From the charm of the past and the architecture that leaves you breathless, the Italian villages are among the most popular in the world. Medieval, made of houses perched or by the sea, the villages of Italy are enchanted places where time seems to stand still, where the walls that once protected them become today the keepers of unique secrets enclosed within irreplaceable landscapes. Drawing up a ranking of the most beautiful Italian villages is really difficult, Italy renowned for its artistic and architectural heritage could be defined without too much delay a great huge and enchanting village, in which some metropolis is the master of a show of unique villages and towns in the world. Each region of Italy jealously preserves a charming village and, in case you have never had the opportunity to visit them, this so different summer seems to be the perfect opportunity to check them out from our bucket list. Whether it’s for a holiday or just for a weekend away from home, we have decided to take you to discover what, according to TBS, are the essential villages during a journey to discover the Bel Paese. Are you ready to make this journey through time? Here are the Italian villages to see at least once in a lifetime
VERNAZZA – Cinque Terre
Considered one of the most beautiful seaside villages in the Cinque Terre, Vernazza is famous all over the world for its enchanting landscape, halfway between sea and rock. Founded around the year one thousand, the village of Vernazza is made of dry stone walls and fields overlooking the sea that characterize its beauty. The characteristic perched houses of a thousand different colours make it a unique architectural spectacle. The town is crossed by narrow and rapid streets that run through the entire country, up to the iconic square in front of the marina, inhabited by fishing boats. Lodges, arcades and arches intertwine with the typical colours and smells of the Ligurian gulf, giving at sunset an emotion that deserves to be lived. When you are near Vernazza, do not miss the wonderful adjacent villages that make up the renowned Cinque Terre: Monterosso, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore.
ORTA SAN GIULIO – Lake Orta
A picturesque island with a monastery on the banks of the lake. Just to describe them, San Giulio Island and its village,Orta San Giulio, already seem an incredible sight. Located on the shores of Lake Orta, in the province of Novara, Orta San Giulio is a renowned medieval village to be explored. The historical, artistic and natural heritage that it possesses makes it an indispensable tourist destination and its landscapes a unicum that we are sure you will be looking forward to. The village overlooks what is considered one of the most romantic stretches of water in Northern Italy, with princely atmospheres and a historic centre that winds its way through stone streets and shops of the past. To dominate the village, the hamlet of Legro, also called the “painted village” for its buildings decorated by artists from all over Italy and Europe. It is no coincidence that precisely this Italian excellence, was the destination chosen by the starred Italian chef Antonino Cannavacciuolo for his magnificent restaurant Villa Crespi.
CIVITA DI BAGNOREGIO – Viterbo
Known as “the country that dies” Civita di Bagnoregio is an Italian village that should be included in the bucket list of each of us by right. Despite the bleak nickname, which we will shortly explain, Civita di Bagnoregio is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy and every year it is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world, who come here to admire its timeless appearance. Located between two valleys called Fossato del Rio Torbido and Fossato del Rio Chiaro, Bagnoregio, dating back to the Etruscan era, stands in what was once called the Tiber Valley, near Lake Bolsena. Perched on a hill, the village is threatened by landslides and erosion of the soil, that’s why the name. To access it, you need to cross a 200-meter long bridge which from the nearest hill leads directly to the access to the historic centre. The village has only 11 inhabitants, although in recent years the land reclamation and restructuring works have increased thanks to the demand for tourists, one of them is Alessandro Michele, creative director of Gucci who has chosen to buy a house in this enchanted village.
MATERA – Basilicata
Considering it a village seems almost reductive, but its history and tradition make it a unique show in the world that connects it to the Italian concept of an ancient village. Matera is an Italian town and capital of the homonymous province, as well as one of the largest towns in Basilicata. It is known as Città dei Sassi (city of rocks) for the historic Sassi districts that make it one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. UNESCO World Heritage Site, Matera is a place where tradition and innovation meet today. Here it will be possible to stay in the suggestive bed and breakfast scarved into the rock and have aperitifs in revisited rooms, which have made tuff the protagonist of their architectural structures. It is said that anyone who sees Matera cannot help but be impressed by its beauty. The stones, excavated and built close to the Gravina di Matera, a deep gorge, are some of the oldest houses on earth and create a breathtaking panorama that cannot be missed at least once in a lifetime.
ALBEROBELLO – Bari
Not far from Matera, Alberobello rises, known worldwide as the “capital of the Trulli“. Alberobello is a village in Apulia that boasts a unique historical and architectural importance. The Trulli, which are the protagonists, is a conical construction of dry stone, traditional of central-southern Apulia, as well as evolution and improvement of the prehistoric Thòlos residences. In the village of Alberobello, you will be enchanted by the spectacle of the Trulli, which appear as small houses and fairy shops to be walked on foot among the characteristic streets. The most famous area to visit is those of the Monti district consisting of 1030 Trulli and from which you can enjoy a spectacular panorama thanks to the Belvedere roof terrace. In an enchantment of white and stone, Alberobello is a sight not to be missed.