Each year, a UNESCO committee meets to discuss which cultural and natural sites should be recognized as having “exceptional value to humanity”.
Being nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in addition to yielding professional status, provides greater protection to the chosen location.
Italy boasts 55 UNESCO World Heritage sites– more than any other country in the world. The most famous locations – Rome, Florence, Venice, and the Amalfi Coast – need no introduction. But the charm of Italy it is beyond these obvious places, saturated with visitors all year round.
Here are seven lesser-known UNESCO World Heritage sites in Italy, but still unmissable.
1. Alberobello: a fairytale village
This magical city is situated among the picturesque olive groves and vineyards of Puglia. Alberobello was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 by their trulli, whitewashed residences covered by conical roofs.
Historians are not sure why the trulli were built this way, but one theory suggests that the simple stone structure was designed so that it could be easily dismantled to avoid property taxes.
More than a thousand of these limestone structures are spread across Alberobello and remain functional as homes and shops. Piazza del Popolo is a good starting point for exploring this historic city.
Also consider a stop in hill towns such as locorotondo e Ostuni. The latter is full of whitewashed houses, earning it the nickname La Città Bianca (the White City).
2. Piedmont: the wine region
On the western side of the Alps lies the Piedmont wine region, made up of five wine-growing areas and the Grinzane Cavour Castle. The region was inscribed as a World Heritage Site for its ancient and authentic winemaking tradition on beautifully cultivated lands.
In addition to a wide selection of mouth-watering wines, Piedmont is a fine gastronomic region believed to be the birthplace of the movement slow food, which encourages local production.
3. The Dolomites: sublime nature
The Dolomites are a mountain range in the northern Italian Alps, which extend throughout the Trentino-Alto Adige region. The area was part of Austria until World War I and is distinct from the rest of the country.
The majestic mountains are described by many as the most spectacular in Europe. UNESCO added the Dolomites to its World Heritage Sites for their exceptional natural beauty and geological diversity.
From world-class ski resorts in Val Gardena to mountain hiking trails, the Dolomites offer activities for all seasons. Madonna di Campiglio, a resort in Brenta, in the Dolomites, is a good base for exploring the region.
4. Urbino: a splendid Renaissance city
For most, the term “Renaissance” brings to mind Florence, Tuscany, and Umbria, but evidence of the cultural movement can be found throughout Italy.
The small hilltop town of Urbino – nestled in the Marche between the Apennines and the Adriatic Sea – was one of the most important cultural centers of the Renaissance in the 15th century.
The patron behind Urbino's flourishing arts and cultural scene was Federico da Montefeltro, a brilliant military leader, intellectual and art lover. Montefeltro commissioned the magnificent Palazzo Ducale, one of the most beautiful examples of Renaissance palaces in Italy.
Since then, the palace has been converted into National Gallery of Marche and houses works by Renaissance artists.
The Palazzo Ducale is the city's main attraction, but a visit is not complete without seeing the birthplace of one of the most famous painters and architects of the High Renaissance, Raphael. The interior of the house is empty but picturesque.
5. Matera: the Sassi caves
Well-preserved frescoes adorn the walls of the Crypt of Original Sin, one of Matera's many cave churches.
Situated in the Basilicata region of southern Italy, the Sassi, which means “stones” in Italian, has been continuously occupied by human settlements from the Paleolithic era to the present day.
This ancient district sits on the edge of a ravine where stacked houses, churches and monasteries have been carved into the natural terrain.
In the 1950s, dangerous living conditions, poor sanitation, and disease forced residents to abandon the Sassi. The city's impoverished conditions and atmosphere of despair led artist Carlo Levi to compare Matera to Dante's Inferno in his book, Christ Stopped at Eboli .
After a prolonged effort to restore the city, its former residents began to return in the 1980s, renovating the caves under the supervision of conservationists.
The Sassi was declared a World Heritage Site in 1993, and a tourist industry modest, complete with elegant “cave hotels,” soon followed. Matera's unique landscape has even attracted filmmakers, including Mel Gibson, who filmed most of The Passion of Christ in this location.
6. Vicenza: spectacular Palladian architecture
The Veneto region, in northeastern Italy, is the region with the greatest cultural diversity in the country.
Most tourists head to the floating city of Venice or to Verona, which became famous for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet e The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Many look to neighboring Vicenza, a city of splendid art and architecture.
UNESCO added Vicenza to its world heritage site in 1994 for its magnificent villas designed by the 16th century Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio.
Inspired by Roman architecture, Palladio designed many extraordinary palaces for nobles, as well as the Olympic Theatre, the oldest existing theater in Europe.
The style Palladian inspired an architectural movement that can be seen throughout Europe and North America, including the famous Monticello, by Thomas Jefferson in Charlottesville, Virginia.
7. Val di Noto: Reborn from the ruins
While many tourists flock to Taormina e Palermo, in Sicily, the peaceful region of Val di Noto in the southeast – popularized by the Italian television series Inspector Montalbano – combines a modern gastronomic scene and Upscale boutique hotels with an air of old-world charm.
In 2002, UNESCO inscribed the eight cities of Val di Noto (Caltagirone, Militello Val di Catania, Catania, Modica, Noto, Palazzolo, Ragusa and Scicli) on the World Heritage list.
The cities, built after a 1693 earthquake devastated the area, are appreciated for their splendid late Baroque architecture and innovative urban planning.
The city of Modica is known for its glorious views, which can be enjoyed from a viewpoint reached through a series of narrow alleys and hundreds of stairs.
Os culinary treats can also satiate your taste buds with delicious chocolates inspired by ancient Aztec recipes.
I note, without a doubt the busiest of the cities of Val di Noto, is also the grandest.
The city was built in an orderly and linear manner – an excellent example of late Baroque urban planning.
Ragusa and Scicli are small but refined towns where soft ocher-hued buildings have been built into the hills.
Charming cities, but they are still among the least known UNESCO World Heritage sites in Italy.
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