Beautiful small towns in Italy that will make you dream of travel
20+ beautiful small towns in Italy to add to your Italy bucket list.
Italy is famous for many things: art, food, music, fashion, nature and pretty small towns!
All Italian itineraries foresee at least one stop in a pretty town, may it be one of the colorful villages in Cinque Terre, one of the pretty towns on the Amalfi Coast or a village in Tuscany and these destinations never disappoint.
The peculiar history of Italy as a country, meant that each town and village developed autonomously, often becoming a little city-world in its own right, and for the visitors this is a boon.
If you want to experience medieval hilltop villages, Tuscany and central Italy have some of the most beautiful in Europe.
If you are curious about coastal towns, the many kilometers of Italian coast give the option of visiting real gems, overlooking the clearest Mediterranean waters.
Looking for a fairy tale looking mountain town? A colorful village perched on a cliff seemingly defeating gravity? A town with with houses carved out of rocks, a whitewashed village, a town that seem perfect for a hobbit?
Italy has all of this and more! Out of the very many beautiful small towns in Italy, these are our favorite. we are sure as we go back to explore more, many more will get into this list.
Pin it for future reference so you can see what makes the cut!
Small towns in Italy you will love
One of the small beautiful small towns in Italy is Orvieto, a hilltop town in Umbria, the 'green heart of Italy'.
Perched on top of a tall tufa rock, Orvieto dominates the valley around it which guards like an attentive sentinel on duty. The town develops around an imposing cathedral, the duomo di Orvieto (a masterpiece of Gothic architecture), and its small roads are a delight of flowery balconies, pretty courtyard and charming souvenir shops.
As well as the duomo and the views, Orvieto is famous for another peculiarity: the incredible St Patick's well, a deep well that burrows 53mt underground and an interesting underground city with vestiges dating back to Etruscan times!
Cortona is a delightful small town in the South of Tuscany, usually known to international travelers as the setting of 'Under the Tuscan Sun'.
Cortona entirely deserves its fame however, it is way more than a pretty backdrop: the city dates back to Etruscan times and has stunning churches, beautiful museums, important art and even an eremo linked to the presence of St Francis.
Blessed with a lovely hilltop position, a pretty and historical town center and some of the best food you can ever taste, there is no doubt that Cortona is one of the most beautiful small towns in Italy and one that should not be missed.
Locorotondo is a very special small town in Puglia, characterized by a picture perfect city center that is entirely white!
The town is one of the so called 'white towns of Italy' and has whitewashed houses that positively gleam in the Southern Italian sun.
Locorotondo is small and perfect: the town is immaculately kept, the red color of geraniums on the balconies adding a coquettish touch to the whoel of the city and walking around its center simply delightful.
not to be missed here are the town churches, the lovely food and the round ancient center the town takes its name from (Locorotondo means 'round place'.
The small Italian town of Siena is a very special places. An important power during the Middle Ages, Siena is one of the best preserved historical towns in Italy, so much so that its center is UNESCO World Heritage Site for importance and beauty.
A visit here is like a visit to a distant past. The town has two main landmarks: Piazza del Campo, the medieval center of public life, and Siena's duomo, one of the most beautiful gothic cathedrals in Italy.
Around them, pretty roads meanders leading the visitor to the towns' many contrade (historical neighborhoods) and opening up towards the country with stunning views. Siena is ona hilltop and the views for its balconies and terraces are wonderful!
San Gimignano is one of most famous small towns in Italy and one of the most charming. Medieval in origin, the town is perched on the top of a hill and it retains a wonderful historical center with something special: a number of towers so high, it game it the nickname 'city of 100 towers' (appaerntly there are 72 still standing!)
San Gimignano is a dream. The town develops inside the old city walls and is a maze of small streets, beautiful piazzas and wine shops serving the local elisir: vernaccia di San Gimignano!
One of the most popular day trips from Florence, San Gimignano is one of the most beautiful medieval small towns in Italy.
Alberobello is a small Italian town like no other: while many Italian villages sport castles and towers, Alberobello sports, trulli, houses so unique to have been declared UNESCO World Heritage.
A trullo is a special type of building with a round base, whitewashed walls and a pointy gray roof and Alberobello has full areas made of them, which make it unique and unbearably pretty.
Trulli are ancient houses but stil nowadays in use: some are museums, some are private homes, many are shops and many are now guest accommodation, often of very high standard.
If you are looking for a special place to stay in one of the most beautifuln small towns in Italy, look no further than Alberobello!
The seaside town of Trani, in Puglia, is one of the prettiest towns in Italy yet one that international tourism often overlooked, maybe because overshadowned by the fame of nearny Alberobello.
Located right on the sea, Trani is a vision of cream and blue colors, a place of powerful mediterranean charm. Its town center is tiny and pretty yet has something memorable: an incredible dome that seems to come out of the water!
The cathedral of Trani is perched in the position where you would expect a lighthouse and it is built in a cream colored stone typical of the area. The visual result is out of this world beautiful: between the blue and the sea and the blue of the sky around it, Trani cathedral looks like a mirage and is it a sight that, once seen, you will never forget!
One of the most peculiar as well as one of the most beautiful small towns in Italy is wonderful Bagno Vignoni, a town famous for a central square occupied by a hot water pool!
The village of Bagno Vignoni is like no other you have ever seen. Perched on a hilltop, the town is reached by thermal waters flowing from nearby thermal srpings that feed several thermal establishments, an ancient system of mills and the most characteristic sight of the village: the water filled central square.
The town is tiny and develops around the main pool and another small square, now occupied by restaurants serving local delicacies and the delicious local wine (this is Rosso and Brunells di Montalcino country and Morellino di Scansano country, a dream for red wine lovers!)
Have you ever wondered what an 'ideal town' looks like? Well if you are in Italy you don't have to guess and the ideal town exists and it is called Pienza!
Located in Val d'Orcia, one of the most scenic parts of Tuscany, Pienza was home to Pope Pius II, who decided to ugrade the town and turn it into the embodyment of humanist perfection something that is still very visible in the planimetry of the town and its building.
Its center is a delight of small streets and piazza, it has a wonderful square with an impressiove duomo and it is home to Palazzo Piccolomini, where it is possible to admire the art of the Humanist architects at work.
On top of this, Pienza is also home to the famous cheese Pecorino di Pienza, definitely one more reason to visit this delightful Italian small town!
If you want to experience a pictupe perfect hilltop town, complete with a wonderful central square and out of this world views, then you should head to Montepulciano, one of the most scenic small towns in Italy.
Perched on a hilltop between the two powerhouses of beauty that are Val d'Orcia and Val di Chiana, Montepulciano has a wonderful main piazza dating back to Medieval and renaissance times, baeutiful terraces overlooking the valleys around and lovely restaurants where to taste the local pride and joy: the wonderful Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, one of hte most famous (and delicious) wines from Tuscany.
Sperlonga is a wonderful, whitewashed small town perched on top of a high promontory overlooking the sea in southern Lazio, between Rome and Naples.
Often overlooked by international tourists, Sperlongs is a real gem: at the feet of its rocks, you have large, soft, clean, sandy beaches, inviting you into chrystal clear waters. On top of the rock, you have a charming small town with a whitewashed walls, hidden courtyards and out of this world views onto the sea below.
If this wasn't enought, Sperlonga also has icfedible food (how could it be otherwise, with that location!) and some wonderful ancient ruins dating back to imperial Roman times.
Sperlonga goes to show that sometimes, taking the road less traveled, truly brings you to wonderful discoveries!
You know the town everyone loves? The town every visitor simply falls in love with, no matter what their background or expectations may be? That town is Lucca!
Located in northern Tuscany, Lucca is Roman in origins but grow significanly in the Middle Ages and this is the aspect of the town that is most visible today.
Entirely surrounded by walls, the city has a compact and pretty city center, some wonderful green areas, an almighty number of churches (it is called the city of 100 churches) and a unique square built on the ruins of a Roman amphitheater, piazza dell'anfiteatro!
Home town to musician Puccini, Lucca hosts a music summer each festival when the town fills with musical notes from artists of all musical genres: a wonderful experience is a wonderuful setting
Monticchiello is a beautiful small town in Italy so pretty you would think it is a backdrop to a theater performance more than a real town and to some extent, you would be right!
A pretty, medieval town, Monticchiello is a very real place with a small yet thriving population yet it is also home to a very special form of art, that of 'teatro povero' (poor theater).
Teatro povero is a form of art that sees the people of Monticchiello coming together to perform community theater, using the town as a living stage. The topics touched by their performances are usually topical and interestng and the backdrop stunning, with medieval street and sweepeing views of Val d'Orcia until the eye can see!
Italy has many pretty medieval towns and one of the prettiest of all is San Quirico d'Orica, by far one of my favorite and most beautiful small towns in Italy!
San Quirico is a vision of Tuscan stone and the quintessential medieval haven. Perched on a hill and surrounded by might walls, the town is crossed by one main street connecting two ancient Romanesque churches of simple yet stunning appearance.
Between them, pretty streets develops revealing small balconies, outdoor restaurants and the beautiful Horti Leonini, a historical garden dating from the Renaissance and still open to the public
You know the scene at the end of Ocean 12, when they meet in a coastal setting of unbelieveable beauty? That city was shot in Scopello, a pretty tiny town in Sicily!
Perched on top of a hill and overlooking stunning clear waters, Scopello develops around a small baglio, an ancient rural estate, and is a gem of the place.
The town has two main squares and offers access to la tonnara, the old tuna fishing station, and it is also close to the wonderful Riserva dello Zingaro, a protected coastal area, and marvels such as the temple of Segesta, Palermo and Erice, among the most beautiful places in Sicily.
Monteriggioni is a wonderful small village in Tuscany with something special: it is still entirely surrounded by its original medieval walls, now open to visitors!
Monteriggioni is tiny and wonderful. Perched on top of a hill, you reach it driving up a meandering road crossing olive groves and you access it, on foot only, via the historical city gate.
Inside, the town develops around a main square and has pretty streets that used to host the inhabitants of this might catle. Each year, Monteriggioni hosts a medieval festival that brings its past back to life, an incredible opportunity to visit this stunning Italian village!
Ask travelers to Sicily what they are most looking forward to see and many will answer Taormina, the glamorous small Italian town on the east of the islands. Indeed, it is hard not to fall in love with Taormina.
Perched on top of a hill, the town has a pretty center, lovely sea, stunning views of Mount Etna and something truly special: a wonderful, unique ancient theater that is, easily, one of the most beautiful ancient sites in Italy!
A popular cruise stop, Taormina is a special mix of traditional Italian charm and glamorous shops and a popular place for weddings and honeymoons and with those views and that theater, we agree is one of the most beautiful Italian small towns in Sicily and beyond!
Amalfi is the historical town that gives the name to the Amalfi Coast, one of Italy's most famous destinations and it is one of the prettiest small towns in the South of Italy you can see!
The town develops between the sea and the tall cliffs typical of this stretch of coast and has a delightful city center.
Amalfi's most famous landmark is the duomo, which opens up onto the town's main square and has a medieval cloister worth seeing.
From there, pretty, often covered alleys climb up to the higher part of the village, treating visitors to pretty shops and restaurants and, on the other side, you can reach teh sea front, with Amalfi's bewauiful and historically significant seaport.
Amalfi is the perfect base to discover this area and, in its own accord, a very pretty town you won't want to miss!
San Candido is a pretty small town in the Italian Alps and it is the perfect example of a beautiful mountian haven!
Nestled between beautiful mountains and a known base for hiking in summer and skiing in winter, San Candido has Tyrolean style architecture that makes it look like out of a fairytale. In its town center, it has two beautiful churches with tall belltowers and pretty, pointy roof that give them a distinctive Austrian appearance.
Around them, pretty houses with wooden balconies and cascading flowers flank cute streets with shops, workshops and resturants and the perfume of mountain fare fills the air, inviting you to try the many town stube and local cakes!
For moutain lovers, this is a small town not to be missed!
Montalcino is a wonderful hilltop town in Tuscany and the best small town in Italy to visit for wine lovers!
Medieval in origin, Montalcino has a pretty town center with a beautiful fortress but what sets it apart from all the others is its wine producing vacation.
Entirely surrounded by vineyards, this is the home of Rosso and Brunello, two of Italy's most famous red wines!
Montalcino is proud of its wines and in summer hosts a wonderful "Wine and Jazz Festival' that fills the summer night in the town with musical notes, washed by geenrous amount of the local elixir, a fantastic time to visit the village!
Have you ever seen a town so colorful, it looks as it if it belongs in a rainbow? If you haven't, then you must experience Burano, a small town near Venice famous for its brightly colored houses!
The town of Burano is on an island by the same name and is a real delight. Its center is characterized by canals very similar tho those in venice however, its houses ar very different as the houses have brightly colored facades, each sporting a differen shade of pink, red, green, blue and purple!
The town developed as a fishing village and the experience of the people mening the nets is said to be at the basis of one the special art Burano is known for: lace!
Lace making is a traditional craft here and the towns has a lovely museum telling its hostory and is the best place in Italy for lace shopping.
Pitigliano is a very special small town in central Italy and a place with a unique history.
Perched on top of a tall tufa hill, the houses of Pitigliano are made of the same material as the rock as the first glimpse you get od the town from the road into it, will lead you to believe the town naturally grows from the ground!
This first impact is powerful and itself a reason to visit Pitigliano, but the town is much more that its pretty locations. Know as the 'Little Jerusalem', Pitigliano has a wondeful center with an impotant Jewish quarter, beautiful architecture and overlooks a wonderful valley, beautiful to see from the town panoramic terraces. A small town that packs a punch, Pitigliano is not to be missed!
Matera is a place like no other a town so beautiful and unique, you will have to pinch yourself to be sure you are awake and not in a dream!
One of the most ancient towns in the world, Matera is unique as its center develops on a rock face, with dwellings excavated right into the rock!
The dwellings are called sassi (rocks) and they used to be place of terrible poverty yet now have been restored to host local families and visitors and they are wonderful.
The whole town is out of this world beautiful. The sassi are an incredible example of human presence mixing with nature and have wonderful rupestrian churches that have no equals in Italy.
Beside the sassi, you have the more traditional part of the city, with lovely churches and important museums.
For its uniqueness and appearance Matera is one of the most beautiful small towns in Italy and a place you will never forget!
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