227 super villages to explore on your next Italy multi-centre holiday
Touring Club Italia has ranked the best of Italy’s hidden gems, featuring villages of incredible natural beauty and tradition, ideal for an Italy multi-centre holiday.
In the small village of Morigerati in Salerno (Campania), residents are getting involved in local farming, food production and donkey rides in the National Park of Cilento and Vallo di Diano, as well as tours of the local countryside, in a bid to encourage tourism. And it’s certainly working! Since 2011, Morigerati has seen the number of tourist arrivals increase by 68%.
As Italy tourism increased in the village of Morigerati, it caught the attention of Italian tourist organisation “Touring Club Italia”. Since 1998, the Touring Club Italia has been awarding orange flags to the most virtuous, beautiful and culturally committed villages that preserve their territories throughout Italy.
This year, 20 years after the launch of the initiative, Touring Club Italia has chosen 19 new flags among hundreds of applications from all regions. To date, there are 227 "orange" villages in the whole of Italy, meaning there is plenty to explore on your next Italy multi-centre holiday.
The program, it should be remembered, is dedicated to municipalities with less than 15,000 inhabitants. The aim of the "flags" is to help the enhancement of the hinterland, its landscape, history and help improve the local economy through tourism.
Every three years, the Touring Club Italia updates its list, expanding it and verifying if the municipalities maintain the required standards. Over the last 20 years, out of over 2800 applications, only 8% have obtained the recognition, but the prize-winners have had important benefits, such as a 45% increase in tourism and 83% increase in accommodation facilities.
The Most Awarded
So far, the top-ranked Italian regions with the most “orange” villages are:
- Tuscany (with 38 awards)
- Piedmont (with 28 awards)
- The Marche (with 21 awards)
As you visit these regions on your Italy multi-centre holiday you’ll understand that each is full of ideas and initiatives that promote their unique culture.
An example of this includes the medieval village of Monteriggioni, certified since 2004. There’s also Civita, home to just 900 inhabitants, which, in seven years from its recognition, has seen an increase in tourism of 80%. Another example is Airole, home to even fewer citizens with 400 inhabitants. This Ligurian village has a multi-cultural vibe, being home to ex-pats from the Netherlands, Germany and France, which has led to an increase in diversity and tourism.
The New Villages
As we mentioned earlier, 19 new “orange” villages have been announced in 2018. Among the regions, these villages can be found in Piedmont (four villages), Lombardy and Abruzzo (three villages each).
There are places like Gressoney-Saint-Jean (in the Aosta Valley), with its Castel Savoia, a summer residence of Queen Margherita that offers wonderful walks along the valleys.
Other highly recommended destinations include San Vito al Tagliamento and its Piazza del Popolo, which is full of history, or Bellano on the shores of Lake Como, with its natural "Orrido" gorge.
There are also villages like Chiusa di Pesio with hills covered with centuries-old chestnut trees, and Ozzano Monferrato with its local gastronomic and craft traditions.
Newly Added Villages to Visit on Your Italy Multi-centre Holiday:
- Gressoney Saint Jean (in the Aosta Valley)
- Agliè (near Turin)
- Chiusa di Pesio (in Piedmont)
- Gavi (also in Piedmont)
- Ozzano Monferrato (also in Piedmont)
- Almenno San Bartolomeo (in Lombardy)
- Bellano (on the banks of Lake Como)
- Pizzighettone (in Cremona)
- Maniago (in Friuli-Venezia Giulia)
- San Vito al Tagliamento (also in Friuli-Venezia Giulia)
- Santa Fiora (Grosseto, Tuscany)
- Frontino (in The Marche region)
- Serra San Quirico (also in The Marche region)
- Fara San Martino (in Abruzzo)
- Lama dei Peligni (also in Abruzzo)
- Opi (also in Abruzzo)
- Aliano (near ancient Matera)
- Oriolo (in Calabria)
- Taverna (also in Calabria).
Get in touch
If you’d like to travel to any of the award-winning villages on this list on your Italy multi-centre holiday, our Italy experts are waiting to hear from you. Contact us via our online form today or call us at (UK) 01223 637331or (US) 347-594-5500.
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