Italy Off the beaten track

There’s never been a better time to explore Italy’s quieter corners. From a classic Neapolitan neighbourhood to Lazio’s archaeological sites, a road trip in Puglia with epic views all to yourself, and the best aperitivo spots in Turin and Trieste, we bring you the lowdown on the lesser-known — including the most indulgent places for a remote retreat, a quiet beach break and more

- JULIA BUCKLEY

Artisans

Le Marche

MAKE IT LIKE A MARCHIGIANO

For artisan skill, there’s nowhere in Italy like Le Marche, a central region populated with family businesses that handcraft paper from hemp, weave basket bags for Italy’s biggest fashion houses, and stitch the leather balls used in an ancient, tennis-like sport

I’m peering in through the window of Renzo Castellani’s barbershop in Treia when he rushes out. “You’re not from here, are you?” he says, ushering me in to talk about his beloved town. Renzo is in his 61st year of barbering — and he wants passersby to know it.

Welcome to small-town life in Le Marche, just across the Apennines from Tuscany and Umbria. The Renaissance hill town — all elegant terracotta buildings, narrow streets, and a jewellery box of a theatre — reminds me of Montepulciano, in Tuscany. Only instead of touristy wine shops, there’s a queue at the butchers for herby porchetta, diners crowding out the vaulted-roofed, frescoed cafe, with its stucco Jesus outside. And Renzo.