Great small towns in Italy (Part I)

Atrani is Italy's second smallest city but it has big rewards
(atrani.it)

ITALY — A wise traveler once wrote that "every place is undiscovered until you discover it yourself." No matter how famous or unknown, regardless of size, until the experience becomes your own, it exists only in your imaginations.

Many favorite villages are
coastal towns (Taylor)

Savvy travelers are always searching for hidden gems to satisfy their wandering curiosity. Many destinations offer countless unknown charming spots that can capture your heart, but no country in the world does it better than Italy.

Dramatic Amalfi Coast
(Taylor)

In a recent edition of the online version of "Conde Nast Traveler" the popular magazine listed the Italy's ten best kept small town secrets. 

Today we offer five of the ten with the other five to follow next week in the hope they will either establish new places for you to visit or allow you to bust your buttons with pride to learn that you, too, "discovered" them on your own.

Atrani as seen from the heights of Ravello (atrani.it)

Atrani: Every place along the Amalfi Coast is "just around the corner" which means that Atrani, the second smallest town in Italy, is often overlooked by travelers en route to the larger, better known towns of Amalfi, Positano and Sorrento.

Actually, Atrani can be viewed from the heights of Ravello along with two of its sister villages, Maori and Minori.

Nestled between two cliffs overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, Atrani offers top quality ceramics, splendid churches, lively piazzas and an abundance of family-operated trattorias.

And, like we said, it's just around the bend from Amalfi.

Saluzzo was mentioned in two major literary works
(wikipedia.org)

Saluzzo: Though it may sound like one of the families from "The Godfather", the quiet medieval village of Saluzzo is situated just an hour south of Turin by car.

Tiny as it may be, Saluzzo is the setting in at least two major literary works; Boccaccio used it in the final story of the "Decameron" and it was also the site of the "Clerk's Tale" in Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales.''

Cathedral of the Virgin Mary in
Saluzzo  (en.wikipedia.org)

Famous for it red-tiled roofs, bell towers with their ancient spires and the snow-capped Cottian Alps, the city of Saluzzo is built on a hill overlooking a huge, well-cultivated plain that is chock full of natural resources.

Collodi eases down its hillside live a river of buildings
(en.wikipedia.org)

Collodi: All you need to know about Collodi is that it is famous for being the home of Pinocchio's creator Carlo Collodi. Dating to the 12th century when the castle was built for defense, Collodi cascades down a hillside like a stream of stone. 

This lovely medieval town which is situated in Tuscany between Florence and Pisa, is noted for its homage to the little wooden boy with the tallest Pinocchio statue in the world.

The Garzoni Gardens with its Renaissance statues and stunning fountains are close by in the event that mechanical wooden puppets and talking crickets have no appeal.

Castelluccio is famous for its rainbows of color
(en.wikipedia.org)

Castelluccio: At 5,000 feet above sea level, Castelluccio is the highest community in the Apennines. Though relatively unknown to every day tourists, skiers and trekkers are familiar with the village during the appropriate seasons.

The town dates from the 13th century but the Romans settled there much earlier. Two major seismic events in Central Italy in 2016 and earlier this year, destroyed more than 50% of the settlement but it has recovered nicely and is once again a thriving agricultural destination.

Fields of wildflowers add to the charms of Castelluccio
(en.wikipedia.org)

Castelluccio is famous for its lentils and fields which create a kaleidoscope of colors during the spring/summer "flowering season." Arguably the most beautiful village in the Apennine Mountain Range, Castelluccio also features numerous picturesque piazzas that compliment its beautiful church.

Panoramic view of Monte Isola  (wikimedia.org)

Monte Isola: Sometimes the best discoveries are those that take a little effort to reach. Part of the reason, of course, is their inaccessibility, and Monte Isola fits the bill. Not only is Monte Isola the largest lake island in Italy, it is also the biggest in South and Central Europe.

To get there requires an hour and a half drive from Milan followed by a 20-minute ferry ride across the lake to the town of Iseo, which is also the name of the lake. There is also regular ferry service to the main ports of Carzano and Peschieria.

Floating piers at Monte Isola  (wikipedia)

Filled with quaint lakeside cafes and trattorias as well as delightfully comfortable B&Bs, Monte Isola is one of those places that immediately captures your heart.

Visiting the beautiful chapel shrine of Madonna della Ceriola, is also a bit of a challenge. At just under 2,000 feet, on the highest point on the island, Madonna della Ceriola can only be reached by walking from the tiny village of Cure.

If this quintet of charming little-known destinations whets your appetite for the magic of Italy, take a deep breath and wait one more week to learn about the next five on the list.