Dante’s exile and a James Bond set: Culture without the crowds in Italy’s most beautiful villages

Italy is peppered with villages from hilltop hamlets crowned by medieval castles to coastal resorts with fishing-boat-filled bays.

The association ‘i borghi più belli d’Italia’ - the most beautiful villages in Italy - celebrates, promotes and preserves these tiny treasures.

As cities like Venice and Florence battle overtourism, venturing to these quiet, out-of-the-way attractions can be a responsible act as a visitor.

Each year, more destinations are added to the list, which now numbers 371. Here are 2024’s new entries and why you should add them to your Italy itinerary.

Visit Rassa for mountain charm

High in the Sesia valley in the northern region of Piedmont lies the pocket-sized hamlet of Rassa. At 917 metres above sea level, its stone and wooden balconied houses are blanketed in snow in winter.

Rassa’s handful of homes line a rocky stream which is crossed by a medieval stone footbridge. In the heart of the village is the church of San Giovanni with pretty interior frescoes and a historic bell tower.

Hikers can use the hamlet as a convenient base for trekking in the surrounding mountains.

Eat a prized cheese in Bagolino

Situated in the mountains of the Sabbia valley, Bagolino is a village for cheese lovers. Dairies in the area produce ‘bagòss’, an aged cheese flavoured with saffron which is only made at high altitudes in the Lombardy region.

There’s something for art enthusiasts too. The hamlet’s church of San Giorgio houses masterpieces by the renowned Venetian artist Tintoretto.

In February, the narrow streets come alive with the annual carnival where residents parade in historic dress, play music and dance.

Find an ancient culture of hospitality in Bertinoro

Bertinoro is known as the Balcony of Romagna for its lofty views over its two closest cities, Forlì and Cesena, and right the way to the sea.

The village is crowned by the Rocca fortress, which is now home to the Interreligious Museum.

Each year, Bertinoro celebrates its values of hospitality with the Colonna delle Anelle festival. This ancient rite sees guests welcomed to the village with musical events, parades and religious services.

Discover Dante’s place of exile in Mulazzo

Lying in the Lunigiana hills, Mulazzo is famed for hosting the Florentine poet Dante when he was in exile.

You can follow the Via Dantis around the centre, a walking route with nine stops that represent the nine circles of hell recounted in the Divine Comedy.

The ‘comune’ comprises several small hamlets including Lusuolo, with dramatic fortifications, and Montereggio, which is known as the ‘village of booksellers’.

Squeeze through the narrowest alley in Italy in Ripatransone

The medieval village of Ripatransone in the Piceno hills is renowned for being home to the narrowest alley in Italy.

After squeezing through the street, you can visit the monumental Cathedral of San Gregorio Magno with its 52-metre-high bell tower.

Known as the ‘Belvedere del Piceno’, the village affords sweeping views over the snow-covered peaks of the Gran Sasso massif and the Adriatic sea.

Find a James Bond filming location in Gravina in Puglia

Gravina in Puglia is famous for its karst ravines dotted with caves. Like the more famous (and touristy) Matera, many houses and churches are partially hewn from the town’s underlying rock base.

Visit the 11th-century cathedral for one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in Puglia and the Chiesa Rupestre di San Michele delle Grotte for a macabre pile of skulls and bones said to belong to martyrs.

The town’s arched bridge over the river iconically featured in the James Bond film ‘No Time to Die’.