Italian villages
Elcito: Marche's Little Stone "Tibet" at 820m
Elcito, a handful of stone houses at 820 metres beneath Monte San Vicino: fewer than five residents and a rare, total silence in the Marche.
Jun 21, 2026Elena Marchetti
Borghi, arte e storia minore
Si occupa di borghi, centri storici, chiese e siti archeologici: paesi sotto i mille abitanti e architetture fuori dalle guide turistiche ufficiali.
Guides by Elena Marchetti.
Italian villages
Vallo di Nera, the circular stone village above the river
Clinging to a spur above the river Nera, this circular-plan Umbrian village remains one of the most intact and least visited in the central Apennines.
Jun 21, 2026
Italian villages
Garessio, thermal waters and chestnut woods between the Ligurian Alps and the Langhe
Between the Ligurian Alps and the Langhe, Garessio is a Piedmontese village of thermal waters, chestnut woods and cobbled streets, perfect for those seeking quiet.
Jun 21, 2026
Italian villages
Mombaldone, the sandstone village perched above the Bormida
Mombaldone is a medieval sandstone village perched above the Bormida, between the Asti Langhe and the Ligurian Apennines, in a silent Piedmont.
Jun 21, 2026
Abbeys, hermitages and sanctuaries
Sacro Monte di Belmonte: baroque chapels overlooking the Canavese
A little-visited UNESCO heritage site, the Sacro Monte di Belmonte offers baroque chapels, woods and a sweeping view over the Piedmontese plain.
Jun 21, 2026
Italian villages
Castell'Arquato: Medieval Squares and Hillside Wines in the Val d'Arda
A stone village perched among the badlands of the Piacenza hills, where medieval squares and hillside wines can be enjoyed without queues or crowds.
Jun 21, 2026
City corners
The Via degli Asini in Brisighella: A Street That Lives Inside the Houses
In the village of Brisighella, in Romagna, the Via degli Asini runs raised and covered inside the houses, lit by irregular arches.
Jun 21, 2026
Italian villages
Pereta, the Walled Stone Village of the Maremma Hills
Among the hills of Magliano in Toscana, Pereta is a fortified medieval village where a few dozen inhabitants live in the hilly Maremma.
Jun 21, 2026
Italian villages
Climbing on Foot to Anghiari: Lanes and Workshops of the Valtiberina
In the Valtiberina near Arezzo, Anghiari rises through medieval lanes and artisan workshops: a Tuscan village to discover on foot, at your own pace.
Jun 21, 2026