Five Off the Radar Towns in Italy You Should Stop Ignoring

One of the world's unsung places according to Lonely Planet, Trieste has a unique atmosphere and is so different from other Italian cities. It oozes the atmosphere of Mittle-Europa and is greatly influenced by its location at the crossroads of Latin, Austro-Hungarian and Slavic cultures.

Located on the south side of the Po Valley in the Emilia-Romagna region, Modena is a small and ancient town synonymous with balsamic vinegar, Lambrusco wine and cars. It is here that the iconic Ferrari was born, and the greatest tenor in the world too, Luciano Pavarotti. Modena is also home to the second oldest university in Italy, founded in 1175. Its Piazza Grande is a UNESCO World Heritage site, along with the Cathedral and the Tower of the Ghirlandina. 

Lucca has a glow that comes with being just right. Not too big or small, not too crowded with tourists, but just the right amount of fabulous art that is well worth a taste. It has something to suit everyone: art lovers, music fans, foodies, shopaholics and is a brilliant location for kids.

Perugia, capital of Umbria in central Italy, lies sprawled high over the Tiber Valley like a prickly limpet, immovable, seemingly impenetrable and unchangeable. It’s as though the modern era has passed it by, like a wave washing over it. The medieval buildings now house high fashion shops and boutiques, elegant palazzi contain coffee bars and chocolate shops. In many ways, it is Italy’s most enigmatic provincial capital, with its own distinct personality.

'And suddenly there is Cagliari: a naked town rising steep, steep, golden looking, piled naked to the sky from the plain and the head of the formless hollow bay. It is strange and rather wonderful, not a bit like Italy.’ Such was D.H. Lawrence’s first impression of Cagliari, Sardinia's capital, upon arrival by sea from Sicily. The city’s centro storico hasn’t changed much since his visit in the early 1920s.