EXPLORING ITALY (Off The Beaten Path)

Italy offers far more than the well-trodden paths of Rome, Florence, Venice, the Amalfi Coast or Milan and Lake Como; each of its twenty regions harbours secrets that remain largely undisturbed by mass tourism. These may be beautiful villages like Pitigliano in Tuscany, eye-catching murals in Sardinia's township of Orgosolo or equally artistic Dozza in Emilia-Romagna embellished with fine art quality wall paintings. There are castles hidden away such as Soncino in Lombardy, or the medieval hamlet of Castellaro Lagusello with a heart-shaped lake, laden with history. Archaeological sites like Paestum in Campania region boasting still- standing Greek temples erected in 6th and 5th century BC. National parks like Monti Sibillini offer breathtaking scenery, at Castelluccio di Norcia, sitting at an altitude of 1,452 metres, between late May and early July the vast plateau transforms into a living mosaic of colourful blossoms. Did I mention ghost towns that have become movie sets e.g. Poggioreale Vecchia in Sicily? Whereas the tiny, often-overlooked Molise region offers destinations like the ancient Samnite ruins of Pietrabbondante, a place where time seems to have truly stood still. In Basilicata, the jagged peaks of the Lucanian Dolomites frame the village of Castelmezzano, where visitors can "fly" between peaks on a high-speed zip line...

Pagina's: 320, Paperback, Independently published