Autumn

Monteleone di Spoleto is located within the Coscerno-Aspra Natural Park and the surrounding territory is mainly covered by woods interspersed with wide pastures and small fields. The village has preserved the typical urban layout of a hilltop castle, surrounded by walls. The jewel of Monteleone is undoubtedly the chariot, a parade chariot, a product of Etruscan workshops dating from around 540 B.C. and which, today, is the most prestigious piece of the Etruscan collection of the Metropolitan Museum in New York. In Monteleone di Spoleto, a life-size copy of the chariot can be seen, kept in the basement of the San Francesco complex, dating back to the end of the 13th century. Places to see are: the Church of Santa Caterina, the Church of San Nicola, with altarpieces attributed to Ghezzi and Masucci, the Clock Tower, gateway to the ancient medieval castle, and the 15th-century Palazzo Bernabò.

Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club About an hour from the capital, Subiaco is the beating heart of the Aniene Valley and combines a wealth of history, art and culture with the natural beauty of the Monti Simbruini Regional Natural Park. An ideal place for many outdoor sports, excursions and walks, it is also the cradle of monasticism and printing. Worth seeing are the Monastery of St Benedict or Sacro Speco, where the saint withdrew in prayer while still an adolescent and dictated the rule 'Ora et Labora', and the Monastery of St Scholastica, founded in 520 A.D. with three marvellous kiosks (Renaissance, Gothic and Cosmatesque) and a splendid library that still preserves numerous manuscripts and where the first book with movable type in Italy was printed. Also worth a visit are the Convent of San Francesc, which can be reached via the humpbacked bridge of the same name, the Rocca Abbaziale, which houses the MACS - Museo delle Attività Cartarie e della Stampa (Museum of Paper and Printing Activities), the Church of San Pietro, the small square of Pietra Sprecata and the medieval Borgo degli Opifici (or papermakers' village). For fans of sports and outdoor activities, the Aniene Valley with the river of the same name, Mount Livata and the Monti Simbruini Regional Park offer numerous possibilities, such as climbing, caving, soft rafting and kayaking. At the table, you should try the homemade pasta (sagna and pezzole with Buccitti beans, an indigenous product) the characteristic Ju Pappaciuccu (made with boiled black cabbage, stale maize pizza pieces and homemade bread) and the subiachini, typical biscuits made with almonds, egg whites, honey and sugar. Handicrafts are linked to the great tradition of paper production and processing. Among the most important events are the Palio di San Lorenzo (10 August) and the Festival dei Cortei Storici Borgiani, in September.

Situated on a slope of Mount Rosato approximately 700 m.a.s.l. in the province of Rieti, Poggio Bustone owes its name, according to some theories, to the Latin adjective “busto” (burnt): a hill “burnt”, probably, by the shining sun that “burns” the Borgo all day long, without encountering obstacles. Poggio Bustone is famous for St Francis, who stayed there for several years. Here, perched on the cliff where a little one stands today, an angel confirmed to him the remission of sins. World War II brought death and violence, but also irreparable damage to the sacred places and works of art housed in the ancient monastery. It did not, however, undermine that Franciscan spirit still resonating in the village streets as it did on that distant morning in 1208 when St Francis, arriving on the threshold of the village, announced his arrival with the words, which still today, on the morning of 4 October, a drummer repeats along the streets of the village: “good morning good people”. Poggio Bustone is also linked to Lucio Battisti, famous Italian musician, who was so attached to these places that they inspired his most beautiful songs. The nature and healthiness of the place also influence the local cuisine, which boasts, among its many products, a PGI denomination: the porchetta (roast suckling pig) of Poggio Bustone, in fact, is a delicacy that, together with Sagnocchi and fettuccine, fills the table with every fragrance of these lands.

Orvinio is the highest inhabited centre of the Lucretili Mountains and rises in an enchanting place, where people can admire, at Pratarelle, the greatest concentration of wild orchids in the entire area. And if the landscape enchants with its beauty, the village fascinates with its stories: it is said, in fact, that the Church of Santa Maria del Piano was built at the behest of Charlemagne, after the victory over the Saracens in 817. Outside, beyond the walls, there are woods, caves and caverns. And, among the gastronomic traditions, there is the 'aglione', a garlic-based sauce, and the 'cecamariti', a pasta format to which a festival is also dedicated: the name derives from the fact that they 'fooled the husbands', seeming complex to prepare while instead they are very simple and quick.

Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club Leonessa is the largest Italian municipality in terms of territorial extension in central Italy among those located above 900 m above sea level. The municipality is rich in religious and civil architecture of great value, including: the San Giuseppe da Leonessa sanctuary, in Baroque style with the Saint's remains inside; the church and cloister of San Francesco where a demo-anthropological museum is located; the church and convent of San Pietro in Piazza VII Aprile, which preserves works and paintings by important artists. Also worth seeing are the Farnesiana fountain, the Angevin Tower, Porta spoletina, Porta aquilan and Palazzo Cherubini, where the composer Bixio Cherubini was born. Thanks to an ideal climate, Leonessa is a destination, both in winter and summer, for tourists who can enjoy unspoilt nature to discover and spend their holidays enjoying sports and relaxation. Typical local products include the potato (celebrated with a festival in October) and cured meats, in particular those of "C'era una volta" (Once upon a time), a small artisan workshop that makes and sells sausages, including top cup, an ancient and endangered sausage. Among the most evocative events are the Palio del Velluto (end of June), recalling the historical period when Leonessa was enfeoffed to Margaret of Austria, the "Summer in Leonessa" summer festival, and the feast of St Joseph (September).

Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club Lying on a spur of the Érnici mountains, within an area rich in caves and karstic cavities, Collepardo is a village with a typically medieval appearance. Around the Town Hall and the parish church of the Holy Saviour, houses, alleys and small squares cluster in a very picturesque and typical setting, surrounded by the remains of the ancient city walls with three gates and six towers. Among the many points of interest worth mentioning are the Colonna Fortress, the Bambocci caves, with stalagmites in the shape of childlike faces, the grandiose chasm of the Antullo Well, the Charterhouse of Trisulti, the Monastery of San Domenico, the Sanctuary of the Cese and the Bridge of Saints. The village is also interesting from an environmental point of view and the area can be discovered thanks to the numerous hiking trails. An ancient tradition as a herb village, Collepardo is home to one of the few botanical gardens in the Apennines, a museum and a herbalist course.

The South Tyrolean territory is rich in natural areas, precious landscapes whose delicate environmental balance must be preserved. Therefore, the region has established numerous parks. There are seven in all, in addition to the Stelvio National Park. The task of each of them is to protect the invaluable ecosystem and make it accessible to all.

If you are looking for an eco-friendly experience and all-round immersion in nature, you are in the right place. In fact, 25% of the Campania region is occupied by protected areas, which go well with environmental and sustainable tourism. We propose a tour of the four Parks of Campania. An evocative route that will know how to enchant you, giving you landscapes that are always different and full of charm.

The Pollino National Park extends from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Ionian Sea, covering an area of almost 200,000 hectares and is one of the GeoParks protected by UNESCO. It is located between Basilicata and Calabria. It is a heterogeneous structure, from the Piani di Campolongo, Novacco, and Lanzo, to Piani del Pollino, home to the Argentino and Abatemarco rivers, the Lao and Raganello gorges, and the streams of Peschiera and Frido. The whole area of Pollino is formed by the Massifs of Pollino and Orsomarso. The mountain range, which is part of thesouthern Apennines, can boast the highest peaks in southern Italy, covered with snow for a long period of the year, starting in November and ending in May, when the snow melts. The peaks of the Park reach an altitude of 2,200 metres above sea level. The natural area consists of dolomitic rocks, limestone ramparts, fault walls, cliffs, very deep gorges, and also plateaus, meadows and high altitude pastures. One of the "green" symbols of the Park is certainly the Loricato Pine, called "living fossil" or "dinosaur of the trees" by many, due to the ability of this type of conifer to resist and thrive in difficult environments, at altitudes above 1000 metres, and in isolated areas, where other types of trees cannot survive.

The territory defined in December 1922 as the Gran Paradiso National Park extends around the homonymous massif (whose peak exceeds 4000 meters) and in the past was a densely populated area. The architecture of the villages is based on the idea of the alpine house, on the Piedmontese side with constructions entirely made of wood, while on the Aosta Valley side wood is flanked by stone. The maximum splendor of this area was reached in the middle of the 1800s, when members of the House of Savoy came up to these parts to reach the hunting posts. The decision to prohibit hunting when the Park first opened was fundamental to saving the ibexes - which are its symbol - from extinction. Today, this mountain Eden, divided into five valleys where rocky environments, prairies, woods and their borders alternate, is truly within everyone's reach: thanks to the project “an Accessible Paradise”, the tourist offering of the entire protected area is able to satisfy the needs, interests and expectations of a wider range of users.

Thanks to its 70,000 hectares, the Sibillini Mountains National Park (between Umbria and the Marche regions) is a true treasure trove of biodiversity due to the alternating presence of wetlands in the valleys, and thick forests and wonderful plateaus such as that of Castelluccio di Norcia, famous for the flowering of lentils. There are many charming villages nestled in a unique landscape that changes according to the seasons at the various altitudes. In fact, there are many peaks in this area that are beyond 2000 meters of altitude above sea level and among them there are Mount Sibilla Mountain, Mount Bove Mountain and the Redentore Peak.

Bathed by two seas, the Tyrrhenian to the west and the Ionian to the east, very different in terms of landscape, beaches and coastal colours, Basilicata enchants with its small, picturesque villages over 1,000 metres above sea level, woods and forests covering the mountains, a landscape characterised by unspoilt nature that goes hand in hand with a prestigious history: all in one, small region with attractions for all tastes.

In June, the weekends in Breme become tastier to celebrate the “Dolcissima”, a red onion which has been produced in Breme for generations and now bears the De.Co mark (municipal denomination of origin). This gastronomic event started out as a small local event and over the years has become a real reference point for gastronauts and chefs from Italy and beyond, in search of new inspiration. Each year, the festival aims to promote a small but precious product from the area's short supply chain. It does so by embracing the culinary tradition of the Lomellina Valley, with its generous recipes: the “dolcissima” is the queen of the menus prepared for the occasion and is paired with tripe, typical stews, grilled meats and the ever-present omelette, the true must of the festival!

Since 1928, official date of birth, the Grape Festival in Impruneta is held at the end of September in Piazza Buondelmonti. Conceived in the midst of the economic crisis with the intention of promoting grape consumption, over the years the Festival has enjoyed incredible success, attracting thousands of people. At first a challenge among Farms and a parade of simple decorated carts, from 1932 the Grape Festival is brought to life by the four Rioni - Rione delle Sante Marie, Rione del Sant'Antonio, Rione delle Fornaci, Rione del Pallò – engaged in a challenge of increasingly complex floats, ever more numerous extras (up to 300 for each Rione), increasingly spectacular costumes and choreography. The true heart of the Grape Festival is life in the rione which takes place throughout the month of September, with hundreds of people engaged in daily work between the construction site and tailoring. A highlight of this preparatory stage are the cene di Rione (dinners in the Rione), born as a small form of funding, today an event that attracts hundreds of people, from Impruneta and beyond.

It is 'the learned', because in 1088 it saw the birth of the first university in the western world, which still today attracts students from around the world. It is 'the red' because of the characteristic colour of its roofs, visible from the top of its medieval towers. And it is 'the fat' – you just try to resist the temptation of a sandwich stuffed with fresh mortadella or a dish of piping hot lasagna!

Internationally-acclaimed, San Daniele ham - which is a PDO product (Protected Denomination of Origin) - stands out from other Italian ham for its unique processing, which doesn’t involve removing the trotter. As for the origin of the raw material (the legs), it’s essential they only come from pigs bred in one of the 11 northern and central regions of Italy (Friuli Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Lombardy, Piedmont, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, Lazio, the Abruzzi, the Marches, Umbria and Molise).

Of all the types of journey, opting for a route that follows the tasting stops has its reasons. Savouring the typical dishes of an area will accomplish a twofold mission: to satisfy the palate and get to know the traditions of the area. A food and wine itinerary in the Aosta Valley is this and much more. Mountain flavours, treasured traditions, the finest ingredients: the typical products of the Aosta Valley are worth the journey, and at the first taste you will understand why.

The chestnut finds its ideal habitat here thanks to the temperate climatic conditions, exposure to the sun and the chemical and physical composition of the soil: Marroni del Monfenera PGI chestnuts are the tastiest. We’re here on the slopes of Monfenera, in the foothills of Grappa and Montello in the province of Treviso, where miracles happen.

A sort of an uncharted territory in regards to mass tourism, Molise, which lies between the regions of Abruzzo and Apulia, is a region that hosts numerous art treasures, breathtaking natural sceneries, and thousand-year-old traditions. A very characteristic aspect of Molise is its network of tratturi, the ancient grassy paths of transhumance from the pre-Roman Era up to only a few centuries ago, our ancestors traveled these trails, driving their animal herds from season to season. Livestock transhumance, the principal mainstay of the Southern peasant, was (and is still, in some cases) based on a very rigorous journey from the cool mountain pastures of Abruzzo in autumn, to the hot and humid Apulian Plateaus (where they reverse direction in summer).

These are the magnificent scenery of the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato, where the great Italian wines of Piedmont, Barolo and Barbaresco, are produced. This jewel of Piedmont with its seductive landscapes has become part of the World Heritage List of Unesco.

Ancona is made up of sea and hills. It seems that in ancient Greek "ankón" meant "elbow", and here the landscape of the coast is really like an elbow drawn from the hill of the Cathedral and the hilly parks of Cardeto and Passetto. In the middle is the city, with the sea horizon facing Dalmatia, ships and cranes along the docks, grandiose historical buildings, mysterious sculptural reliefs, imposing signs of the ancient Roman civilization, and beaches on the slopes of the parks. Spending a day of leisure in the large port city of the central Adriatic means making discoveries. Choosing two wheels is advisable, but not with a push bike: we are in a city of unevenness, not all of us have the strength of a cycling champion in our legs. There is no shortage of places to rent a scooter. You can get to Ancona by motorway, by the very long Adriatic road 16 or by rail. If you want, there is also an airport. The ideal thing would be to arrive in the most natural way: by ship, because you would get the taste of the place in the most panoramic and naturally slow way. Follow the manoeuvres, watch the tyres throw, get in line to disembark and finally begin to discover.

The Tuscan countryside around Siena takes in spas as well as excellent food and wine with these five delightful cycling routes through picture postcard nature. The spectacular countryside around Siena, in Tuscany, offers slow rides immersed in nature with the bouquet of wines and truffles, natural spas and very old villages still pervaded by the presence of the ancient Etruscans. Here are five essential itineraries for a truly complete sensory experience. These enchanting landscapes will also welcome stages of the Giro d'Italia 2023.

A farmer on his way back from the fields, an ancient Roman on a road heading North, a never-forgotten champion holding the handlebar with all his might. What about you? Who are you dreaming to be? The hinterland in Le Marche plays the main role in the second to last stage of Tirreno-Adriatico, the coast-to-coast race in which the cycling top contenders face off. The itinerary we are describing in these lines, however, lends itself to the (perhaps down-scaled) effort of the cycling enthusiasts. The merit goes to its mild slopes, immersed in the woods or surrounded by sunflower fields, its artistic richness and its wide culinary offer. Who among you, once off the bike, can say ‘no’ to a dish of cold cuts paired with some Vernaccia?

If in doubt, we certainly recommend a visit here, with its patchwork of small vineyards that carpet the hillsides and valleys of the area, dotted with the precious vines that have been cultivated for centuries with hard work and passion, which can even make teetotallers jump out of their skin with enthusiasm.