T.all the world knows Venice, Florence, Rome and millions of people have visited them or wish to visit them. Of course, they are unique cities for the intensity of monuments, atmospheres, wealth of details, even minor ones, perfectly inserted.
So beautiful and appreciated that they suffer from the phenomenon of “overtourism”, the excess of tourism; as happened in Venice in 2019, so much so that the authorities are thinking about putting a limit on visits.
But Italy is not only this, it is very rich in cities, villages, less famous but equally beautiful and interesting towns. Here we report five, but it is only a tiny sample.
Ivrea
The castle of Ivrea (Photo Alamy / Ipa).
The capital of the Canavese, a Unesco heritage site, is a small, ancient city, closely linked with the history of Olivetti. Collection and elegant, has an ancient historical center which among other things is the scenario of the “Battle of the oranges” during the carnival period.
It is pleasant to walk among squares and ancient streets from Cathedral of S. Maria Assunta, of the IV century, a Piazza Castello, surrounded by the bell towers of the Cathedral, the Vescovado, the Capitular Cloister, the Giacosa Theater.
The city is dominated by the important Castle from the end of the 14th century, but what is truly unique is the MAAM, the open-air museum of modern architecture of Ivrea, connected to the cultural commitment of Olivetti in various fields and the cultural contexts in which these events are located.
There is no shortage of excellent hotels and restaurants: the Villino della Vigna del Belvedere, surrounded by “historic” vineyards where Kin is produced, an exceptional Erbaluce di Caluso.
Vigevano
Vigevano (Pv), Castello Sforzesco (Photo Alamy / Ipa).
The heart of this small city, one of the most beautiful in Italy, is attributed to none other than Bramante and Leonardo da Vinci: it is the Piazza Ducale, a square from the end of the fifteenth century where everything is elegant and harmonious, an antechamber to the neighbor Visconti-Sforza Castle, one of the largest in Europe.
But the square and the castle aside, just stroll through the center to experience a condensation of refined Italian province. There are beautiful shops, elegant cafes, but also a cultural fervor, combined with a feeling of intelligent “industriousness”, difficult to find.
The remarkable Shoe Museum, where you can follow the evolution of footwear fashion from the 15th century to the 70s.
The city is also worth a visit for the number of excellent restaurants it offers:
- The Chestnuts, via Ottobiano 8/20, tel. 0381 42860, high level local cuisine.
ristoranteicastagni.com - The Ciuca Goose, via XX Settembre 35, tel. 0381 348091, for lunch there is also a bistro with small tastings.
ocaciuca.it - Villa Necchi, via Cavalier Vittorio Necchi 4, Gambolo, tel. 0381 092601, elegant and refined.
villanecchi.it
Carrara
Piazza Alberica, Carrara (Photo Alamy / Ipa).
Known throughout the world for its marbles it is, however, little known for its architectural beauties and pleasantness; clouded, perhaps, by the nearby Versilia, Pietrasanta, Lucca, Pisa.
Certainly the famous marble is its soul: historical, cultural, commercial and landscape, just look at the splendid Apuan Alps as a backdrop to realize this.
The heart of the city is Alberica square with the floor that looks like a sample of Apuan marbles. In the center, the statue of Beatrice D’Este. Not far away the Cathedral of S. Andrea, Romanesque-Gothic; the Theater of the Animosi, the modern fountain of Piazza D’Armi.
To visit the CARMI, Carrara and Michelangelo museum which tells of the close link between the city and the great artist.
Cultural heart is theAcademy of Fine Arts, inaugurated 250 years ago and a renowned university ever since. But the city must be discovered, “smelled”, among its laboratories and shops, in the narrow streets of the center and the first suburbs.
There is no shortage of places to eat local specialties. To report Ciccio in Marina di Carrara, one of the best fish restaurants in the area:: wonderful raw oysters, seafood. About 60 €.
- Ciccio, Marina di Carrara, viale da Verrazzano, 1, right at the corner with viale XX Settembre, tel. 0585 780286.
cicciomarina.com
Gubbio
Gubbio, Palazzo dei Consoli (Photo Alamy / Ipa).
This delightful medieval town is a terrace overlooking Umbria; it is delightful to walk in the alleys with the exposed stone buildings and to look out, surprisingly, on the surrounding hills.
Heart of the city is Piazza Grande, with the beautiful Palazzo dei Consoli, an ancient building in the Gothic style, 60 meters high which dominates the city; opposite is the Palazzo del Podestà and not far away the Duomo and the Doge’s Palace.
Also worth visiting church of San Giovanni of the XII century. Also noteworthy is the Roman theatre which hosted up to 7 thousand spectators and theAntiquarium, a building with mosaics found in a Roman Domus.
But among the wonders of Gubbio there is also the Park Hotel Ai Cappuccini, a hotel housed in an ancient monastery a stone’s throw from the historic center. In the large, pleasant rooms, heated by ancient fireplaces, ancient paintings and contemporary works by artists such as Capogrossi, Arnaldo Pomodoro, Abbozzo. Remarkable the spa and the kitchen.
Benevento
Benevento, the Arch of Trajan (Photo Alamy / Ipa).
Longobard, Norman and then papal enclave for centuries, the atmosphere of the city is affected by this particular history. Rome has left a large mark on it with theArch of Trajan, the Greek theatre and the church of Santa Sofia, but it is the papal domain that is felt most today from an architectural and atmospheric point of view.
To visit, along the central Corso Garibaldi, the Paolo V Palace, a splendid late sixteenth-century structure that has many features of Mannerist architecture.
There Fortress of Rectors, it could then be a synthesis of the history of Benevento: it is in fact the result of various buildings “assembled” and brought together from various periods and functions: from the Romans to the Samnites to the Middle Ages.
Don’t miss the Duomo and the Sannio museum with the cloister of Santa Sofia.
In the city you can have an excellent lunch from Cocotte Osteria Mediterranea, where Antonio Jacoviello offers dishes such as the asparagus and vanilla taglioni, the escarole tile, the deviled chicken. About half an hour by car, a Telese Terna Krèsios, the starred chef Giuseppe Iannotti elaborates a refined cuisine.
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