10 non-banal places in Italy

If you have visited the Colosseum, the Sistine Chapel touched to the depths of your soul, and in St. Peter’s Square you have long been pushed by other poor people, it is time to read our guide and discover the country anew. In a joint special project with Dolce Vita Travel, we selected ten non-banal places on the map of Italy.

Flight of an Angel at the Basilicata

The mountainous region of Basilicata in southern Italy lies between the sock and heel of the boot. From the two peaks of the Lucan Dolomites, picturesque communes - Castelmedzano and Pietrapertosa - look at each other. The cities are connected by two lines of steel cable. Wearing equipment, you can fly from one commune to another in a minute and a half at a speed of 120 km / h, return flight is included in the price.

Trapani saltwares

Salt in Trapani, on the west coast of Sicily, began to mine the Phoenicians. Production continues today, only now on an industrial scale. There is also a reserve with exotic birds, including pink flamingos. One of the must-see tourist spots is the salt museum and windmill. In the evening, you can watch the sunset, when the sun setting behind the Aegad Islands adds pink to the pours of snow-white salt.

Carnival of Putiniano

Carnival in Putiniano is not only one of the oldest in Europe, but also one of the longest. Every Sunday in February, seven large papier-mache wagons are made by local craftsmen. On the eve of Fat Tuesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, priests pass through the streets, telling the story of the carnival, and give him a dying blessing. The next day, with all honors, the “funeral” of the holiday is celebrated, where papier-mache pigs are burned. There is another tradition: under the 365 beats of a huge bell announcing the beginning of Lent, from 23:00 to midnight on the central streets, local residents eat spaghetti.

St. Pio's Church

The church, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, was built in San Giovanni Rotondo, where one of the last Catholic saints, canonized in 2002, lived. The facade of the church is made of glass with images of the apocalypse, visually connecting the space inside (for seven thousand people) and the courtyard (for 30 thousand people). Piano’s innovative project fits seamlessly into the landscape of a small mountain town.

The "Big Sphere" in Pesaro

On the embankment of the resort town of Pesaro, you can not only walk and eat ice cream, but also admire the fountain “Big sphere” by sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro. The fault along the “equator” of the ball hints at the destructive influence of man on nature. Despite the fact that the same sculpture can be seen in Rome opposite the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the residents of Pesaro consider it the main attraction of the city and are fondly called the “tomato ball”, joking over the speaking name of its author.

St. Patrick's Well in Orvieto

The well was built by Antonio da Sangallo in the XVI century on behalf of Pope Clement VII. The depth of the structure, the construction of which lasted ten years, is 53 meters with a base diameter of 13.4 meters. At the bottom are two spiral staircases - 248 steps each - illuminated by 72 windows cut through the rock. What does it have to do with St. Patrick? The name of the place was given in the XVIII century, drawing an analogy with the cave of St. Patrick's Purgatory in Ireland, where according to legend there is a passage to hell.

Caltajirone Staircase

The symbol of the city was the staircase of Santa Maria del Monte, built in the XVII century to link the two parts of the city: 142 of its steps are decorated with tiles with traditional Sicilian patterns. Climbing this staircase is an aesthetic pleasure in itself, but it becomes especially bright on the night of July 25, the feast of St. James, when four thousand burning candles are placed on the steps, creating the effect of flowing lava. From mid-May to mid-June, the stairs are decorated with floral compositions in honor of the patronizing city of the Virgin, who is here called the Madonna Conadomi.

The ship Amerigo Vespucci

In 2016, the ship - the oldest in the Italian Navy - turned 85 years old. In summer, its permanent crew is joined by cadets - recruits of the Livorno Military Academy. The ship makes stops at many ports in Europe, during which it can be visited by locals, tourists and fans. After several restorations, it is still cleaned to shine and is considered a maritime ambassador of Italian culture, art and engineering.

"Terrace of Tremosine"

Lovers of breathtaking panoramas should not miss the Terrace of Tremosin. The town is located in the north-western part of Lake Garda and, scattered into the smallest quarters, is sprawled along the mountain slope, rising from 65 to 1976 meters above sea level. At an altitude of 350 meters, a balcony hangs over the lake, the name of which speaks for itself: on sunny days, when both the lake and the mountains standing on the terrace are clearly visible from above, it really shakes – both from fear and from admiration.

Winery in Santo Stefano Belbo, Asti Province

Asti is a picturesque province in northern Italy, where breathtaking from the mountain scenery. But there’s another reason to come here – they make the best sparkling wines in the country. So, in one small original commune of Santo Stefano-Belbo for a century and a half, grapes of the variety “white muscat” are hand-picked, so sweet that sparkling from it is cooked without sugar. The sparkling wine of the Asti region smells of flowers and fruit - and you can taste it right here, admiring the view of the green hills of Northern Italy.

Source: The Village (http://www.the-village.ru/village/weekend/specials-weekend/251237-10-original-places-in-italy)

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