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The slow pace of autumn with an Italian flavour: itineraries and places to go for your trips to Italy

Are you looking for places to visit in autumn in Italy? Perhaps it is the freshness of the air or the changing colours of the leaves, travelling in this season in Italy has something very special about it. The best time of year for unusual activities, such as visiting vineyards and tasting delicious local products. Discover the countless possibilities offered by Italy from September to December.
  • Villages
  • Parks
  • Food and wine
  • Countryside and Hills
Villages
Sappada

Sappada

Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club Between Comelico and Carnia, on the border between Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sappada is a mountain resort set against the splendid backdrop of the Dolomites, where the river Piave, considered sacred to the Italian nation, has its source. The municipality is made up of 15 scattered hamlets, each of which has several examples of traditional Sappada houses, made of wood using the traditional 'block' technique, as a reminder of the historic rural architecture. In the village, there is a very strong sense of identity and belonging to the local German-speaking culture (there is also an association, Plodar, which since 1995 has been working to preserve and develop it), which has left its mark on the language ,traditions, habits and customs. The three museums are worth seeing: the " Giuseppe Fontana" ethnographicmuseum, which documents the history of the work and culture of the valley; the ancient Puicher s'Kottlars house, a mid-nineteenth-century wooden house that has become a house-museum of rural civilisation, in which the spaces of the houses of the past have been reconstructed; and the Small Museum of the Great War, created by the passion of two collectors, with finds, uniforms, tools and field stoves belonging to Italian and Austrian soldiers during the First World War.Traditional, evocative and well-known is the Sappadino Carnival, which takes place over several days with disguises, skits, parades. The beautiful wooden masks are carved by expert local artisans (such as young Manuel Graz Cesco), while the most typical character of the Carnival, which has also become a symbol of Sappada , is theRollate, who is responsible for opening and closing the parades and to whom Fat Monday is entirely dedicated.Some of the local dishes are also linked to the Carnival, especially desserts: pancakes , krischkilan (a kind of fried pastry) , hosenearlan (a local version of Belluno chestnuts), mognkròpfn (with a poppy filling). You can also enjoy the typical Sappada cheese, at the Plodar Kelder dairy or at the Mondschein and Laite restaurants.
Villages
San Vito al Tagliamento

San Vito al Tagliamento

Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club A ancient and noble history and now a dynamic and lively town: San Vito al Tagliamento stands on an area of pre-Roman and Roman settlements and still boasts valuable architectural traces of its history, such as the sections of the town wall and moat, the Raimonda, Scaramuccia and Grimana towers, and the castle. The parlour that welcomes visitors is Piazza del Popolo, very central and charming, with its porticoed sides and beautiful palaces, such as Palazzo Altan-Rota, now the town hall, in Venetian style with a beautiful Italian-style garden and a majestic park at the back, and the ancient Loggia Pubblica, former seat of the Town Hall, which now houses a splendid Antico Teatro Sociale, a small Italian-style theatre where numerous shows and events are held. A veritable art gallery of works from different eras is housed in the cathedral, next to which stands the very tall bell tower (73 metres). Also worth a visit are the church of Santa Maria dei Battuti, a masterpiece of the Friulian Renaissance with a cycle of frescoes by Amalteo and annexed to the ancient hospice, which is now a venue for exhibitions, conferences and ceremonies, and the castle, the nucleus from which the historic centre developed, embellished with frescoes both inside and outside and now housing the 'Federico De Rocco' civic museum, with a large collection of artefacts and works from various periods. The area is a production zone for excellent wines, such as Friulano and Merlot DOC Friuli Grave.
Villages
etroubles

Étroubles

Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club It is thesplendid alpinecontext of thevalley of the Gran San Bernardo that forms the backdrop to the medieval village ofÉtroubles, at an altitude of 1270 metres, crossed by theVia Francigena that linked the British islands to Rome, crossing Europe. Strolling along the characteristic historic centre, between stone houses, cobbled alleys and fountains, you cannot fail to admire the sculptures and frescoes by contemporary Italian and foreign artists, which form a permanent open-air museum. Also worth a visit are the Parish Church (1815) with its cusped bell tower of the fifteenth century, the Dairy Museum, which demonstrates the various stages of milk processing to produce local cheeses with the tools of the nineteenth century, the small Bertin plant, where you can find documents, machinery and objects related to the production of hydroelectric energy, dating back to the early twentieth century. The village preserves and enhances a number of ancient traditions, linked to events and sport. A distinctive carnival is held in Étroubles, in which the masqueraders wear typical embroidered costumes, with sequins, rosettes and mirrors still made in the municipality, commemorating the passage of Napoleon's troops, while in August there is the Veillà, an atmospheric and folkloric event with the inhabitants re-enacting costumes and trades of the past. Lastly, fiolet, the Valle d'Aosta version of the Lippa savoiarda, has been a popular game in Étroubles for a long time. For a taste of typical high-quality products, reinterpreted with creativity, you can make a stop at Le gite aux Marroniers, a café-restaurant in the historical centre run by young chef Ilaria Pilone.
Food and wine
Valle d'Aosta, flavours at high altitude

Valle d'Aosta, flavours at high altitude

Have you reached this earthly paradise? Then make yourself comfortable and examine the cheese menu, firstly with Fontina, the queen of Valle d'Aosta products. You will be able to recognise it by its sweet flavour and straw-yellow colour, paler in the cheeses produced in winter, when the cows are fed with hay, and deeper in summer production. These are followed by delicacies such as Gressoney toma cheese, salignon, reblec, brossa, seras and goat cheeses, each with its own story to tell. Listen and taste them all. Go on to classics such as Valdostana-style chops, polenta concia and ”soupe valpellineintze” (Valpellina-style soup); venison, chamois in salmì (in “civet”), trout, “carbonade”, a beef stew, and fondue, a single dish made with cheese, melted in a dedicated pot, to be consumed hot, are also excellent. Enjoy sausages, such as Vallee d'Aoste jambon de Bosses, a specially matured ham, Boudin with a refined taste, Saouseusse, seasoned minced meat, Lard d'Arnad, soft lard, Teuteun, salted beef udder, Motzetta, aromatic dried meat. The Alpine microclimate is the joy of apples, which develop intense flavours here. Try the Red and Gold delicious, Jonagold and Renetta: raw or cooked, they are sweet and versatile, the basis of smoothies, sweet or savoury jams, to be served with fine dishes. Last but not least, desserts and wines. For the first courses, try the tegole, torcettini - typical regional biscuits - and the blanc manger alla valdostana with cream; for the second courses, place of honour to all, such as the whites Muller-Thurgau and Pinot noir (vinified in white) and the reds Pinot noir, Gamay, Torrette, Nus Rouge. Had too much to eat? Here's a shot of Genepì, a digestive made from alpine herbs, artemisia.
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