These animals can cause excruciating pain and even kill you!
A charming town in the Valdichiana, or Chiana Valley, in the province of Arezzo in southern Tuscany, Cortona is enclosed by stone walls dating back to the Etruscan and Roman periods.
Picture-perfect San Gimignano is the epitome of a Tuscan hill town. Known as the "Town of Fine Towers," the destination is famous for its medieval architecture.
Borgo a Mozzano in the Tuscan province of Lucca is celebrated for its Ponte della Maddalena, a magnificent medieval bridge.
Hilltop Pienza is set in the heart of the historical region of Val d'Orcia. It is known for its Renaissance architecture and pecorino, a prized local cheese.
The name should ring a bell. This is the birthplace of Renaissance polymath Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519). The town's Museo Leonardiano di Vinci houses one of the largest collections of models constructed on the basis of his drawings.
Renowned over the centuries for its volcanic springs, the picturesque village of Bagno Vignoni is situated on a hill above the Val d'Orcia.
The rural town of Arezzo is Etruscan in origin. Rich in history and possessed of a unique cultural heritage, Arezzo remains for the most part well below the tourist radar.
The ancient village of Orta San Giulio is especially known for Isola di San Giulio, an island set within Lake Orta on which nestles the Basilica di San Giulio.
The historical center of Sirmione, a town in the province of Brescia, is set on the Sirmio peninsula, which juts out into Lake Garda. It's one of the most scenic destinations in Italy.
Malcesine snuggles the eastern shore of Lake Garda in the province of Verona. Its most prominent landmark, Castello Scaligero, is built on 13th-century foundations, though the tower dates to an older medieval period.
One of Lake Como's most appealing waterfront towns, Varenna's spruce gardens and historic villas lend the destination a wonderfully romantic quality.
Italy's mountainous South Tyrol province encloses several delightful towns and villages, including Merano. Famed as a spa resort, Merano also entices winter sports enthusiasts to its excellent skiing facilities.
Located within the Dolomites mountain range, the market town of Ortisei in Italy's South Tyrol province is centered around the beautiful little baroque church of Sant’Ulrico, recognized for its onion-shaped dome.
Brisighella is a maze of small alleyways and elevated roads, many of them covered by a bewildering array of arches. Surrounding the town are three landmark buildings: a 13th-century castle, a 16th-century church, and a 19th-century clock tower.
Picturesque Burano is an island in the Venetian Lagoon that's drawn artists to its brightly colored fishermen's houses for centuries. Burano is also known for its traditional lace-making industry.
Found in the province of Brescia, handsome Montichiari in Italy's Lombardy region holds many treasures, among them a sturdy medieval castle and one of the best-preserved Romanesque abbeys in the northern Italy.
One of the towns that distinguish the Italian Riviera, Portofino is clustered around its small harbor, which serves as a picturesque gateway to the Ligurian Sea.
One of the five towns that make up the Cinque Terre region, Vernazza is a multicolored jumble of townhouses set into the surrounding cliff face. It's arguably the most attractive destination on the Riviera.
The first of the Cinque Terre, or five towns, one meets when traveling north from La Spezia, Riomaggiore dates back to the 8th century and is characterized by typical stone houses with colored facades and slate-roofs.
Perched on a promontory and daubed in a palette of merry colors, Manarola is the Italian Riviera's Instagram favorite.
Revered as the birthplace of St. Francis (1182–1226) who founded the Franciscan religious order in the town in 1208, Assisi is one of the most famous towns in Italy. A beautiful place of peace and prayer, much of the town appears as it would have in St. Francis' day.
Orvieto unfolds like a quilt of stone across a high bluff surrounded by the Umbrian countryside. The town's art and cultural heritage is one of the richest in Italy.
San Leo in Italy's Rimini province is remarkable for its seemingly impregnable fortress, which appears chiseled from the very rock it's landed on.
Caressed by soft Mediterranean Sea breezes, charming Positano on Italy's Amalfi coast seduces the sense with its panorama of textures and colors.
Taormina is a hilltop town on the east coast of Sicily whose past encompasses the Greek, Roman, and Byzantine civilizations. Arabs, Normans, Swabians, the French, and the Spanish have also left their mark on this remarkable town. But it is Taormina's ancient Greek theater, built in the 3rd century, that's the real crowd-pleaser.
Ortigia Island is the historical center of the city of Syracuse and widely considered one of the most beautiful destinations in Sicily.
Sardinia has much to offer the visitor, but make sure you explore the small village of Bosa. The colorful old quarter, known as Sa Costa, lies around the medieval Serravalle Castle.
The quaint village of Alberobella is famous for its collection of curious conical-roofed whitewashed structures, clustered in pockets like huge wild fungi and known as trulli.
Anchored in the Bay of Naples, Capri deserves a mention for its landscape of wild beauty sculpted by wind, sea, and centuries of human occupation, dating back at least to Roman times.
Perched precariously on narrow ledges in the mountains of Potenza, in the southern Italian region of Basilicata, wonderfully remote and evocative Castelmezzano is often nominated for the title of the most beautiful village in the country.
Enjoying a magical and surreal location set half-way between Orvieto and Lake Bolsena, this amazing citadel can only be reached by crossing a narrow pedestrian bridge. Civita di Bagnoregio is sometimes called the "city that is dying" due to the constant erosion of the rock on which it is placed.
Found in Italy's Basilicata region, Matera served as European Capital of Culture for 2019.
Sources: (Biography) (The Guardian)
See also: Doing the Dolomites: Exploring Italy's iconic mountain range
Another astonishingly beautiful Tuscan town, medieval Sienna is an architectural time warp of historic buildings set around a central square.
Italy is a land of exceptional beauty. Blessed with an astonishingly varied landscape that encompasses snow-capped mountains, rolling pastureland, crystalline lakes, and a vast salt-laced coastline, Italy really is a land of contrast. Lending the country character is a collection of towns and villages noted for their singular locations and architectural splendor. And they are yours to explore!
Click through and discover the country's most beguiling destinations.
Italy's most beguiling towns and villages
They are yours to explore!
TRAVEL Europe
Italy is a land of exceptional beauty. Blessed with an astonishingly varied landscape that encompasses snow-capped mountains, rolling pastureland, crystalline lakes, and a vast salt-laced coastline, Italy really is a land of contrast. Lending the country character is a collection of towns and villages noted for their singular locations and architectural splendor. And they are yours to explore!
Click through and discover the country's most beguiling destinations.