Anywhere Italy

Recognitions

10 recognized borghi within an hour of an airport

Comuni holding at least one major recognition, within a 60 minute drive of an airport hub. 10 towns shown, ranked by recognitions held.

The recognized borgo and the low-cost flight rarely share a map. These comuni are the exceptions: at least one major recognition each, within an hour of an airport hub.

Ranked by recognitions held. For the long-weekend traveler this is the efficient frontier, landing to piazza in the time a city transfer takes.

  1. 1.Matera8 recognitionsMatera · BasilicataCave dwellings carved into limestone since the Paleolithic, called the shame of Italy in the 1950s and made European Capital of Culture in 2019.
  2. 2.Monzambano6 recognitionsMantova · LombardyA Mincio commune at 88 meters in the moraine hills west of Mantova, whose frazione Castellaro Lagusello sits on a heart-shaped lake inside fortified walls.
  3. 3.Asolo6 recognitionsTreviso · VenetoA walled hill town at 205 meters that Caterina Cornaro ran as her court after trading Cyprus to Venice in 1489.
  4. 4.Follina5 recognitionsTreviso · VenetoA Prosecco-hills borgo at 191 meters around the Cistercian Abbey of Santa Maria, with a cloister finished in 1268.
  5. 5.Nicolosi5 recognitionsCatania · SicilyThe southern gateway to Etna at 698 meters, twice destroyed by the 1669 eruption, base camp for the volcano cable car at Rifugio Sapienza.

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  1. 6.Senigallia5 recognitionsAncona · MarcheThirteen kilometers of fine sand on the Adriatic that earned the Spiaggia di Velluto name, hometown of photographer Mario Giacomelli and chef Mauro Uliassi.
  2. 7.Andria5 recognitionsBarletta-Andria-Trani · ApuliaFrederick II's favourite Apulian city, the birthplace of burrata, with the octagonal Castel del Monte rising 540 meters above the Murge eighteen kilometers south.
  3. 8.Livorno5 recognitionsLivorno · TuscanyTuscany's working port and Medici-planned 'New City' — a 16th-century planned town built on reclaimed coast, with a Venice-like canal quarter, the Quattro Mori monument, and a 1.5-km seafront promenade that locals call the world's most beautiful balcony.
  4. 9.Furore4 recognitionsSalerno · CampaniaThe Amalfi Coast village with no piazza and no center, scattered on rock walls 300 meters above the only fjord in southern Italy.
  5. 10.Montescudaio4 recognitionsPisa · TuscanyA fortified hill borgo at 242 meters above the Val di Cecina, named for a mountain of shields, with DOC wine since 1977 and bread, oil and grape all stamped in its identity.

We write about towns like these every Sunday, one town a week, with the photo, the food, the festa. Free, from Pietrasanta.

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