Recently, Italy held a competition for being the “Village of Villages”. Here we look at the top three winners and discover their appeal.
Italy is known worldwide for having a stunning rural landscape. From great clifftops to charming wineries to stone farmhouses, rural life in Italy has a strong hold over prospective international property buyers. And, of course, Italy has plenty of beautiful villages. Many of them can be found on I Borghi più belli d’Italia, an association founded in 2001 to celebrate small villages and towns.
Recently, Italy chose to declare the “Village of Villages”, il Borgo dei Borghi, 2023. The twenty regions of Italy each nominated a village to be put up for the prize of being the village of villages. These villages were then broadcast on an Italian TV programme called Kilimanjaro. The public and jury then cast their votes.
While this is a great way for these villages to attract more attention and therefore avenue from tourism, for homebuyers drawn to Italy for rural life, you might want to look at property in the winning and surrounding areas.
The Village of Villages 2023:
1st Place: Ronciglione, Lazio
Ronciglione.
A little cheekily perhaps, Ronciglione is technically not a village. It has technically been a city since the 1700s. Today, it has a population of 8,000, with 200 people living in its historic centre. You can find it in the province of Viterbo in the region of Lazio. If you do choose to purchase a property there, you will benefit from being conventionally located. When you fancy being in the heart of urban life, Rome is an hour away. Fancy a trip to the beach? It’s an hour away. And the airport is an hour too.
Scenery wise, Ronciglione is about 400 metres above sea level and positioned on tufa rock of volcanic origin. Additionally, it is surrounded by the Cimini mountains, known for its beech forestation and hot springs. The Lake Vico is nearby.
When it comes to more man-made beauty, Ronciglione is split into two the medieval and the Renaissance-Baroque. You will find cobblestone alleys, stone houses, and piazzas. Rising from rock, you will find the Chiesa della Provvidenza with a pretty bell tower. In the Renaissance part, you’ll see palaces and a striking Cathedral.
2ndplace: Sant’Anticoco, Sardinia
Also not strictly speaking a village, Sant’Anticco is an island located on the southwest of Sardinia, though they are connected by an artificial strip of land. So, it is actually easy to get to by car and is a little more than an hour’s drive from Caglirari. While driving to the nearest town in Sardinia takes only ten minutes.
The population of Sant’Anticoco is 11,000 but this swells during summertime as it has such gorgeous beaches that everyone wants a chance to flop down on a sun lounger and then have a dip. As well as tourism, the main industries are salt, fishing and agriculture, so you can expect the very best of Sardinian cuisine.
3rdplace: Salemi, Sicily
Old Salemi in Sicily.
Perched on a hill in the Belice Valley, Salemi has been gaining lots of attention thanks to Alan Carr and Amanda Holden choosing to renovate a €1 property there on the BBC show, The Italian Job. In 1968, an earthquake destroyed much of the city, leaving many properties vacant and awaiting transformation – could it be you? Still, the old town retains much of its beauty with cobbled streets, courtyards, and steep steps.
Salemi reveals its influences from the Greeks, the Romans, Vandals, Goths, and Byzantines. However, its current name comes from the Abrabic for peace, Salam, perhaps it’ll be where you find yours.
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