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“Romantic” is certainly a subjective term. A long-distance hike through the mountains, with chilly nights spent in a two-person tent might be a recipe for romance for some but a nightmare trip for others. You may swoon at the idea of a romantic theater weekend amid the glittering lights of a metropolis, while your boo just envisions taxi exhaust, surly crowds, show tunes, and overpriced cocktails.
If there’s one thing even the most mismatched lovers can agree on, we say it’s Italy. Italy brings the scenery, a heady dose of history, its heralded cuisine, and delicious wine, plus an appreciation of the good life that makes small moments feel like big deals.
I’m happy to share that the sparks are still there, and Italy is just as romantic as ever. So when you and your lover are ready for a “we time” getaway, here are our choices for the most romantic places in Italy.
Rome
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There’s no romance without Rome, and the Eternal City tops our list of the most romantic destinations in Italy. Yes, it’s crowded and often chaotic. Yes, seeing Rome’s top sights, like the Colosseum and St. Peter’s Basilica, can often feel like a grueling chore during the high season. But all it takes is an evening stroll to Rome’s best viewpoints, like the top of the Spanish Steps, the terrace of the Capitoline Hill, or the Acqua Paola fountain — made famous in Paolo Sorrentino’s 2013 film “La Grande Bellezza” — to remind you that Latin is indeed a romance language. Five-star beacons like Hassler Roma and Hotel Eden offer sumptuous rooms with a view, but I also love 14-suite Portrait Roma for its intimate dimensions and hideaway appeal.
Venice
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If the overwhelming beauty of Venice doesn’t make your heart soar even the slightest, then I’m sorry, but you might be dead inside. Peel away the crowds, the tourist tax, and the overpriced (and too frequently, subpar) dining, and what’s left? The most gorgeously improbable place on Earth, where history oozes from the waterlogged bricks and stones, runs through murky canals that have flowed for more than 500 years, and wends through a delightful maze of tiny alleyways. You could easily hole up in Aman Venice or The St. Regis Venice and admire the scenery from your canal-view suite, but do get out and walk, take a gondola ride, or splurge on a water taxi tour of La Serenissima.
Assisi
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The home of St. Francis, the Order of the Poor Clares, and a pilgrimage destination for the faithful, Assisi might not shout romance. But don’t sleep on this beautiful, historic, and slightly mysterious Umbrian hill town. Assisi’s grid of narrow streets, vaulted alleys, and stone stairways largely follows the town’s Roman origins. And these ancient stones are even more beautiful and enigmatic at night, when the lamplights glow and the busloads of tourists are long gone. Stylish Nun Assisi Relais occupies a 13th-century monastery and has a spa built into its first-century Roman foundations.
Lecce
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The “Florence of the South” remains just hard enough to get to — set deep in the heel of Italy’s Puglia region — that Lecce still feels like you’ve stumbled onto a secret. Its exuberantly ornate Baroque buildings are crafted in honey-colored local stone, with trattoria-lined piazzas and bars that are perfect for long lunches and early aperitivo drinks. The stunning beaches of the Salento are nearby, the region’s wine is top-flight, and its earthy cuisine is among the most cherished in Italy. Paragon 700 Boutique Hotel has sultry rooms and a fine dining restaurant.
Isola del Giglio
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I almost don’t want to tell readers about Isola del Giglio, a postage stamp-sized rock in the Tuscan Archipelago, about an hour’s ferry ride from the mainland. The beauty here is that there’s relatively little to do — just swim and snorkel in a crystal-clear sea, e-bike up to the hilltop castle, and, in the evening, stroll the small seafront promenade in Giglio Porto, the main town. The bright, simple rooms at Hotel Saraceno practically hang over the sea below.
Ortisei
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Here’s another secret I’ll share — though I suppose it’s not that much of a secret. Ortisei, in the mountain paradise of Val Gardena in the Italian Dolomites, is just right for romance on so many levels. Its car-free center is entirely walkable and filled with cozy shops, eateries, and pastel-painted churches. Where you can’t walk, a panoramic cable car will whisk you there in minutes, including to the Alpe di Siusi, a high alpine meadow for which the word “bucolic” was surely created. Despite being right in the heart of town, Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti offers privacy and lots of outdoor space.
Lake Como
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Word is certainly out about Lake Como — rumor this summer was that Taylor and Travis were shopping for their own love nest in this northern Italian resort. And as I recently found when visiting the town of Bellagio and Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, it really is that beautiful here. Loving couples should definitely splurge on a boat ride in a vintage Riva boat, complete with a picnic and prosecco. In the evening, the lakeshore twinkles with light, reflected on the water’s surface, and it’s as pretty as you can imagine.
Matera
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Remember those sexy scenes at the beginning of the most recent Bond film, “No Time to Die” — before the body count started to add up? They were shot in Matera, in the southern region of Basilicata. Matera is older than anyplace else in Italy by thousands of years, and its ancient, rock-carved cave dwellings, stacked helter-skelter atop one another, form a veritable maze where the history is palpable and the romance is undeniable. Aquatio Cave Luxury Hotel & Spa is set in one of those many caves, with its spa set in the ancient underground cisterns.
Tropea
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Frequent Travel + Leisure contributor Laura Itzkowitz calls the Calabria beach town of Tropea “Taormina without the crowds,” though in July and August, it might not feel so deserted. The gorgeous beaches of the Tyrrhenian Sea are the big draw here, and no matter how elbow-to-elbow they may get in high season, once you and your honey dive into that turquoise water, you’ll leave the crowds far behind. Housed in a former convent, luxe Villa Paola has tranquil gardens and its own beach club.
Val d’Orcia
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In a region known for its rolling landscapes, romantic hill towns, and outstanding cuisine, Val d’Orcia is archetypal Tuscany. It’s got the ancient towns, the endless rows of grapevines and groves of olive trees, undulating wheat and sunflower fields, and, of course, the landmarks of Tuscan food and wine: Montepulciano, Montalcino, Pienza. Several small hamlets have been renovated into luxury hotels, with Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco among T+L readers’ all-time favorites.
Amalfi Coast
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I almost wasn’t going to add the Amalfi Coast to this list, given that its popularity has resulted in the stunningly beautiful region really heaving under the weight of over-tourism. But there’s a reason everyone wants to come here for their destination wedding or honeymoon — it’s simply breathtaking, once you can leave the crowds behind. The best way to do this is to pick one place to stay — I like Amalfi town — and enjoy a low-key holiday of beach days, shopping, hiking, and wine-tasting without trying to see every town on the coast. A short distance from Amalfi, Hotel Santa Caterina is lemon-tinged, majolica-tiled perfection.