Underrated cities in Italy you have to visit (vol.1 – North)
Italy means Rome, Venice, Florence but also plenty of less-known and hidden towns that rarely are present in travel guides or blogs articles, but nevertheless have very interesting attractions and beauties. There is something even charmer in the discovery of something less touristic and popular, something that makes you feel you are visiting a more special place, in some measure that belongs to you in a closer way. For this first episode we are going to visit some lovely towns of the Northern Italy, underrated cities in Italy you have to visit.
Northern Italy Cities
Trieste, Friuli-Venezia Giulia
A fascinating seaport in Northeastern Italy, it is situated between the Adriatic Sea and Slovenia. The city presents a unique charme blending different cultures, characteristics that confer it an exotic and elegant atmosphere. Throughout history it has been influenced indeed by its location at the crossroads of Latin, Slavic, and Germanic cultures. In the fin-de-siecle period it emerged as an important hub for literature and music as well. The city presents many sights such as the Castello Miramare, on the waterfront 8 kilometers from Trieste. The Castle gardens provide a variety of trees, two ponds and a small chapel. Numerous archaeological remains stand out: a Roman theatre, the Austrian Quarter and Città Vecchia (Old City). Piazza Unità d’Italia, with Trieste’s City Hall, its central majestic square and the largest seafront square in Europe.
Aosta, Valle d’Aosta
It is the main city of Aosta Valley and is located in the Italian Alps, near the Italian entrance of the Mont Blanc Tunnel. Settled in proto-historic times, it had a considerable military importance thanks to its position at the confluence of two rivers. Under the House of Savoy Aosta the city was granted a special status that it maintained when the new Italian Republic was proclaimed in 1948. It presents many sights and ancient remains such as: the ancient town walls of Augusta Prætoria Salassorum; the Tour du Lépreux and the Tower (Castle) of Bramafan. We have to mention also the Roman theatre, dating from the late reign of Augustus, the Cathedral and The Romanesque-Gothic Sant’Orso Church.
Mantua, Lombardy
One of the most beautiful sites of North Italy, In 2007 Mantua’s centro storico (old town) and Sabbioneta were declared by UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site. Mantua’s historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family has made it one of the main artistic, cultural, and especially musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole. The city has many important landmarks. The most important is the Palazzo Te (1525–1535), a creation of Giulio Romano in the mature Renaissance style, with some hints of a post-Raphaelian Mannerism. It was the summer residential villa of Frederick II of Gonzaga and hosts the Museo Civico. We have to remember also The Palazzo Ducale, the Magna Domus, the beautiful Duomo and the Cathedral of Saint Peter the Apostle, dating back to early Christian era.
Padua, Veneto
In the central area of the Veneto plains, among the lagoon, hills and Alpine foothills, there is Padua, a fascinating melting-pot of art, cultures, flavors and traditions. This dynamic and vivacious city presents a vast historical and monumental heritage. The Euganei Hills, a wonderfully colored treasure made of green valleys covered in vineyards, enclose the largest thermal area in Europe, the Euganee Thermal Baths, internationally renowned for their therapeutic waters. Claiming to be the oldest city in Northern Italy (1183), It’s hard to pick among the many beautiful monuments that the city features. To mention some of them: the Scrovegni Chapel, renowned for fantastic Giotto’s frescoes; the Palazzo della Ragione, with its great hall on the upper floor and the largest roof unsupported by columns in Europe. Among the symbols of the city there is Donatello’s equestrian statue in honor of Erasmo da Narni in Prato della Valle, a huge elliptical square, one of the biggest in Europe.
Asti, Piedmont
The Province of Asti lies at the heart of Piedmont. The city has been inhabited since the Neolithic period and presents landscapes of unique beauty and vineyards that provide a kaleidoscope of shades and tones. The Asti area is a wine producer par excellence and the home of Asti Spumante DOCG, that Italy exports all around the world. You will find various natural reserves such as the unique WWF Oasis of Forteto della Luja. Within this stunning natural scenery lie towns of Medieval origins and small but evocative borghi in the hills, like Moncalvo. Along the ancient Via Francigena it is still possible to see wonderful Medieval parish churches and abbeys, while the monuments of Asti’s old town center testify its golden age. The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Romanesque-Gothic style features one of the biggest mosaics in Piedmont.
