It started with a conversation in a train station café in Rome—one of those spontaneous, caffeine-fueled chats with an older Italian woman who asked where I was headed. When I listed the usual spots, she smiled gently and said, “You haven’t seen beautiful Italy until you’ve felt its old soul.”
That line stayed with me.
I decided to go off-script, stepping away from the bigger cities and seeking out the towns in Italy that felt suspended in time.
You won’t need weeks to see the best towns in Italy; with the proper planning, a thoughtfully paced itinerary can take you through ancient cobblestone streets, sun-warmed piazzas, and hillside hamlets without burning out your mind or your wallet.
Vazzano: Where Time Moves to a Different Rhythm
In my opinion, this is among the very best small towns in Italy.
Tucked into the hills of Calabria, this little-known village doesn’t try to impress. It simply exists, quietly and beautifully, as it always has. When I arrived, it was as though someone had turned down the volume of modern life.
Walking its narrow cobblestone streets, I was struck by how little had changed. Stone houses leaned into one another like old friends. Weather-worn doors stood open, revealing lace curtains and kitchens where generations of families had gathered.
Elderly residents greeted me with a nod or a curious glance, and I couldn’t help but wonder what stories these quiet streets could tell.
However, the Festa di San Francesco truly made me feel like I had entered another era.
Though the saint’s official feast day is in April, Vazzano holds its celebration at the end of August—a decision that feels more like tradition than scheduling. Saint Francis of Paola, born in 1416 and beloved across Calabria, is honored here with a long weekend that’s more than a festival—it’s a living memory.
The event dates back to the 13th century and has been handed down with care and reverence. People parade through the streets in traditional dress, women hang tapestries from their balconies, and men carry a giant statue through the village while bands play the same brass melodies that have rung through these hills for centuries.
I watched fireworks light up the night sky above terracotta roofs, feeling entirely suspended between past and present. It was a celebration of faith, yes, but also of identity, resilience, and deep-rooted belonging.
If you’re searching for small towns in Italy where the past hasn’t just been preserved, but is still actively lived, Vazzano is that place. Doing so gives you the rare chance to see, hear, and feel what it’s like to be a part of something ancient and enduring.
Matera: The City Carved from Stone
Technically a city, Matera made me feel like I had stepped into another era entirely. This isn’t surprising, as it’s Europe’s oldest city and the third oldest city in the entire world.
The Sassi district—ancient cave dwellings carved into limestone—creates a storybook setting that looks like a film set. In fact, it has happened many times. In Italy, towns like this often make it to the Big Screen (it’s hard not to when they’re so stunning).
I arrived just before dusk, the golden light hitting the stone walls like something from a painting. I wandered, letting myself get lost in staircases that led to more staircases, doors that opened into centuries-old courtyards, and tiny grocers selling just three or four items, all grown nearby.
I spent hours just sitting on terraces, watching the sky change color. One morning, I joined a local guide for a walk through the more hidden corners of the Sassi and learned about the families who once lived in a single room with their animals, using ancient water systems that still function today.
There’s a haunting beauty here that lingers even after you’ve gone. Matera isn’t just one of the most beautiful cities in Italy; it’s an echo of the country’s ancient heart.
Placanica: One of the Magical Italian Villages on a Hill
Placanica felt like a secret whispered by the land itself. Tucked deep in Calabria’s hills, this small Italian town looks out over terraced fields and thick forests, anchored by the Castello degli Arcadi, built in 1283, and the 15th-century Dominican Convent.
Getting there is a journey through time, including winding roads lined with cypress trees, stone ruins half-swallowed by brush, and the occasional stray dog or cat ambling across the path.
I was a stranger in this small town in Italy, but only for a moment. We organized a tour with the local Pro Loco, the volunteer non-profit organization in many small Italian towns that promotes the local area and its cultural heritage.
Our guide led us through the town, beginning with a walk up to the convent. We didn’t speak the same language, but our shared silence felt meaningful.
The church was small but steeped in centuries of devotion—frescoes faded over time, incense hanging thick in the air, candles flickering like whispers from the past.
Placanica is deeply rooted in tradition and rhythm. Of all the small towns in Italy I’ve explored, Placanica made me feel like I was walking through a memory of a time not quite forgotten in the present.
If you’re searching for a place where time slows and the past breathes softly through the stones, this is it.
Craco: The Ghost Village Frozen in Time
Craco gave me chills in the best, most unforgettable way.
Perched on a hill in the Lucanian badlands, this is one of the abandoned villages in Italy that feels like a doorway into another world. Once home to hundreds, Craco was slowly evacuated after landslides and earthquakes in the 20th century left it unstable.
What remains today is a ghost town, eerily intact and cloaked in silence. It’s like walking through a photograph that’s somehow still alive.
I booked a guided tour (this is required for safety, as you cannot wander the ghost town alone) and met my small group at the edge of town. We were handed helmets, a surreal detail that only heightened the otherworldly atmosphere.
As we stepped through crumbling archways and into buildings filled with half-forgotten remnants—tables, chairs, framed photos—it felt like the people of Craco had vanished mid-sentence.
The wind whistled through empty windows. The church tower stood proudly against the sky, a sentinel over the valley below. The land rolls out in soft, golden hills, but Craco’s stillness made even the most beautiful view feel sacred.
Craco hasn’t been polished or restored, but has undoubtedly been respected. It tells its story through decay and silence, asking you to lean in and listen.
If you’re drawn to the best towns to visit in Italy that offer more than just charm—places that provoke thought, feeling, and awe—Craco belongs on your list. It’s not just one of the most beautiful towns in Italy. It’s a living reminder of how time leaves its indelible mark.
Pompeii: Ancient Ruins That Still Feel Alive
Pompeii may be one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world, but stepping into it still felt like discovering a secret. Preserved beneath layers of ash from the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D., the city is a remarkably intact time capsule.
Walking its ancient streets gave me goosebumps. I wasn’t merely observing history; I was walking through it.
It’s easy to forget how expansive Pompeii is until you’re wandering past temples, marketplaces, and private villas all in a single afternoon. What struck me most, though, wasn’t the grand structures. It was the quiet intimacy of the small things, from seeing bakery ovens to a tavern’s painted menu on a wall, and even the delicate mosaics in courtyards that once echoed with conversation and laughter.
One hallway bore graffiti from someone centuries ago, of people declaring their love. I paused at a set of preserved footprints left by a dog, frozen in time. These moments brought Pompeii to life, making it feel more like a once-bustling town than a relic of the past.
The plaster casts of those who perished are sobering, yes, but also profoundly human. They remind you that Pompeii wasn’t an exhibit, but a real community. Walking through it, I felt an unexpected sense of connection and deep emotion, as if the past had reached out to touch the present.
Taormina: The Theatre of the Gods
Taormina clings to Sicily’s eastern cliffs like a secret waiting to be rediscovered. With the Ionian Sea glittering below and Mount Etna smouldering in the distance, it’s hard to believe this town isn’t part of a myth.
At the heart of it all is the ancient Greek theater. Carved into the hillside in the 3rd century B.C., its wide, sweeping tiers overlook the sea in a way that feels orchestrated by the gods. Sitting there, I closed my eyes and could almost hear the echo of ancient dialogue and the rustle of togas. It’s not just ruins; it’s an experience.
Taormina isn’t frozen in time. Life pulses through every alley and courtyard.
The air smells of citrus trees and sea spray, and balconies overflow with geraniums. I browsed ceramic shops where artisans shaped clay using centuries-old techniques, and I lingered over granita at a café where locals debated politics with the same passion as poetry.
There’s an undeniable romance in Taormina’s bones. Writers, painters, and travellers have fallen under its spell for generations, and I quickly understood why. The place carries the soul of an Italian village, the elegance of a bygone age, and the warmth of the present.
It’s easily one of the most beautiful towns in Italy and is a destination that lives somewhere between memory and dream.
Torino: One of the Most Beautiful Cities in Italy
Torino (yes, it’s officially a city) felt like a small town dressed in royal finery. Its sweeping boulevards and baroque façades give it an air of aristocratic elegance, but once you step into the historic center on foot, it transforms into something quieter, more intimate. There’s a softness to its grandeur, a timelessness that seeps into your bones.
I began at Porta Palazzo Market, where the heartbeat of daily life echoes through stalls of local produce, spices, and chatter. It’s one of the largest open-air markets in Europe, but it didn’t feel overwhelming.
Torino’s cafés are portals. I sat beneath a chandelier at Caffè Al Bicerin, a place serving its signature drink—a velvety mix of espresso, hot chocolate, and cream—since the 18th century. Sipping it, I could imagine the thinkers and revolutionaries who once warmed their hands around the same Torinese drink.
Later, I wandered the old Roman Quarter, where ruins peek out between vintage boutiques and jazz murmurs from hidden clubs. It’s a place where the past and the present coexist without tension.
Of all the most beautiful cities in Italy, it may be the one that surprises you most. It’s a city that moves at the pace of a small Italian town, and that’s its magic.
Montepulciano: A Toast to the Past
There’s something utterly intoxicating about Montepulciano. This Tuscan hill town feels like a living fresco, painted with vineyard greens, terracotta rooftops, and golden light that softens everything it touches.
I arrived on a mist-veiled morning, where the hills rolled like waves beneath a pewter sky. The town stirred gradually, like a dream easing into consciousness. As I climbed the cobblestone lanes, passing weathered wooden doors and flower boxes heavy with geraniums, I could feel the modern world slipping away behind me.
I ducked into ancient wine cellars carved deep into the rock, where barrels rested like sleeping giants. Sipping Vino Nobile di Montepulciano straight from the source was like tasting history; it was velvety, bold, and steeped in centuries of craftsmanship.
Piazza Grande crowns the town like a crown of quiet elegance. I lingered there longer than planned, watching the play of sunlight across Renaissance stonework.
Montepulciano is one of those Italian villages where time pools in corners, dances in the wind, and clings to your skin like the scent of crushed grapes. Among the best towns in Italy, it’s one that made me feel most like I was part of something ancient and enduring.
Alberobello: A Fairytale Under the Puglia Sun
The first time I saw a trullo, I couldn’t help but squeal with excitement.
These whitewashed dwellings with conical stone roofs look like something dreamt up by a child, plucked from the pages of a fairytale. In Alberobello, though, they’re completely real, and they’ve stood for centuries.
Walking through the Rione Monti district felt like being let in on a whimsical secret. The lanes twist and rise unpredictably, flanked by rows of trulli that look similar at first glance, but each one reveals its own personality.
Some are topped with mysterious painted symbols (with a mix of Christian and pagan meanings). Others have rooftop gardens bursting with basil and geraniums. Cats doze in their sunny doorways, and the scent of warm stone and bread drifts through the air.
I met a local artisan carving olive wood outside his family’s trullo. He invited me inside, and the peaceful coolness of the space struck me. The thick walls muffled the noise of the world.
He told me his great-grandfather built it by hand, stacking limestone without mortar, a technique that dates back to prehistoric times and remains unchanged.
Alberobello is more than just one of the most beautiful towns in Italy; it’s a love letter to preservation and simplicity. In a world that moves too fast, it offers a quiet pause and a moment to marvel at the ingenuity of the past.
Alberobello will steal your heart if you’re drawn to small towns in Italy that make you feel like time has slowed just for you.
See the Most Beautiful Towns in Italy
This trip through Italian towns was everything I hoped it would be and more. I searched for history and charm but found connection, stillness, and a deeper understanding of Italy’s soul.
Each stop, from the ghostly quiet of Craco to the golden glow of Matera, offered something I didn’t know I needed.
Would I do this trip again? In a heartbeat. Maybe even slower next time.
In Italy, small towns are the quietly beating heart of the nation. As I continue looking for more places to add to my ‘Small Towns in Italy List,’ I know that adventure awaits in every region of this gorgeous country.
If you’ve ever dreamed of tracing stories through stone walls, tasting tradition in every bite, and hearing bells echo across a sleepy valley, don’t wait. The best towns in Italy are waiting for you—quietly, beautifully, and just as they’ve always been.
