The hill top town of Vezzano Ligure off the E80 heading toward La Spezia
Visit a hilltop town in Italy
Any hilltop town in Italy will do! I’ve driven on the E80 highway a gazillion times. It is a main European highway that goes from north to south, Genoa to Rome.
Along this highway, right around the turnoff heading toward La Spezia and Cinque Terre are a couple of cute little hilltop towns. Every time we passed by them, I would say “I want to go to that town!” as I point at Vezzano Ligure a small 16th-century village in the Apuan foothills. My husband would always ask me why. “it is nothing special” he would say “It’s just another town. There are tons of them in Italy”.
One day, I finally convinced him to take me there. We headed out early morning and I finally got to go to my little village on the hill.
Here is a nice link to lesser know hilltop towns in Tuscany.
Be a local for an hour
We stopped for un cafè and una brioche at a little bar, walked the steep narrow streets, and took in the sights and sounds of a village going about their lives. It was a Saturday morning so the town was hopping. In the main Piazza, we found young boys playing soccer and a family exiting the main church after celebrating their son’s first communion. Along the streets, people were doing their shopping at the local butcher and food stands. As I watched all this play out, the feeling of appreciation for this ancient culture came over me. I feel as if these people have been doing this dance for 1000 years. Experiencing Italy like this makes me happy to be a part of it and grateful for my husband who indulges my need to visit little towns on top of hills.
Have a great day!
Michelle
A little slice of life in Vezzano Ligure