May Day in the villages: five destinations far from the chaos where time seems to have stopped

The May 1st long weekend reserves us three days of freedom, is it worth wasting them queuing on the motorway, or taking the inevitable selfies in the usual cities of art? Fortunately, there are alternatives, corresponding to the much-loved villages, those places where Italy has preserved something that it has lost elsewhere, where the bar closes early and the bell tower still rings the right time. Five stages from north to south, each with a specific reason to go there.

Anghiari, Leonardo’s Tuscany (the forgotten one)

Province of Arezzo, Valtiberina, border with Umbria. Anghiari is one of those destinations that are often mentioned and rarely visited, which, for a spring weekend, is exactly what we need. The medieval village stands on a hill overlooking the plain where on 29 June 1440 the Florentine troops overwhelmed the Milanese troops in the famous Battle of Anghiari, later immortalized by Leonardo in a fresco which was lost but not forgotten.

The historic center runs along a “ruga”, a steep and narrow road, which passes through Renaissance buildings, churches and still active artisan workshops. The Battle Museum reconstructs the event with armor and reproductions; Outside the walls, the Monti Rognosi Nature Reserve offers paths through woods and olive groves with the Tiber below as a backdrop.

The first of May is one of the best times to visit Anghiari due to the Tiber Valley Craft Exhibition, an event that animates the village between the end of April and the beginning of May, one of those markets where you can find real things, not simple souvenirs.

Official tourism website: visittuscany.com

Civita di Bagnoregio, the city that dies (and resists)

Located in northern Lazio, in the province of Viterbo, Civita di Bagnoregio is technically unreachable by car. You have to park in Bagnoregio and cross a three hundred meter pedestrian bridge suspended over the Valle dei Calanchi to get to a village where just over a dozen people live permanently. Seven hundred thousand tourists arrive every year, usually spread over the year, so the weekdays of an off-season long weekend still remain liveable. The tuff spur on which it stands slowly erodes: hence the nickname.

Piazza San Donato, the Duomo, the Cave of San Bonaventura and the cats that walk undisturbed through the alleys are all that remains of an Etruscan city founded two thousand years ago. A place worth stopping by even just to understand what the fragility of a heritage means. Entrance to the village costs 5 euros and booking is strongly recommended.

Official website: civitadibagnoregio.cloud

Alberobello, the trulli outside the high season

We are in Puglia, in the Itria Valley, a UNESCO heritage site since 1996. Alberobello is known everywhere, and visiting it at the beginning of May – before summer tourism really weighs in – is a completely different story. The Monti district with over a thousand trulli arranged along the streets, and the more authentic and less photographed Aia Piccola district, show an architecture unique in the world, made of dry stone buildings, circular plan and conical roof.

The Trullo Sovrano – the only two-storey one, now a museum – is worth the visit. All around, the Murge countryside awakens in spring with a green that does not last. To sleep, various accommodation facilities are created directly in the trulli, for an experience that alone is worth the trip.

Official tourism website: viaggioinpuglia.it

Castelmezzano, Basilicata vertical

One thousand meters above sea level, seven hundred inhabitants, the Little Lucanian Dolomites as a backdrop. Castelmezzano, in the province of Potenza, is one of those villages that are remembered for life after setting foot there. The sandstone houses literally fit into the rock, connected by stairways carved into the mountain and alleys that emerge onto improbable panoramas. The 11th century Norman castle is in ruins, but what remains is enough to imagine the rest.

The best-known attraction is the Flight of the Angel, a steel cable over one hundred meters above the ground that connects Castelmezzano to the twin village of Pietrapertosa in just over a minute’s flight. Since 2025, a 1,180 meter toboggan has been added between the rocky spiers. Those who prefer their feet on the ground can walk the Sentiero delle Sette Pietre, a two kilometer route that unites the two villages via an ancient sheep track, with artistic installations along the way.

Official website: comune.castelmezzano.pz.it

Bosa, the Sardinia that few know

On the western coast of Sardinia, in the province of Oristano, Bosa is the only village on the island that grew up on the banks of a river – the Temo, the only navigable watercourse in the region. The 12th century Malaspina castle dominates a historic district, Sa Costa, made up of colorful houses that huddle on the hill to the shore. The ancient tanneries, today Sas Conzas, are reflected in the still water of the river. The cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, the church of San Pietro Outside the Walls and the Malvasia DOC produced in the nearby countryside complete a picture that has little similar in the rest of Italy.

The sea is three kilometers away, in Bosa Marina, where Legambiente awards five blue sails every year. In May, seaside tourism has not yet exploded, the beaches are free, the town is quiet, and Malvasia is still served calmly.

Official website: bosacittadeicolori.it

Happy May 1st!