Favoriate small towns in Italy

I have a few, if I may, from our recent visit to Umbria and Tuscany. These are indeed small towns and some of them fit into the 'lesser-known' category I believe. In no particular order...

Scheggino
Vallo di Nera
Casteluccia
Monte Castello di Vibio (with Teatro della Concordia)
Trevi
Monticchiello
San Quirico d'Orcia (well-known but underrated IMO)
Monteriggioni
Civita di Bagnoregio

myra, I topped your earlier thread

and for elaine,
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=1361869&start=0&dirtyBit=1

Montepulciano! I spent a week there for my honeymoon, and loved every minute. It is perfection.

I have said this before--perhaps more than once--but here goes again. I make it a point to seek out small villages with charm--here are some:
Orta San Guilio
Castelrotto
Portovenere
Bagno Vignoni
Ravello
Noto[ Sicily]

Good luck !

Try San Lezonardo in Passiria. That's what they call SUD TYROL. Great place at the end of two mountain passes. Stay at the STROBLHOF 4 STAR HOTEL;pAUL

I too liked S Leonardo in Passiria but I liked Vipiteno (nearby) even more.

Here's a previous long thread with 96 replies on the same topic. http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=1361869

There are zillions of charming small towns in Italy most off the railway tracks so only accessible to car (or bike) travellers. My favourite hill towns in Piedmont are Moncalvo, San Damiano and Cocconato, each feels like what you expect for a small Italian town and are rich in heritage and character. My favourite small cities (again in Piedmont, or the list would be endless) are Asti, and Acqui Terme.

I was so pleased to see Tuck H's inclusion of Civita di Bagnoregio in his list of charming small towns. I had to laugh when I saw Ferrara and Bergamo listed as small towns in the Fodor article this morning. Certainly the Ferraresi consider themselves inhabitants of a
city and not of a town.

I'd like to elaborate on the area where Bagnoregio is found, which is neither in Tuscany nor Umbria, but borders both, and is often mistaken for Tuscany: THE TUSCIA -- just south of MonteAmiata, which includes such fascinating and forgotten out-of-the-way medieval villages as Calcata, Chia, Soriano, Vitorchiano, Celleno, for example -all quite near Bagnoregio; baroque villas and gardens - Bomarzo, Villa Lante- and wonderful countryside with volcanic lakes - Bolsena and Vico surrounded by chestnut forests-- to say nothing of the Etruscan ruins scattered across the countryside --Barbarano Romano,
Castel D'Asso ...and don't let me forget the hot sulphur springs
great for a winter soak under the stars.
Tourists generally overlook the area.
Roads and connections to Rome and Florence are excellent. Prices are cheap. You won't find much about the area in guidebooks, except for the more famous places in the area: Viterbo, Villa Lante, Bomarzo. The little medieval villages clustered along the edges of steep canyons, like Civita di Bagnoregio, are rarely mentioned. Though there's some fiction available: Lainez's novel "Bomarzo" and Lappin's "The Etruscan."

Montone in Umbria.

Monticchiello
Pitigliano
San Quirico d'Orcia

Stu Dudley

Every one of them, but especially:

Montone
Pienza
Civita de Bagnoreggio

Oh, and I almost forgot:

Asolo

San Gigimagno. not sure if its considered 'small'

Spello in Umbria

It's hard for me to decide, I think, in part, because ones criteria are so much a function of ones memories, and those memories are not always just a function of the small town (or anyplace else) but of what happened there. In any case, mine would be Montecchio, a small town southeast of Orvieto in Umbria. Why? Many fond memories of funny experiences, good food and wine, warm and friendly people we intereacted with, a small olive oil museum just outside of town, altogether a sleepy little town. Not every town can have majestic churches and art, or world-class restaurants, but those without those claims to fame can, and do, have charm all of their own.

If you get a chance, go to Montecchio, eat at La Perla, visit the olive oil museum (no charge and they comp you a tasting, including wine, after your visit), and relax - simply RELAX!

KC

Ferrera was a really cool little town between Venice & Florence. Stayed at beautiful place called the suite duomo overlooking a big square where people congregated every day. On Sundays, there is a big open market in the square. Its also a bicycling city. Ladies in their sixties and seventies riding bikes. Cars always stop for the bikes, even at intersections where we were off our bikes waiting to cross the street. Must see in Italy

Bolzano, Orta, Como, Riva del Garda, Santa Margherita, Bellagio, Taormina (Sicily).

...Still discovering undiscovered villages..

Anywhere in Abruzzo or LeMarche is fine with me. Here is one of my favorites:
http://www.vallesangiovanni.com

Marking

Really small?
Montefioralle www.montefioralle.info