Where to go to Italy in 2025? 5 unexpected destinations

Far from the flagship destinations, Italy’s back roads are full of confidential places and hidden pearls. From the surprising capital of the Aosta Valley to the picturesque baroque towns of central Sicily, via the gem towns emerging from the sublime Tuscan countryside, these five destinations seduce as much with their architecture as their gastronomy, against a backdrop of sweet life eternal.

Aosta Valley: Aosta, the little “Rome of the Alps”

Bordered by an iconic triumphal arch, the capital of the bilingual and least populated region of Italy (123,000 people) surprises with the importance of its Roman heritage, alongside medieval churches displaying the prosperity of the city over the commercial Route des Gaules. At the foot of the Alps, Aosta (33,000 inhabitants) delivers a historic center lively, authentic and elegant, crisscrossed by via Sant’Anselmo which channels the walk since Antiquity. A stone’s throw from the curious megalithic site of Saint-Martin-de-Corléans, major Neolithic sanctuary in Europe.

Another highlight since the Middle Ages, the Saint-Ours fair in January brings together artisans and producers from the valley, in a festive atmosphere that celebrates tradition. This is also the opportunity to discover the AOP fontina, emblematic local cheese, and artisanal Bosses AOP ham, which has nothing to do with “Aosta ham”, produced in France with industrial methods! And on the leisure side, a gondola goes up to the Pila station (1790 m), one of the main ski areas in the valley, also offering summer activities.

Lombardy: Cremona and Mantua, pearls off the beaten track

Peaceful Cremona shines with its long tradition of violin makers, carried by the legend of Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737), known as Stradivarius. A glorious craft, classified as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage and which can be understood with ease in the small workshops in the heart of the city. While the essential Violin Museum, delivers a prestigious collection of stringed instruments. And once the violins have been returned, Cremona reveals a charming little historic center, deployed around its Town Hall Square where stands the Duomo you XII^e century and its high campanile, detached from a magnificent octagonal baptistery.

Another Lombard nugget: Mantua is a city of art and tranquil waters, nestled on the banks of the Mincio river which offers pleasant cruises. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, its historic heart immerses us in a noble and masterful medieval atmosphere. Incredible architecture, enhanced by great Renaissance artists who also embellished the extraordinary ducal palace, open to visitors, on the sumptuous Sordello Square. And extramural, don’t miss the Palazzo Te, dedicated to the pleasures of the Duke of Mantua and classified among the essential monuments of the Italian Renaissance.

Emilia-Romagna: Modena and Parma, cities of art and gastronomy

It is first of all on its market that Modena is revealed, to buy a vial of precious balsamic vinegar of Modena PDO, elaborated in the pure artisanal tradition born in the 11th^e century. A gastronomic gem! But that does not necessarily diminish the interest of the Big Square, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its formidable Duomo you XII^e century, flanked by a high campanile. Another local heritage, that of old racing cars elevated to the rank of works of art of the Enzo Ferrari Museum, open where the Knight and its famous Scuderia.

A few kilometers away, Parma sparkles in the firmament of global gastronomy with its AOP Parma Ham et Parmigiano Reggiano AOP. Elegant and discreet, the city has long cultivated a serious artistic temperament. Superb sound Duomo you XII^e century book of sumptuous frescoes next to a remarkable octagonal baptistery, unique in the Christian sphere! And without counting one of the richest picture galleries in Italy, the National Gallery of Parma.

Tuscany: Pienza and Cortona, gems in the countryside

The hand of General Maximus caresses the wheat, as he joins his long-awaited family. This sequence from the film Gladiator was filmed in the sublime agricultural countryside of Val d’Orcia, just at the foot of the charming village of Pienza, both listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The first town won by the urban principles of the Renaissance, Pienza flourished around its Piazza Pie II and its papal palace, transformed into a museum, offering some fantastic views of the harmonious land for so many visual emotions!

Change of scenery: the Angel Gabriel – pink dress and gold wings – approaches the Virgin, whose colors and light captivate us with admiration! This Annunciation – absolute masterpiece by the painter Fra Angelico – remains the pretext for a stopover in Cortona, graceful little fortified town dominating the cultures of Val di Chiana. In superbe Signorelli Square evokes this other great painter of the Renaissance, Luca Signorelli, born here and whose churches and the formidable museum MAEC, contain some major works.

Sicily: the baroque towns, jewels of the south-east of the island

Emerging from the ground in the same momentum after the earthquake of 1693 and listed as UNESCO World Heritage, these eight late Baroque towns reveal strong personalities and contrasting atmospheres, in a riot of picturesque monuments. Deserving of a trip in itself, the authentic and bustling Catania, economic capital of the island, dazzles us with its blackened streets, where palaces and churches coexist with its cheeky fish market.

To discover the lively Ragusa, take the Stairway, tortuous staircase connecting the two parts of the city in a waltz of chapels, buildings and panoramic views. Other staircase iconic in easy-going Caltagirone, renowned for its ceramists. While the discreet Modica dozes in the scent of chocolate, a local specialty. And Scicli nestles under the ruins of an old Norman fortress. Palazzolo Acreide oscillates between decrepitude and superb, in the open countryside; just like Militello in Val di Catania, renowned for its beautiful Norman church which survived the earthquake. And don’t miss Noto, certainly touristy, but grandiose and enhanced by its lights in the evening.

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