Hidden places in Italy

A town carved from volcanic rock on the edge of a cliff in southern Tuscany.

A Norman cathedral above a sandy beach below a big rock.

A tiny village on a crumbling hilltop, reached only by a footbridge.

A Renaissance hill town known for its red wine, above the Val d'Orcia.

A golden Baroque town rebuilt after a 1693 earthquake.

A quiet lakeside village facing a small island monastery.

A hilltop city on volcanic rock with a dazzling striped cathedral.

A tiny harbour of pastel houses on the Ligurian coast.

Hillside Renaissance gardens full of fountains, plus Hadrian's Villa nearby.

A town of trulli, whitewashed stone houses with cone-shaped roofs.

Ancient cave dwellings carved into a ravine, now hotels and restaurants.

A white town on limestone cliffs above a famous cove.

Cliffside gardens high above the Amalfi Coast.

Medieval stone towers rising above Tuscan vineyards.

A shell-shaped piazza and a striped cathedral in a Gothic hill town.

A clifftop Sicilian town with a Greek theatre facing Mount Etna.

A colourful fishing village on Lake Como, quieter than Bellagio.

An island of brightly painted fishermen's houses in the Venetian lagoon.

Pastel houses stacked on a rock above the sea in the Cinque Terre.

Pastel houses cascading down a cliff on the Amalfi Coast.

A tiny village above a plain that blooms in colour every summer.

A high plateau nicknamed 'Little Tibet' below the Apennines' highest peak.

A clean volcanic lake below a medieval castle, an hour from Rome by train.

A calm Umbrian lake with island villages and olive groves.

Towering man-made waterfalls built by the Romans, among the tallest in Europe.

A little church in green meadows below the jagged Odle peaks.

A mountain village at the foot of the Seceda ridge and the Alpe di Siusi meadows.

A peninsula of white cliffs, sea caves and forest in northern Puglia.

Italy's oldest national park, with ibex grazing on alpine meadows.

A natural sea pool in the rocks, one of the most beautiful swimming spots in Italy.

A milky-blue mountain lake reached by a hike near Cortina d'Ampezzo.

The north end of Italy's largest lake, surrounded by steep mountains.

A lakeside resort facing the palace gardens of the Borromean Islands.

A car-free island in the middle of Lake Iseo.

The volcano that buried Pompeii, with a walk to the crater rim.

Free natural thermal pools cascading down terraces of white rock.

A brilliant white cliff of stepped marl above the sea.

Rolling Tuscan hills with cypress-lined roads and hilltop farmhouses.

A coastal path linking small coves of clear water in western Sicily.

Europe's highest active volcano, with lava fields and craters.

A rocky island of sea grottoes and cliffside gardens, a ferry ride from Naples.

An emerald mountain lake with wooden rowing boats below sheer peaks.

Three huge rock towers, the icon of the Dolomites.

An old town where women make orecchiette pasta in the streets.

A moated castle and Renaissance streets made for cycling.

A port city of grand palaces and a maze of medieval alleys.

The 'Florence of the South', full of honey-coloured Baroque churches.

A Tuscan city circled by tree-lined Renaissance walls.

Giotto's frescoes, lively market squares and an old university.

Street-food markets and golden mosaics in Sicily's capital.

The home of Parma ham and Parmigiano Reggiano.

A hilltop Umbrian city famous for its chocolate.

Glittering Byzantine mosaics in eight UNESCO monuments.

An island old town of Baroque piazzas and Greek ruins.

A Habsburg port city with grand cafés by the sea.

Elegant arcades and royal palaces at the foot of the Alps.

A walled upper town on a hill, reached by funicular, above a modern lower town.

Kilometres of porticoes, medieval towers and Italy's best food city.

Vibrant, chaotic birthplace of pizza below Mount Vesuvius.

The Leaning Tower and a lively riverside student town.

A Roman arena, river bridges and elegant piazzas.

The cradle of the Renaissance, crowned by Brunelleschi's dome.

Fashion, a Gothic cathedral with a walkable roof and a great aperitivo scene.

Ancient ruins, Baroque fountains and neighbourhood trattorias in the Eternal City.

Canals, palaces and quiet back lanes once the day crowds leave.