Sacred and spiritual destinations in Italy off the beaten path.
Less-touristed spiritual destinations in Italy, for travelers seeking fewer crowds but all the beauty.
Three rocky spurs crown Brisighella, a UNESCO-listed cave system runs beneath its territory, and a 6th-century sanctuary at Monte Sant'Angelo has drawn pilgrims longer than most Italian cities have existed — Italy's spiritual landscape runs far deeper than its famous basilicas. These 18 destinations, from the Sacro Monte di Varallo in Piedmont to Greccio in the Rieti Valley where Saint Francis staged the first living Nativity, trace routes of devotion that shaped the country's medieval character and still draw the faithful today.
Re
This modest Piedmontese village near the Swiss border, Re is home to a pilgrimage sanctuary built after a reported miracle in 1494, dedicated to the Madonna…
Brisighella
Three rocky spurs rise above this little Emilia-Romagna town, each topped by a landmark: the 14th-century Rocca Manfrediana fortress, an 18th-century sanctua…
Monte Sant'Angelo
The Sanctuary of San Michele Arcangelo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has drawn Christian pilgrims since the 6th century, sits at the heart of this pocke…
Bobbio
Founded around the Abbey of San Colombano in 614, Bobbio is a medieval village in the Trebbia River valley in Piacenza province, with a historic centre that…
Varallo Sesia
Dominated by the Sacro Monte di Varallo — one of the major Catholic pilgrimage sites in Piedmont — this compact town in Valsesia sits along the Sesia river,…
Greccio
Saint Francis of Assisi staged the first living Nativity scene here in December 1223, and the tradition continues in this little Lazio hilltown on a spur of…
Castel di Tora
Sitting on the north-eastern shore of Lake Turano, this pocket-sized Lazio hamlet is a member of Italy's "most beautiful villages" association and offers a h…
Licciana Nardi
This small Tuscan village in the Province of Massa-Carrara that sits within the Tusco-Emilian Apennine National Park and along the Via del Volto Santo pilgri…
Novalesa
Novalesa Abbey, a Benedictine monastery founded in 726 and strategically positioned to control the Via Francigena, anchors this modest Piedmontese hamlet nea…
Vallerano
This small Lazio village in the Province of Viterbo holds several historic churches for its size, including the 17th-century Sanctuary of the Madonna del Rus…
Lanciano
Lanciano, a town in Abruzzo's province of Chieti, is known as the site of the first recorded Catholic Eucharistic Miracle, drawing pilgrims to its historic c…
Orani
Small Sardinian village in the Barbagia region, at the foot of Mount Gonare, known for its stonework, carpentry, metalwork, and tailoring in traditional Sard…
Santarcangelo di Romagna
A little town in Emilia-Romagna with a notably dense café and restaurant scene, Santarcangelo di Romagna sits on the Via Emilia in the province of Rimini, cr…
Graglia
This tiny Piedmontese village whose communal territory takes in the Mombarone peak and Lake Ingagna, Graglia is best known for the Sacro Monte di Graglia, a…
Capranica
This modest town in the Tuscia area of Lazio, Capranica sits on the ancient Via Cassia and along the route of the Via Francigena pilgrimage road, with vineya…
Venafro
Venafro is a small Molise town with ancient roots stretching back to the Samnite people, who fought Rome here during the Samnite Wars of the 3rd century BC.
Cassino
Cassino, a town in southern Lazio at the foot of Monte Cairo, is defined by two things: the Abbey of Montecassino, founded by St.
Augusta
Founded in 1232 by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II on Sicily's eastern coast, Augusta is a Sicilian port town with a walkable centre dense with historic chur…