- BY ISSIMO
- March 8, 2024
Our travel guide takes an unexpected twist this week, as we venture beyond the major cities, towns and big attractions to sites of natural and architectural wonder across Italy that await curious explorers!
Inspired by our interview with artist and photographer Silvia Camporesi who captured an entire series of these remarkable places in her book Mirabilia, we’ve compiled a small guide to some of these sites that are like scenes from a surreal film, revealing a side of Italy that you might have never seen before.
SUBLIME SEASCAPES AND COASTAL MARVELS
Who would expect to find Il Gigante (The Giant) in the tiny fishing village of Monterosso al Mare in Cinque Terre (Liguria)? Indeed, a giant concrete statue of the god Neptune was sculpted by Arrigo Minerbi to decorate the sea-facing edge of the former Villa Pastine. There’s something utterly mystical about the sight of Il Gigante who still holds an imposing presence on the cliff face onto which it was built in 1910.
Getting there:
- It’s easy to arrive at Monterosso al Mare station by train on the Genoa-La Spezia line. You’ll find Il Gigante at the end of Fegina Beach.
Coastal ‘giants’ of another kind also exist way down south in Sardegna; dramatic natural rock formations that are really something to behold. Located on the island’s south-west coast, the imposing Pan di Zucchero (Sugar Loaf) is a monumental (over 130 metres high!) mass of limestone rock that appears to rise from the waters of the Iglesias Coast like a mythical aquatic giant…or a huge lump of sugar, depending on how your imagination works!
We also suggest a visit to Sardegna’s Roccia dell’elefante near the town of Castelsardo, which, as the name suggests, is a four-metre high mass of rock that has eroded into the shape of an elephant.
MARVELS IN THE MOUNTAINS
From the mighty Dolomites to Campania’s national parks, there’s a lifetime of hidden marvels waiting to be discovered in Italy’s mountainous regions. One we’ve recently discovered thanks to Silvia Camporesi’s book Mirabilia is the Tempio Teatro di Monte San Nicola located in the province of Pietravairano in Caserta (Campania). Believed to have initially been built around 4th century BC, this incredible temple-theatre hybrid lies 400 metres above sea level and quite literally feels like a temple in the clouds!
Campania is also home to lush landscapes including Valle delle Ferriere (Amalfi) and Oasi valle della Caccia (Senerchia, Avellino), two sublime valleys with a unique array of caves, waterfalls, flora and fauna and walking tracks that will immerse you in an experience of nature in its purest form.
Campania is also home to lush landscapes including Valle delle Ferriere (Amalfi) and Oasi valle della Caccia (Senerchia, Avellino), two sublime valleys with a unique array of caves, waterfalls, flora and fauna and walking tracks that will immerse you in an experience of nature in its purest form.
Getting there:
- Tempio Teatro di Monte San Nicola is a few minute’s drive outside the township of Pietravairano – make sure you wear appropriate footwear for lots of walking around the site once you arrive!
- Valle delle Ferriere is located within an hour’s walk from the centre of Amalfi and makes a great all-day activity.
- You can reach the Oasi valle della Caccia in Senerchia (Avellino) in under two hours by train from Naples – but we suggest staying a night somewhere nearby as it’s too ambitious for a daytrip!
We can’t mention mountainous marvels without reminding you of the immaculate beauty of sites like Piramidi di Terra, Curon Belltower (Lago di Resia), and the mirror-like emerald lake Pragser Wildsee, all located in one very unique region in northern Italy which you can discover more about in ISSIMO’s Travel Guide to Trentino-Alto Adige.
NATURE’S QUIRKS AND CURIOSITIES
Like us, you’re probably marvelling these special places and thinking…how on earth? The truth is, we could go on forever about nature’s gifts, quirks and curiosities waiting to be discovered across every region of Italy. From the part-cherry, part-mulberry Bilabero (Double Tree) in Casorzo (Piemonte) to the mass of white limestone resembling a whale’s mouth – La Balena Bianca – at the thermal springs of Bagni San Filippo (Toscana), these are truly once-in-a-lifetime sights, especially for visitors to Italy.
Getting there:
- The Biablero in the town of Casorzo is located about an hour’s drive from Torino.
- From Siena, the thermal springs at Bagni San Filippo can be reached in just over an hour’s drive.
ARCHITECTURE: THE BREATHTAKING AND BIZZARE
It doesn’t stop at nature! As Silvia Camporesi reminds us, these special places include man-made and architectural feats that seem to be truly impossible achievements. Among these are the Rochetta Mattei fortress in Bologna’s Northern Apennine Mountains. Built in the period from 1850-1871, this castle features a mesmerising chapel with striped arches that were inspired by a mix of Italian medieval architecture and the interiors style of the Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba in Spain.
Other slightly more obscure architectural sites to add to your list should include La Scarzuola in Montegabbione (Umbria); a bizarre utopian ‘city within a city’ filled with sculptural symbolism that was designed by architect Tomaso Buzzi in the late 1950s, and the Tempio del Valadier (Temple of Valadier) in Genga (Marche), a neoclassical sanctuary nestled into the rocky cliff face near the Frasassi Caves.
Getting there:
- Rochetta Mattei is located closest to Riola train station, which is directly accessible from Bologna. It’s a short drive from Riola station to the castle.
- La Scarzuola is only accessible by car, and it’s about a 30-minute drive from the closest railway station of Fabro-Ficulle.
A good travel companion is a must as you prepare to hit the road and discover some of these once-in-a-lifetime sites in style. Here’s a few of ISSIMO’s picks!
