Autumn

San Pietro in Cerro: within the walls of the splendid 15th-century castle On the road to Cremona, just off the Fiorenzuola d'Arda motorway exit, in the province of Piacenza, is the Castle of San Pietro in Cerro, an unmissable destination in Emilia Romagna. The best time to visit is undoubtedly spring, when events and exhibitions make the experience even more impressive. You can explore the entire building by booking a guided tour that takes an hour and fifteen minutes. The castle The main attraction of the complex is the ancient residence of the Barattieri counts, which has been carefully maintained and preserved over the years and remains a faithful example of a 15th-century castle. At first glance, the building's exterior looks like a compact and cold fortress, but the interior leaves all visitors speechless thanks to its understated, elegant style. The most interesting rooms are the two Halls of Honour, the Hall of Arms and the Library, which boasts a collection of around 2,000 volumes dating back to the birth of printing itself. A real gem is found in the dungeons of the Castle of San Pietro, which is home to more than 40 terracotta statues of the Warriors of Xian. These faithful reproductions authenticated by the Beijing Museum of Natural History were made in a batch of ninety statues commissioned by the Chinese government. The unmissable MIM - Museum in Motion Following renovations in 2001, an art museum was set up in the attic of the Castle, which traces the ancient patrol route between the two towers. There are more than 1,600 works on display, mainly by contemporary artists, part of which is dedicated to artists from Piacenza. The museum continuously rotates the works it displays, which vary between paintings, sculptures and photographs. A two-day tour of San Pietro Once you have finished exploring the Castle, we recommend taking time for a walk. A few kilometres away, in the heart of the village, you can admire the Church of San Pietro, built in 1522 and adorned with paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries. If you’re looking for an even more immersive experience and to fully enjoy the beauty of the area, you can stay in the luxurious rooms of the Locanda del Re Guerriero, an art hotel created during the renovation of the Castle's former stables within the property's gardens. The hotel is eco-friendly, and all the food served during breakfast and tastings follow the philosophy of zero food miles. Around the building, you can go horse riding or cycling, to enjoy the landscape in harmony with nature.

A village in the Val Nure Ferriere is located in the Val di Nure, a valley on the border between Piacenza, Parma and Genoa with the highest peaks in the area and a spectacular landscape that has been cherished since Roman times. In spring, the explosion of blossom transforms the landscape into a palette of colours, in autumn you can admire the foliage, and in winter you can practise snow sports. The historic village features old stone houses and narrow alleyways leading to Piazza del Maglio, dominated by a monument to the many mines in the area. The Mining Museum tells the history of these mines. Don’t miss the church of San Giovanni Battista and the Castle of Gambaro, an ancient fortress built at an altitude of 800 metres, still inhabited by its owners. Nearby are the Moo, Nero and Bino lakes, as well as ponds and marshes of glacial origin. The only mountain pines in Emilia-Romagna also grow in the area. From the peaks around Ferriere – Monte Bue, Monte Maggiorasca, Monte Ragola and Monte Zovallo – you can enjoy spectacular views. A rich network of trails offers walks for all tastes, including family hikes, trekking, via ferrata climbs, horse riding, mountain biking and winter snowshoeing.

Fanano is a small village nestled in a splendid Apennine landscape: it is located in the Parco dell'Alto Appennino Modenese (Upper Apennine Park of Modena) and this privileged position makes it the ideal place for those who love nature and activities related to it. Walking, trekking and mountain biking in the summer months, snowshoeing and skiing in the winter: the town and the beauty of its Apennines are the perfect setting for a journey in motion, discovering oneself and listening to the surrounding nature. Known as the "city of stone", Fanano is also known for its working of local sandstone; this ancient tradition has given rise to the biennial International Stone Sculpture Symposium and the Park Museum of Stone Sculpture, a permanent public collection of contemporary sculpture widespread in the village and in the surrounding area.

The home of surfing An ancient town in the province of La Spezia, Levanto lies in a valley covered with olive trees, vines and pine trees. It faces directly onto the sea, in a strip of land between the Mesco promontory and the tip of Levanto. Buildings of historical interest include the 13th-century Municipal Loggia of Levanto, the Parish Church of Sant'Andrea Apostolo, a remarkable example of Ligurian Gothic architecture with its characteristic façade of alternating bands of white marble and local serpentine, and the Oratory of San Giacomo, which stands next to the Church of Santa Maria della Costa. The village, renowned among surfers, has some of the best beaches in the area. Among them, we recommend the beach behind the pier ('Via au Mô'), the Spiaggia della Pietra, ideal for families with children due to its shallow, sandy seabed, the Spiaggia da “Pipetta” and the Vallesanta beach with mixed pebbles, interrupted by the Bernardone rock that hides a small inlet. In the area, there is an extensive network of paths connecting the village with the hamlets in a vast hilly landscape. One of the most famous is the one that connects Levanto with Monterosso and from there the other villages of the Cinque Terre. Between 23 and 25 July, the town comes alive for the Festa di San Giacomo, also known as the Festa del Mare, with historical processions, flag-waving, a procession of crucifixes and a firework display.

It is a small seaside village, Santa Flavia. A village that overlooks the sea, yes, but which, above all, has acquired its essence, always interweaving the vicissitudes of its people with the force and magic of the waves. Today the town is known as a seaside resort, having become famous above all for the beauty of the gulf it overlooks, but despite this it remains a deeply seafaring town. Its Church of Maria Santissima del Lume, for example, was built at the behest of a group of fishermen who started the work; its small harbours are lively places, always on the move, and its main port is one of the largest on the island in terms of the number of fishing boats. One lives by the sea in Santa Flavia. One lives with the sea and for the sea. Since time immemorial.

Located 33 km from Rome, Campagnano extends its territory to Lake Martignano and the Veio Park. Already an Etruscan village, with the defeat of Veio it became a Roman municipality and post station, for the refreshment of travellers and the changing of horses. With the fall of the Roman Empire, the centre disintegrated into scattered settlements that suffered attacks by barbarian populations. In the Middle Ages it became a possession of the Annibaldi family and then passed to the Orsini. Under the new princes, Campagnano experienced a moment of great splendour, as can be seen from the numerous noble palaces and the majestic Collegiata di San Giovanni Battista with its Baroque tower. A strategic point on the route to and from Rome, Campagnano is crossed by the Via Amerina and the Via Francigena, which sees its last stop here before reaching Rome.

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 Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo was established in 1923 to protect nature and to save certain wild animals from extinction. It’s in the heart of the central Apennines between the Abruzzi, Lazio and Molise and its some 50,000 hectares are home to 25 towns. The scenery here is characterized by mountain chains, karst phenomena, rivers (including the Sangro River) and streams. It’s the ideal place to spend pleasant days in close contact with nature and to admire uncontaminated landscapes, rich flora and varied fauna. It is here that certain species such as the Marsican brown bear (40 bears), golden eagle, Apennine wolf, deer, otter and chamois have found refuge and their habitat amongst remote valleys and inaccessible mountains.

Geocaching is a kind of treasure hunt: the participants, armed with GPS devices, go in search of geocaches, containers of various sizes and types, hidden in the most remote places. Originally conceived as a game, the experience has turned into an opportunity to extend the holiday mood. Perhaps in nature reserves, places where you can take refuge from the summer heat and appreciate the beauty of the outdoors. But how does a treasure hunt work? Let's find out together.

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.

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!

In the heart of the town, at the foot of Monte Rosa, a special event recalls the Walser culture of these areas and the ancient links with the German-speaking lands. During the period of festivities for the patron Saint John, the Bierfest brings to Gressoney-Saint-Jean the famous beer produced in the brewery of Baron Beck Peccoz, a resident of Gressoney who emigrated many years ago to the town of Kühbach, in Germany. Approximately 15,000 litres of lager arrive in Gressoney-Saint-Jean in a single large barrel, in order to preserve its inherent qualities, and it is opened during the day on which the celebrations begin. The beer festival also features gastronomy, thanks to an attentive catering service. Every evening, the dinners in the pavilion are entertained by folk music, as well as by classics and international music hits. The religious celebrations begin on the evening of 23 June, with the fires of San Giovanni (Saint-Jean or Sankt Johanz): all the local districts, one by one, light huge bonfires and the night is filled with evocative lights while locals and visitors celebrate with typical snacks called "spisie". On 24 June, the Patron's feast day, a scenic procession takes place after mass, with the participants dressed in beautiful traditional Walser costumes, while the conscripts, youth approaching adulthood, carry the statue of the saint. A special blessing is then given to the children, which is still deeply appreciated today.

A land of motors and taste, Modena is a city that offers many possibilities for visiting. Magnificent architectural works that have become UNESCO World Heritage Sites, a lively cultural life and a tasty culinary tradition make Modena a place you can visit all year round. Are you already in the mood to discover these wonders?

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).

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.

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.

The Prosecco hills between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, in the province of Treviso, represent an ancient world that has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019. Choosing the Prosecco Hills as a destination means admiring small vineyards on narrow grassy terraces called “ciglioni”, beautiful hill ridges, medieval villages and hamlets, forests and cultivations. A rugged but enchanting terrain, long shaped and adapted by man, who has nevertheless thoroughly respected its nature, resulting in a distinctive chequered landscape characterised by rows of vines parallel and vertical to the slope. A destination full of beauty and overwhelming flavours accompanied by good drink.

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.

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).