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One Hundred & One Beautiful Small Towns in Italy
The perfect guide for those who can't resist succumbing to Italy's charms again and again, now in a popular pocket-sized format. Who hasn't dreamt of being whisked away to a sweet little Italian town buried deep in the countryside? The small towns sprinkled throughout this expansive book are not only rich with beauty but also saturated with as much historical and cultural importance as their sister cities. The fact that they are "off the beaten path"-though sometimes extraordinarily famous for their art, food, and wine, or simply their setting-makes them rare gems even more desirable to see. The 101 towns featured represent the twenty diverse regions of Italy and their varied landscapes, architecture, and local specialties. Practical sidebars introduce the reader to traditional artisans as well as to the best place to buy Parmigiano Reggiano or the greatest terrace to take in a Tuscan sunset. Art and architecture are also amply covered, from the history of L'Aquila's ninety-nine fountains to the most elaborate of baroque churches. You will be amazed to see how much Italy has to offer beyond the well-trod paths of Venice, Florence, and Rome: from Asolo to Vicenza, flea markets to fish markets, horse races to open-air concerts, this book promises 101 great reasons to go back to Italy over and over.
276 pages, Hardcover
First published October 29, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 25, 2015
The text is to the point, bringing uniqueness of each place, its rich history, traditions and fairs. Not every town will appeal to everyone. Where one sees nothing, the other sees a treasure.
Nevertheless, the amount of the given information is appropriate for this kind of book. This is not a research book with all the details. For me the true gem of this book, are the foods and fairs listed at a lot of those places.
For example, Aosta almost at the crossroads with France and Switzerland often is being discovered by accident. I happened to be there this past summer and one raises a question why it’s not so touristy with such historical heritage. I found the answer in this book – this remote Alpine town is not easy to find. In the ancient times it was strategically located to watch for the enemy coming from the Alps. Today such strategic location proves to be hard to find. I didn’t know that Aosta had Sant’Orso Fair until I read it in this book. However, the book states that originally it was during the last two days of January and nowadays it’s on August 15. The official website of Aosta states that it is still during the last two days of January.
For most of the places, the pictures show the true spirit of the city. For example Alba, the city of truffles, shows it clearly with its market selling truffles. However, for example, the picture of a street in Merano doesn’t show the true spirit of the town and I know it, because I’ve been there myself. The town is known for its healing resorts and vineyards rolling down right into the town.
I was very surprised to see Verona in this book, which is not a small town. Bolzano is not a small town neither, but has so much more charm being nestled in the Alps with vineyards extending to the town. This town gained popularity, when the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology was created to host the Iceman found in the Alps.
Overall, I truly enjoyed this book. I would highly recommend it or buy it again as a gift.
Nevertheless, the amount of the given information is appropriate for this kind of book. This is not a research book with all the details. For me the true gem of this book, are the foods and fairs listed at a lot of those places.
For example, Aosta almost at the crossroads with France and Switzerland often is being discovered by accident. I happened to be there this past summer and one raises a question why it’s not so touristy with such historical heritage. I found the answer in this book – this remote Alpine town is not easy to find. In the ancient times it was strategically located to watch for the enemy coming from the Alps. Today such strategic location proves to be hard to find. I didn’t know that Aosta had Sant’Orso Fair until I read it in this book. However, the book states that originally it was during the last two days of January and nowadays it’s on August 15. The official website of Aosta states that it is still during the last two days of January.
For most of the places, the pictures show the true spirit of the city. For example Alba, the city of truffles, shows it clearly with its market selling truffles. However, for example, the picture of a street in Merano doesn’t show the true spirit of the town and I know it, because I’ve been there myself. The town is known for its healing resorts and vineyards rolling down right into the town.
I was very surprised to see Verona in this book, which is not a small town. Bolzano is not a small town neither, but has so much more charm being nestled in the Alps with vineyards extending to the town. This town gained popularity, when the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology was created to host the Iceman found in the Alps.
Overall, I truly enjoyed this book. I would highly recommend it or buy it again as a gift.
January 17, 2019
A fun useful book for off the beaten path travel.
September 17, 2016
My wife found this book. It contains wonderful towns we visited on past trips to Italy including Assisi, Perugia, Spoleto,San Gimignano, Cortona, Ravenna, and Siena. Beautiful photos and descriptions well beyond the typical travel guides.
Travelling soon on another trip and plan to visit the small towns in the Veneto and Lombardy.
I feel like I need to plan another before long to walk the streets of many of the other featured towns.
Travelling soon on another trip and plan to visit the small towns in the Veneto and Lombardy.
I feel like I need to plan another before long to walk the streets of many of the other featured towns.
September 17, 2015
Loved every single page of this wonderful book. It is a photographic book about the small towns in Italy that are not on the beaten path of tourists. Italy is the most charming country I have ever seen. It has was too many places to list I loved but the book is full of culture and history.
August 6, 2007
My dream would be to go to Italy and not leave until I've visited each of these...or better yet, never leave!
December 23, 2007
Beautiful photography with interesting info about each small town.
May 15, 2010
Armchair travel at its best. Gorgeous photos paired with fascinating information about what makes each place noteworthy. So many towns, so little time!
August 30, 2016
Beautiful photos and descriptions.
January 14, 2012
Loved this. It transported me back to Italy and my time in Tuscany.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews