Italy's underrated UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Every year, UN officials reveal a plethora of new landmarks and landscapes that will be added to their prestigious World Heritage List. Being included not only raises awareness of these cultural and natural sites for tourism, but also offers these important areas greater protection.

For years, Italy has reigned supreme with the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world, and this hasn’t changed for 2023, where it racks up a total of 59. Instantly, places such as Rome, Florence, Venice, and the Amalfi Coast spring to mind, and in more recent years, former hidden gems such as Puglia’s Alberobello and Basilicata’s Matera have been pulling in the crowds.

Beyond the saturated spots, there’s a number of UNESCO sites that receive far fewer visitors by comparison. Here’s our selection of Italy’s most underrated.

Year inscribed: 1998

Italy isn’t short of fascinating historic centres, with seven featured on its UNESCO World Heritage List. Rome, Florence and Naples are world famous, with others smaller towns such as Tuscany’s San Gimigano also adjusting to larger crowds. But the Historic Centre of Urbino remains one of central Italy’s lesser-visited sites. Although its origins date back to Roman settlements in the 3^rd century BCE, this small hilltop city flourished into one of Europe’s most important cultural hubs during the Renaissance era, attracting scholars and artists from around the world. The strong art scene allowed Urbino-born Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino to excel in his paintings and architecture, and now the Renaissance artist is a treasured historic figure of the city – much of his work is displayed at the National Gallery of the Marche, located inside one of the Urbino’s most cherished 15^th-century buildings, the Palazzo Ducale.

Year inscribed: 2021

Bologna is loved for many reasons: its world-famous food, historic university, medieval towers and red rustic rooftops spring to mind. But it’s the city’s porticoes (a porch or walkway with a rooftop and supported by columns) that have received UNESCO-listing. Dating back to the 12^th century, more than 62km of porticoes around Bologna have been protected under the World Heritage Status. Walking through the city, visitors can expect to see a variety of porticoes, crafted from wood, stone, brick and later concrete. Some are attached to buildings, such as the extremely old 13^th-century Casa Isolani, whereas the Portico di San Luca is a long pathway that leads to the imposing Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca. At more than 3,700m, it is considered the longest covered walkway in the world.

Read next: How to spend a short break in Bologna

Year inscribed: 1979

Situated in the mountainous Lombardy region, the Rock Drawings in Valcamonica were the country’s first World Heritage Site inscribed in 1979. Although the first, this northern Italian site is not nearly as popular as other UNESCO-listed landmarks more central to the country. As the name suggests, the valley is home to the world’s largest collections of prehistoric petroglyphs (rock carvings). Estimated to have more than 140,000 in total and created over an 8,000 year period, the carvings depict images of duels, agriculture and deer hunting, among other figures and symbols. Due to the vastness of this cultural landscape with 180 different sites, there are several different parks visitors can use to access the petroglyphs. The most noteworthy sites are the ones in the region of Capo di Ponte, where the rock art spans from Neolithic to the Iron Age.

Year inscribed: 2014

Piedmont is Italy’s northwest region, bordering France and Switzerland and encompassing the city of Turin. But away from its urban areas, near the Po River and the Ligurian Apennines, is a landscape of vineyards that have been awarded with World Heritage status. The five distinct vineyards represent an extensive history of winegrowing and winemaking, a tradition that has characterised the region for thousands of years – with evidence of vine pollen dating back to the 5^th century BC. The 11^th-century Castle of Cavour is also included under this UNESCO listing thanks to its centuries of influence on its surrounding cultivated hillsides. The most loved wine originating from Piedmont is Barolo, a red wine made from nebbiolo grapes, and often said to be the best wine in Italy.

Year inscribed: 2002

Sicily entices visitors for its iconic landmarks such as the Valley of the Temples and Mount Etna – both well-known UNESCO World Heritage Sites, while the towns of Palmero and Taormina have also seen a recent surge of screen travellers since the second HBO series of White Lotus dropped. But lying in southeastern Sicily is the quieter region of Val di Nito, where eight of its towns have been included under this UNESCO listing: Caltagirone, Militello Val di Catania, Catania, Modica, Noto, Palazzolo Acreide, Ragusa and Scicli. In 1697, devastating earthquakes tore through the region, meaning these towns had to be rebuilt and restored either on or next to their remains. Baroque art and architecture is exhibited throughout each of the towns, as this was the style of the 17^th-18^th century. Modica perhaps boats the best views and an intriguing chocolate-making history, whereas Ragusa and Scicli are the smallest – but completely charming.

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