine country carries a history well beyond its size: an Etruscan centre, a medieval and Renaissance settlement, and a…
Gerace
This compact Calabrian hill village sits atop a vertical rock formation in the Aspromonte National Park, with views stretching to the coast and the town of L…
Polcenigo
Springs, streams, and lake-like pools feed the headwaters of the Livenza river at Polcenigo, a little Friuli-Venezia Giulia village on the slopes of the West…
Mercogliano
Colorful stone houses climb a densely wooded hillside in this little Campanian town, where multiple historic churches, surrounding vineyards, and elevated vi…
Peccioli
Small Tuscan village in the Province of Pisa with an unusually lively food and café scene for its size, set among vineyards with scenic views of the surround…
Osimo
A hill town in the Marche region of Italy, a short distance south of Ancona, with a centre dense in historic churches and vineyard country in the surrounding…
Acri
Densely built hilltop town in Calabria's Cosenza province, Acri stacks terracotta-roofed stone houses up a wooded summit crowned by a ruined tower, with upla…
Recanati
Birthplace of the poet Giacomo Leopardi and the tenor Beniamino Gigli, Recanati is a tiny hilltop town in the Marche region known as "the city of poetry." It…
Sorano
Built on a tuff outcrop above the Lente River, this medieval hill village in southern Tuscany sits in mountain wine country with scenic views across the surr…
Fosdinovo
From the 14th to the 18th century, Fosdinovo served as the capital of an independent marquisate ruled by the Malaspina family, whose imperial standing was su…
Cosenza
Walkable southern Italian city in Calabria with a café-dense centre, a historic quarter — Cosenza vecchia — climbing toward the Pancrazio hill, and a scatter…
Mola di Bari
Focaccia from Mola di Bari's bakeries has long been a point of local pride in this Adriatic fishing town in Apulia, refounded by Charles I of Anjou in 1277 o…
Montignoso
A tiny Tuscan town positioned between the Apuan Riviera and the Versilia coast, Montignoso sits where the mountains of Massa-Carrara meet the sea, with Forte…
Chieri
This town on the southeastern slopes of the Turin hills, Chieri has a medieval centre laid out in a circular plan with streets radiating toward its cathedral…
Villa Santa Maria
Known since the 13th century for producing professional cooks, Villa Santa Maria in Abruzzo's Chieti province carries the informal title "Patria dei cuochi"…
Acqui Terme
Hot sulphur springs have drawn visitors to Acqui Terme since the Roman era, when the town was known as Aquae Statiellae, and a 19th-century pavilion called L…
Arquata del Tronto
The only municipality in Europe contained within two national parks — the Monti Sibillini to the north and Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga to the south — this…
Mamoiada
Mamoiada, a small village in Sardinia's mountainous Barbagia region, is known across the island for its traditional carnival, in which participants wear the…
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…
Bagnacavallo
Bagnacavallo, a small wine-country town in Emilia-Romagna, gave its nickname to the Renaissance painter Bartolomeo Ramenghi.
Crodo
A small village in Piedmont's Valle Antigorio with a disproportionate number of churches and a handful of cafés and restaurants for its size, Crodo sits alon…
Montone
This walled medieval hill village in Umbria, north of Perugia, sits at the high point of a ridge above the confluence of two Tiber tributaries, with scenic v…
Ronciglione
This modest town in the Cimini mountains of Lazio, Ronciglione sits on tuff scarps above Lake Vico, the crater lake of a former volcano, and holds membership…
Massa
Once the capital of the Duchy of Massa and Carrara during its medieval peak, this Tuscan town sits between the Apuan Alps and the Tyrrhenian Sea, with a heri…
Corinaldo
Birthplace of Saint Maria Goretti and producer of Verdicchio wine, Corinaldo is a pocket-sized walled town in the Marche region of central Italy, listed amon…
Procida
This little island off the Naples coast, between Cape Miseno and Ischia, has a café and restaurant scene, a concentration of historic churches, and vineyards…
Offida
This modest hill village in the Marche region of Italy, Offida sits on a rocky spur between two river valleys with mountain views, and holds an unusual conce…
Cori
This hill town in the Monti Lepini of Lazio with around 3,300 years of continuous settlement, Cori — known in antiquity as Cora — sits above vineyards and re…
Correggio
Correggio, in Emilia-Romagna's wine country, gave its name to the Renaissance painter Antonio Allegri, known simply as "il Correggio," and was ruled from 151…
San Daniele del Friuli
San Daniele del Friuli, a little town in Friuli-Venezia Giulia northwest of Udine, is best known as the production centre of its eponymous DOP prosciutto, ce…
Torre Annunziata
Torre Annunziata sits directly above the buried Roman settlement of Oplontis, whose archaeological area has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, lis…
Bojano
A little town in Molise's Campobasso province with a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, and an unusual concentration of historic churches.
Garessio
This pocket-sized Piedmontese village in the Ligurian Alps known for its mineral water, Aqua San Bernardo, which drew spa visitors at the turn of the twentie…
Mondovì
This hill town in Piedmont's Cuneo province with a compact, café-lined centre, a concentration of historic churches, and a position deep in the wine country…
Andria
Castel del Monte, the 13th-century hilltop castle built by Emperor Frederick II and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the defining landmark of this large…
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…
Chieti
This ancient Abruzzo town sits between the Pescara and Alento rivers, within sight of the Gran Sasso and Majella mountains and a short distance from the Adri…
Mazzarino
This small Sicilian town in the province of Caltanissetta with an unusual concentration of churches for its size, set in wine-growing country with vineyards…
Fermo
A hill town in the Marche region of central Italy, Fermo sits on the Sabulo ridge a short distance from the Adriatic coast, with mountain views in the other…
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.
Campi Salentina
This pocket-sized town in Salento, Puglia, set among vineyards and with an unusual concentration of churches for its size.
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…
Bortigiadas
This compact hillside village of terracotta-roofed houses rising through dense Mediterranean scrub in Sardinia's Gallura uplands, Bortigiadas rewards slow tr…
Tavagnasco
Small village in Piedmont's Dora Baltea valley, north of Turin, Tavagnasco sits on the river with mountain terrain close by and vineyards in the surrounding…
Casale Monferrato
Sitting on the right bank of the Po in Piedmont's deep wine country, Casale Monferrato is a walkable town with a centre full of cafés and churches.
Vetralla
A modest hilltop town in Viterbo province, Vetralla sits on a shoulder of Monte Fogliano in the heart of northern Lazio wine country, with cafés and restaura…
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.
Radda in Chianti
This small Tuscan village in the heart of Chianti wine country, between Florence and Siena, with a café and restaurant scene that is unusually rich for its s…
Pedara
This compact Sicilian town on the slopes of Etna, a short drive north of Catania, with a centre concentrated with historic churches, cafés, and restaurants,…
Capranica
This modest town in the Tuscia area of Lazio, Capranica sits on the ancient Via Cassia and along the route of the Via Francigena pilgrimage road, with vineya…
Barge
A compact Piedmontese town where a colonnaded municipal palace and a café-lined main square open onto wine-growing plains, with upland country close by and t…
Bisignano
A small hill town in Calabria's Crati valley, Bisignano sits between the Pollino and Sila National Parks with vineyards in the surrounding countryside and a…
Tortona
A walkable Piedmontese town on the right bank of the Scrivia river, between the plain of Marengo and the foothills of the Ligurian Apennines, Tortona sits in…
Ferentillo
Split by the Nera river into two small borghi — Matterella and Precetto — this Umbrian village sits in a river valley in the Province of Terni, with vineyard…
Atina
A small village in Frosinone province, Lazio, with several historic churches and a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size.
Ceglie Messapica
This walkable Apulian town in the Salento area of Brindisi province, Ceglie Messapica has a whitewashed historic centre of narrow stone-paved lanes, many chu…
Montesarchio
A tiny city in Campania's Valle Caudina, Montesarchio sits at the foot of Monte Taburno in the heart of Samnite wine country, with cafés and restaurants in i…
Erice
Sitting on the summit of Monte Erice above Trapani in western Sicily, this medieval hilltop village retains its ancient Elymian-Punic fortifications, cobbled…
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…
Parabita
A pocket-sized town in the Salento interior of Apulia, Parabita has an unusual concentration of historic churches for its size and sits among vineyards with…
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…
Vendrogno
This small hamlet above Lake Como, now part of Bellano in Lombardy's Lecco province, sits in wine-growing country with scenic views toward the lake and surro…
Battipaglia
Buffalo mozzarella production has made Battipaglia one of the most productive agricultural centres on the Sele Plain in Campania, southern Italy.
Sabbioneta
Jointly inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List with Mantua in 2008, Sabbioneta is a small village in Lombardy's Mantova province, sitting near the north…
Vinchio
A pocket-sized Piedmontese hamlet dominated by a broad-towered brick church, set among rolling wine-country hills with distant Alpine peaks on the horizon an…
Schio
A heritage-dense town in the Vicenza province of Veneto, Schio sits close to the Little Dolomites and Mount Pasubio, with a walkable centre that holds a conc…
Vasto
An Adriatic coastal town in Abruzzo with a walkable historic centre dense with churches, restaurants, and wine bars, Vasto sits where the mountains of inland…
Cassino
Cassino, a town in southern Lazio at the foot of Monte Cairo, is defined by two things: the Abbey of Montecassino, founded by St.
Grugliasco
A walkable town square anchored by a tall medieval brick clock tower draws visitors to Grugliasco's lively café and market scene, just a short distance from…
Montevecchia
A modest Lombardy village in the hills of the Brianza northeast of Milan, Montevecchia sits at the centre of a regional park — the Parco regionale di Monteve…
Viverone
A pocket-sized village on the shore of Lago di Viverone — the third-largest lake in Piedmont — with an unusual concentration of cafés, restaurants, and churc…
Polignano a Mare
Cliffs dropping straight into the Adriatic Sea define the old quarter of this small Apulian town south of Bari, where the historic centre sits on a rocky pro…
Vibo Valentia
Built on the site of the ancient Greek city of Hipponion and later the Roman colony of Valentia, Vibo Valentia is a Calabrian town on the Costa degli Dei wit…
Mottola
This hilltop town in Apulia's Taranto province with a concentration of historic churches in its centre, Mottola sits high on the Murgia plateau with sweeping…
Nizza Monferrato
A pocket-sized agricultural and commercial town in the heart of Monferrato, one of Italy's most recognized wine-producing areas, Nizza Monferrato sits in the…
Agnone
Bell-making has defined Agnone for nearly a thousand years: the Marinelli Bell Foundry, founded in 1040 and authorised to display the papal coat of arms, sti…
Fossano
A walkable Piedmontese town in the province of Cuneo, Fossano has a centre dense with historic churches and cafés, set against a backdrop of surrounding vine…
Agropoli
This coastal town at the start of the Cilentan Coast on the Tyrrhenian Sea, Agropoli has a walkable centre with a good spread of cafés and restaurants, viney…
Spinazzola
This little Apulian town in the Alta Murgia national park, Spinazzola sits on the border with Basilicata — a boundary redrawn in 1811 when Joachim Murat tran…
Squinzano
Wine country defines Squinzano, a pocket-sized town in Apulia's Salento region where the local Squinzano DOC — a red and rosé made chiefly from the Negroamar…
Chiaramonte Gulfi
Called the Balcony of Sicily for its hilltop position, Chiaramonte Gulfi looks out over the Ippari Valley and the Mediterranean to the south, Mount Etna to t…
San Severo
This wine-country town in Apulia's Foggia province, San Severo sits at the foot of the Gargano spur with a compact centre holding a concentration of historic…
Moncucco Torinese
A pocket-sized Piedmontese village in the wine country between Turin and Asti, Moncucco Torinese holds a 14th-century castle that now houses a Museum of Chalk.
Sulmona
Sulmona, in the Abruzzo region of central Italy, has been producing confetti — the sugar-coated almond sweets — for centuries, and the tradition remains cent…
Carema
Carema red wine defines this tiny Piedmontese village near the border with the Aosta Valley, where vineyards cling to rocky slopes above the settlement.
Portici
This densely built town on the Bay of Naples, Portici has a walkable centre with a strong food-and-drink scene, a concentration of historic churches, and lis…
Mezzojuso
Founded around 1444 by Albanian stradioti soldiers sent by George Castriot Skanderbeg to aid the King of Aragon, Mezzojuso is a Sicilian hill village southea…
Burgio
Dense honey-colored stone houses rise directly from exposed limestone rock faces in this little Sicilian village in Agrigento province, crowned by a clock to…
Oschiri
A pocket-sized Sardinian wine-country town at the foot of Monte Limbara, Oschiri has a compact central core with cafés and restaurants and sits within reach…
Grumo Appula
Small Apulian town in the Alta Murgia National Park, Grumo Appula sits in olive-grove and vineyard country inland from Bari, with an unusual concentration of…
Teglio
Palazzo Besta, one of the principal Renaissance residences in Lombardy, is the centrepiece of this tiny Valtellina town in the Province of Sondrio — the sett…
Ruvo di Puglia
Ruvo di Puglia, a town on the Murge plateau in Apulia's Bari metropolitan area, holds the Jatta National Archaeological Museum, whose Hellenistic collection…
Castiglione della Pescaia
A Tuscan seaside town in the Grossetan Maremma, Castiglione della Pescaia grew around a 12th-century medieval fortress and a large fishery — the latter givin…
Mongardino
A tiny hamlet in Piedmont's wine country, just south of Asti, with an unusual number of churches for its size.
Bard, Aosta Valley
Fort Bard, a 19th-century fortified complex built by the House of Savoy on a rocky prominence above the village, now houses the Museum of the Alps and hosts…
Giovinazzo
A walkable Adriatic town in Apulia with a centre full of cafés, restaurants, and historic churches, Giovinazzo sits a short drive from Bari on the southeaste…
Angri
Densely built Campanian town spread across a broad plain, with a volcanic peak dominating the skyline, a walkable centre of cafés and restaurants, and vineya…
Parella
A little Canavese hamlet north of Turin, Parella is home to a castle dating from the 13th to 17th centuries, with frescoes and paintings, and included in the…
Dogliani
Dolcetto di Dogliani, a red wine produced from the vineyards that cover much of this compact Piedmontese town's surrounding hills, gives Dogliani its cleares…
Modolo
This tiny Sardinian hamlet in the Province of Oristano sits at the water's edge with vineyards in the immediate surroundings and scenic views in the wider la…
Bonnanaro
This compact Sardinian village of terracotta rooftops and a stone church tower, set in rolling green hills with a dramatic rocky peak as backdrop and vineyar…
Bova
This small Calabrian village southeast of Reggio Calabria is considered the cultural capital of Greek-speaking Calabria, part of one of the two remaining Gri…
Gemonio
This compact Lombardy village in the Province of Varese sits close to the water and mountains, with a striking number of churches for its size and a handful…
Randazzo
Sitting at the northern foot of Mount Etna, Randazzo is the closest town to the volcano's summit and one of the main starting points for the ascent.
Maruggio
This compact Apulian town in the province of Taranto whose historic centre was largely built by the Knights of Malta, who governed the area from 1317 to 1819…
Rovigo
A walkable town in the Veneto with a heritage-dense centre, many historic churches, and a café and restaurant scene spread through its streets, Rovigo sits c…
Novi Ligure
This walkable town in Piedmont with a café-filled centre, Novi Ligure sits north of Genoa at a historic crossroads between the Ligurian coast and the Po Plai…
Esporlatu
This compact Sardinian hamlet of red-tile rooftops spread across a forested valley bowl, ringed by densely wooded hills, with nearby vineyards, historic chur…
Sermoneta
Walled hill village in Lazio's Latina province, Sermoneta is anchored by a massive castle built by the Annibaldi family and expanded by the Caetani in the 13…
Aggius
Small Sardinian village in the granite highlands of Gallura, Aggius sits at the foot of a rocky ridge and holds a well-preserved medieval centre recognised a…
Acquapendente
Pocket-sized town in northern Lazio with a café and restaurant scene that would suit a town twice its size, Acquapendente also has a tradition of pottery cra…
Fabriano
Handmade paper production has defined Fabriano for centuries, earning this Apennine town in the Marche region a place on UNESCO's Creative Cities network und…
Cerignola
This wine-country town in Apulia's Foggia province, Cerignola has a walkable centre with a real café and restaurant scene and a concentration of historic chu…
Partanna
A little Sicilian town in the Trapani province with an unusual concentration of churches for its size, Partanna sits in deep wine country in south-western Si…
Villaurbana
Small Sardinian village in the Oristano province where weathered stone-and-plaster architecture lines quiet streets, sitting within easy reach of the island'…
Alliste
A small town in the lower Salento area of Puglia, Alliste sits in wine-growing country with vineyards nearby and an unusually high concentration of historic…
Bisceglie
A walkable Adriatic town in Puglia with a dense food-and-drink scene, a historic centre thick with churches, and easy access to the region's wine country.
Frigento
This village in Campania's Avellino province with an unusual number of churches for its size, set in the wine-growing Irpinia area and listed among I Borghi…
Mesagne
A walkable town in Apulia's Salento region with a centre full of cafés, restaurants, and churches showing examples of Puglian Baroque — on private buildings…
Trani
Trani's Romanesque cathedral, rising directly above the Adriatic, anchors an Apulian port town whose historic centre is dense with medieval churches, monaste…
Codrongianos
Compact Sardinian village spread across rolling upland country near Sassari, with terracotta rooftops visible from the surrounding hills, several historic ch…
Casarano
This town in the Salento area of Apulia, Lecce province, with a compact centre holding a concentration of historic churches — among them the Church of Santa…
Alcamo
Heritage-dense town at the foot of Monte Bonifato in western Sicily, Alcamo has a compact centre thick with historic churches, cafés, and listed buildings, w…
Foglianise
This compact city in Campania's Benevento province, Foglianise sits in deep wine country with an unusual concentration of churches and cafés for its size.
Venosa
Birthplace of the Latin poet Horace, Venosa is a little town in Basilicata's Vulture area with an unusual concentration of historic churches for its size and…
Isola di Capo Rizzuto
This modest coastal town in Calabria's Crotone province, Isola di Capo Rizzuto sits directly on the water and holds an unusual concentration of churches for…
Sonnino
Pocket-sized hill town in Lazio's Latina province, Sonnino sits in mountain terrain amid wine-growing country and holds a notable concentration of historic c…
Rivoli
This Piedmontese town just west of Turin, Rivoli rewards visitors with a walkable centre of historic churches, surrounding vineyards, and a grand multi-store…
Castrovillari
This southern Italian town in Calabria's Cosenza province, Castrovillari sits against a dramatic backdrop of snow-capped mountains and offers a walkable cent…
Ruffano
This small Salento town in Lecce province sits among vineyards in the lower Salento hills of Puglia, and holds an unusually high concentration of historic ch…
Eboli
A compact town in Campania's Salerno province with a centre of cafés, restaurants, and historic churches, Eboli sits close to vineyards and the water's edge.
Boscoreale
Wine-growing town on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, Boscoreale sits within the Vesuvius National Park and is known for Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio, the wine a…
Quattrograna
A tiny hamlet in Campania's Avellino province, Quattrograna sits at the water's edge with vineyard-covered surroundings, a surprising number of churches and…
Mazara del Vallo
Seafront Sicilian town in Trapani province where a walkable historic centre packs in dense café culture, a wealth of old churches, and easy access to nearby…
Arvier
A compact Alpine village in Italy's Valle d'Aosta, Arvier sits beside the river amid terraced vineyards, with several churches, a handful of local restaurant…
Santa Maria
A tiny Tuscan hamlet in Arezzo's wine-growing hills, Santa Maria sits at the water's edge with a surprising density of churches, nearby heritage architecture…
Italian wine towns: quick answers
Which Italian wine towns can you visit on a day trip from Rome, Naples or Florence?
Rieti, Ronciglione and Sutri are among 20 wine towns on our day trips from Rome. Frigento, Cerreto Sannita and Montesarchio are among 19 wine towns on our day trips from Naples. And Sansepolcro, Bagnacavallo and Uzzano are among 17 wine towns on our day trips from Florence.
Where are Italy's less-touristed wine towns?
Wandering Well lists 209 wine towns across Italy. The most are in Cuneo (9), Torino (9), Sassari (9), Lecce (7) and Asti (7).