Autumn

Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club, Italy's most beautiful villages, UNESCO site Founded by Julius Caesar as Forum Iulii, hence the name Friuli, Cividale later became the seat of the first Lombard duchy in Italy and later, for several centuries, the residence of the Patriarchs of Aquileia. Today, Cividale still preserves significant Lombard testimonies, first and foremost the Tempietto, one of the most extraordinary and mysterious pieces of early medieval architecture in the West. Longobard sculptures are also preserved in the Christian Museum and the National Archaeological Museum. In 2011, this historical and artistic heritage was recognised by UNESCO, which placed Cividale at the beginning of the Longobard route in Italy in an itinerary that allows visitors to discover stupendous, yet little-known treasures, starting right in Friuli Venezia Giulia. One of the most popular and lively squares in the historic centre is dedicated to Paolo Diacono, the Cividale author of the Historia Langobardorum. From here you can start your walk towards Piazza Duomo until you reach the Ponte del Diavolo (Devil's Bridge), with a suggestive view over the Natisone River. Cividale is surrounded by the Colli Orientali del Friuli, where renowned and excellent DOC and DOCG wines are produced from various grape varieties, including some indigenous ones: Picolit, Friulano and Verduzzo among the whites, Pignolo, Schioppettino and Tazzelenghe among the reds.

Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club The Langhe are lands of great wine production and Neive is no exception. Proud of its culture linked to the precious nectar, it has set up, in the cellars of the town hall, the Bottega dei Quattro Vini (Barbera and Dolcetto d'Alba, Barbaresco and Moscato), a true showcase of local production. In Neive, an important part of the region's wine history was written: here, in 1854, the famous French oenologist Oudard was the first to experiment with the vinification of Nebbiolo grapes, thanks to which he would win a gold medal in London for the invention of Barbaresco. And after tasting a glass of wine, all that remains is to visit the village, with its prestigious palaces and elegant atmosphere of yesteryear.

Castel Guelfo di Bologna is a charming village in the Emilia-Romagna region, where every stone tells a story and hospitality is a way of life. Just a few kilometers from Imola and the Castel San Pietro Terme motorway exit, the town, surrounded by lush and well-tended countryside, offers views that stretch to the first hills of the Apennines, only a few kilometers away. For those arriving from Bologna, the first impression is truly special: a long avenue lined with linden trees on both sides leads straight to the distinctive Piazza Dante Alighieri, with its unique triangular shape. From there, through the so-called "Campanazzo"—an ancient entrance gate topped with a clock—you enter the village, which is protected by 14th-century walls and four perfectly preserved circular corner towers. Wandering through the narrow streets of the historic center, a visit to Palazzo Malvezzi-Hercolani is a must. Dating back to 1448, it now houses the Town Hall. Entry is through a pointed arch portal that leads directly to an inner courtyard, surrounded by two Renaissance-style loggias. Also worth noting is the Palazzo del Podestà, the former secondary seat of the local administration. It features a pointed arch entrance too, and a tower similar to that of Palazzo Malvezzi. Visiting Castel Guelfo di Bologna means immersing yourself in this unique atmosphere, where a glorious past pleasantly interacts with a lively and welcoming present. It’s a place that wins visitors over with the simplicity and warmth typical of Emilia, making everyone feel like a welcome guest. And if you happen to visit Castel Guelfo on the last weekend of June, you’ll be lucky enough to experience the traditional “Sagra del Vino e della Ciambella”, a unique opportunity to taste the area’s most authentic flavors and traditions.

The historic centre of Santarcangelo is the mediaeval heart of the town, an evocative and magical village dating back to the Malatesta period. A privileged meeting place between piazza and theatre, art and poetry, Santarcangelo is home to Italy's longest-running festival of contemporary research theatre: every year in July the town hosts shows, installations and performances, transforming itself into an open-air theatre. Santarcangelo is also the town of Tonino Guerra, Raffaello Baldini, Nino Pedretti and many other dialectal poets, protagonists of the extraordinary experience of the 'Circle of Judgement'. Finally, the Autumn Fairs (San Michele and San Martino) express the rich wine and food tradition and popular culture of the town.

Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club Not far from the famous beaches of Salento, Corigliano d 'Otranto is part of Grecìa Salentina, a linguistic island in which griko, an ancient language of Greek origin, is spoken. This tradition is still preserved and developed today: each of the town's main monuments, for example, has a panel with a description in Italian, English and Griko, with the opportunity to listen to a poem recited by a local in this language. The imposing Castello de’Monti is located at the entrance to the historic centre: dating back to the Middle Ages, with its main façade of great impact and artistic value, richly decorated, it is now a particularly lively place, where guided tours, congresses, events and ceremonies are organised, as well as hosting a restaurant and a café. Entering the heart of the historic centre and strolling through its streets, you can admire the rich architectural, historical and archaeological heritage, including the mother church of St Nicholas, with the central rose window that illuminates the interior with a very suggestive mosaic. The ancient portal known as Arco Lucchetti is embellished with dense carvings of Byzantine, classical and Islamic inspiration: the advice is to stop and admire them, before passing under them. At the table, there are two typicalproducts to enjoy: Corigliano white truffle andpopaneddha, a sweet cucumber usually consumed in summer as a fruit or as an ingredient for fresh salads. The village comes alive with various events, especially in the summer: for example, the first stage of the Night of Taranta in August and the SEI Festival in July.

Oriolo Romano was born as an 'ideal village': built ex novo on a depopulated territory, it has a modern urban planning that still allows these ideals of order and precision to emerge. The heart of the town is the Palazzo Altieri, an ancient fortress that, with its moat and ramparts, recounts of his first defensive function. Definitely worth visiting here is the garden with its centuries-old trees and, also housed in the palace, the Polo Museale del Lazio, which contains important paintings, neoclassical stuccos and furnishings and splendid frescoes. Around the village, then, stretches the Lazio countryside and the eye is lost in the soft heights of the Sabatini Mountains. Woods of centuries-old beech, turkey oak and chestnut trees embellish the landscape and, a few kilometres away, Lake Bracciano, an enchanting nature reserve, shines.

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!

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!

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.

This traditional, prized vegetable comes to us directly from the tables of antiquity. The white asparagus of Cimadolmo PGI was once eaten by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans. Recent cultivation dates back a century and a half and is predominantly focused in Veneto. Only the young shoots, called turions, are boiled, becoming the main ingredient, or side dish of choice, in traditional dishes that are nothing short of exquisite.

There are three main colours that characterise the Apulian table, and they happen to be the same as the national flag: green, white and red. Green is the colour of extra virgin olive oil, appreciated and known throughout the world for its unique and unmistakable taste, and of vegetables, which grow luxuriantly thanks to the mild climate, the basis of Mediterranean cuisine and play a fundamental role in many typical dishes. White is that of fresh homemade pasta, made with water and durum wheat flour, such as cavatelli, strascinati, troccoli and orecchiette; it is that of cheeses and dairy products, of undisputed goodness, such as stracciatella, burrata, scamorza, cacio ricotta, canestrato, Pallone di Gravina (a semi-hard cheese made of uncooked pasta filata), and strong ricotta with a spicy flavour; it is also the white of bread, prepared according to a ritual and a method that make it tasty and savoury. Among all, Altamura bread, baked in wood or stone ovens, with its typical crunchy crust and soft crumb. Red is the colour of cured meats with an unforgettable taste, such as capocollo di Martina Franca, soppressata, pancetta and seasoned sausage; it is also the colour of talented red wines, such as Primitivo di Manduria, Nero di Troia and Negroamaro.

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.