Places in Italy that are very traditional?

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Megan

Puglia! haha Im all about Puglia. Its the region in the "heel" of the "boot". Very little people think to go here. I vacation there every summer for the past 6 summers to Martina Franca and while I am there for three weeks we are surprised to see even one family of British or Americans. Oustini and Alberobello tend to have tourists, but they are nice places to see for the day.

Tons of great food, it has some of the best olive oil in the country. I mean some REALLY good food. And the beach is always very close.

Its also very traditional. No one is on time. Resturants are all small, and very family like. Some had TV's inside still, all playing into the relaxed, family like atmosphere. Shops close mid-day of course. All the usual things.

Cycwynner

Italy has a great many lesser â€œknownâ€ gems, that are equally attractive, Iâ€™ll just give you a few I know particularly well and add a few superficial tips as to why.
Bolzano and Trento (the German and Italian Mountain traditions side by side); Udine (home of the autoctonous Friulani); Arona and Como (picturesque lakeside Spas), Aosta and Cuneo (Franco-Italian mountain traditions), Sanremo & Portofino (Italian Costa Azzurra), Mantova, Parma, Reggio and Ferrara (seats of Renaissance courts â€“ in particular Ferrara â€“ home to the Estes and Lucrezia Borgia), Ravenna (ancient Roman capital in the latter years, Byzantine esarcate) San Gimignano, Siena and Arezzo (Tuscan-Etrurian Mediaeval towns), Urbino, Gubbio, Orvieto and Assisi ( Mediaeval Hill towns â€“ Assisi, home to St. Francis, is spiritually unique ), Ascoli Piceno (ancient Longobard seat in the South), lâ€™Aquila and Isernia (Mountain folklore in the beautiful Appenines), Viterbo and Rieti (the lesser known seats of pre-Roman culture); Caserta (for the Royal Palace); Ravello on the Costa amalfitana (less know but enchanting); Martina Franca (for the Trulli dwellings nearby) and Lecce (splendid baroque); Matera (for the curious cave dwellings and pre-Roman culture); Crotone (splendid coastal area); Nicolosi (starting point for an Etna excursion), Siracusa (Greek-Sicilian culture), Piazza Armerina (Mosaics in the Roman villa), Marsala (pre Roman Phoenician culture), Pantelleria (mysterious Island with hot springs); Santa Teresa di Gallura, Sardinia (a delightful town North of the Costa Smeralda, with the proto European Nuraghi Towers nearby ) - And that is it, I could go on for ever, but I donâ€™t think you have the time.
ps
Ps my favourite way to discover â€œMysterious Italyâ€ is just to fly to the nearest city and take off with my car (you can hire quite cheaply from any Airport) and discover the â€œhidden treasuresâ€ on my own, in small villages that even Italians know little about. Take Pratica di Mare, a small walled Mediaeval hamlet by Pomezia (ten minutes South of Rome â€“ I lived there over 3 years before â€œdiscoveringâ€ the hamlet - ). Used to be called Lavinium and tradition wants Aeneas to have landed there after he fled Troy with his father Anchise. Recently they discovered the 13 sacred Altars, where Roman and Preâ€”Romans used to come and worship. The small Museum is a real gem of Votive statues and jewellery, including life size statues of Minerva Tritonia. Have a look at http://www.museopomezia.it/ and then just take off and discover other such places on â€œhear sayâ€, in the main towns. Near Ferrara (home town to one of the branches of my family) there is the Etruscan museum of Spina (used to be their Adriatic Port before sanding in). Practically unknown expect by locals.

englishjune1979

CefalÃ¹ in Sicily
San Vito Lo Capo in Sicily
Pienza in Tuscany

Vincent A

About 10 years ago, I made a stop between Florence and Rome at Arezzo, which is just southwest of Florence. I only spent a few hours there, and it was early morning, but I felt like I was off the beaten path...there were little old ladies coming out to sweep their stoops, it was quiet even though you in the middle of a city...very peaceful...I had to be back at Rome so I didn't stay long, but when I go back to Italy in a couple of years, I am going to spend the whole day there...

lovetuscany

i think the best thing to do is ask the help of an expert group of tour organizers in italy that offer only very special itineraries, the most of them traditional and not belonging to a mass tourism in Tuscany. have a look at www.ariannandfriends.com and ask for a personalized holiday

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