Between Burano and Sant’Erasmo sits a tiny island almost entirely occupied by a working Franciscan monastery.

The warm season is just around the corner, and the countdown to Italy’s most popular destinations has already begun. Yet there is another side to the country: small villages that still preserve their scents, views and atmosphere, capable of surprising even in high season, if you arrive just a little earlier than everyone else. Here are ten villages chosen for summer, set between the sea, lakes and mountains, linked by a common thread: authenticity, striking scenery and a welcoming spirit that encourages you to slow down.

There’s one detail that completely shifts how a home feels: water catching the light, a private space where summer doesn’t depend on the calendar, and a feature that quietly lifts the property’s market position.A property with a pool in Italy from €35,000 is no longer a rare niche find.

The number of €1 houses in Sicily continues to grow. After Gangi, Sambuca di Sicilia, and Delia, the scheme has now reached the village of Troina, in the former provincial district of Enna. The initiative has previously been featured by CNN. The aim is to renovate and bring new residents into the historic centre’s housing stock. As explained on the official website, “through the ‘€1 Houses’ project, unoccupied properties are transferred at the symbolic price of one euro in order to revitalise and repopulate the ancient quarters of the medieval village.”

Just a few minutes beyond the Aurelian Walls in Rome, you’ll find an enormous green corridor where you can literally walk on paving stones laid more than two thousand years ago. Mausoleums rise out of the grass, catacombs run underground, and aqueducts cut across the skyline.

A train ticket, a window seat, and the moment the scenery shifts without warning: sea gives way to hills, then to a ridge of houses clinging to pale tuff rock.In Campania, many historic villages are easily reached by train, with short local bus connections where needed, making them ideal for a slow

There are beaches you visit and others you remember for years. Cala Mariolu definitely falls into the second group. A natural amphitheatre of white rock and crystal-clear water, the sea here shifts colour throughout the day, from deep emerald to intense turquoise.

Which city will be the most affected by inflation in 2026? The picture reveals an unexpected divide: the North leads in absolute terms, while the South has the highest rates but the smallest price increases.