L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2026 www.italoamericano.org 10 L'Italo-Americano I nternational travel c o v e r a g e o f I t a l y tends to return to the s a m e p l a c e s f o r a reason; Rome, Flo- rence, Venice and a handful of other destinations carried the country's image abroad for decades, and they still do so pretty convincingly. They are easy to recognize, easy to explain, and, well… easy to s e l l . W h a t i s l e s s o f t e n explored is how a specific year can subtly affect the experience of traveling in Italy, not by replacing those places, but by changing the c o n t e x t a r o u n d t h e m . I n 2026, the country offers sev- eral such moments and fol- lowing them leads almost naturally to destinations that s i t j u s t o u t s i d e t h e u s u a l f r a m e w e h a v e j u s t m e n - tioned. T h e f i r s t o f t h e s e moments is about to arrive in only a few weeks, when I t a l y b e c o m e s o n e o f t h e focal points of global atten- tion with the Milano Corti- na Winter Olympics. The o f f i c i a l i m a g e s w i l l c o m e f r o m M i l a n a n d C o r t i n a d ' A m p e z z o , a n d t h e Dolomites will once again stand in for the Italian Alps as a whole. Yet large events rarely affect only the places named in their title, rather, t h e y c h a n g e h o w e n t i r e r e g i o n s a r e r e a c h e d , p e r - ceived and discussed. For travelers, this change opens up a less obvious possibility: using the Olympic year to e x p l o r e A l p i n e a r e a s t h a t remain largely untouched by the spectacle. Looking west rather than e a s t b r i n g s y o u i n t o t h e Piedmontese Alps, where winter still feels grounded in everyday mountain life: val- leys such as Val di Susa or Valle Maira are not built around a single resort or a recognizable postcard view, they tend to unfold slowly, through small towns, pro- tected landscapes and long- established routes filled with h i s t o r y . T r u l y , g e t t i n g t o know these valleys during an Olympic winter carries a cer- tain contrast because, while the world watches carefully c h o r e o g r a p h e d i m a g e s o f a l p i n e s p o r t , t h e s e a r e a s continue at their own pace, offering scale, silence and a sense of continuity that is increasingly rare. A s w i n t e r t u r n s i n t o spring, attention shifts from g l o b a l e v e n t s t o n a t i o n a l o n e s . T h e d e s i g n a t i o n o f L'Aquila as Italy's Capi- t a l o f C u l t u r e i n 2 0 2 6 i n e v i t a b l y d r a w s i n t e r e s t toward Abruzzo, but the real opportunity here lies beyond the city itself. Abruz- z o , i n a l l i t s b e a u t y a n d sense of wilderness, resists being reduced to a single destination so, if we want to approach it through the lens of culture and nature, it's better to keep the focus ter- ritorial rather than urban. This is a region where every- thing embr aces the l and - scape, and spring is when that relationship becomes, perhaps, most visible. Mov- ing outward from L'Aquila leads into the wide, varied spaces of the Gran Sasso a n d M o n t i d e l l a L a g a National Park. Here, alti- t u d e a n d s e a s o n d i c t a t e rhythm, and spring arrives g r a d u a l l y , r e v e a l i n g plateaus, pastures and stone villages that feel open and p r o t e c t e d a t o n c e . P l a c e s s u c h a s S a n t o S t e f a n o d i Sessanio or the Navelli plain are not unknown, but they a r e o f t e n p a s s e d o v e r i n favor of coastal Abruzzo or more immediately recogniz- able destinations. Visiting them at this time of year, w i t h t h e r e g i o n i n t h e national spotlight but still largely free from crowds, allows for a slower under- standing of how food, archi- t e c t u r e a n d e n v i r o n m e n t intersect and contribute to make these places as magi- c a l a s t h e y a r e . Y o u m a y soon realize that, here, cul- t u r e d o e s n o t a n n o u n c e i t s e l f l o u d l y ; r a t h e r , i t i s embedded in daily life, in local produce, and in the w a y c o m m u n i t i e s o c c u p y the land. E a r l y s u m m e r b r i n g s another key moment, with June 2 marking the Festa della Repubblica, which is all the more important in 2026, as the Italian Repub- lic celebrates its 80 th birth- day. Rome will, as always, host the most visible cere- monies, and its role as the symbolic center of the mod- ern Republic is undeniable, yet the meaning of the day is not confined to the capital. Across Italy, it is marked locally, through civic gather- ings, concerts, and the sim- ple fact of shared time off. Cities such as Turin lend themselves particularly well to this perspective: as Italy's first capital, Turin carries its history with restraint and a lot of elegance, mirrored in its broad avenues, orderly layout and strong cultural power. Early June is a good time to visit: the city is at e a s e w i t h i t s e l f , p u b l i c s p a c e s a r e a c t i v e b u t n o t overwhelmed, and the long days make it easy to move b e t w e e n n e i g h b o r h o o d s w i t h o u t f e e l i n g r u s h e d . Here, it's easy to celebrate the Republic in its deeper h i s t o r i c a l s e n s e , p e r h a p s while enjoying a nice aperi- tivo in Piazza Vittorio, one of the most magical corners of the country. A similar tone can be found in Reg- gio Emilia, where national identity is tied with the Ital- ian tricolor, which was born here. Timing, in this context, is k e y b e c a u s e d i s c o v e r i n g Italy by following what is happening, rather than tick- ing off what is famous, can c h a n g e t h e e x p e r i e n c e i n subtle but very meaningful w a y s . W i n t e r i n t h e A l p s d o e s n o t h a v e t o r e v o l v e a r o u n d t h e m o s t p h o - tographed slopes, just like s p r i n g c u l t u r e d o e s n o t require a capital city, and national celebrations don't need to be lived in front of well-known monuments. In each case, the wider context of the year creates room to move slightly aside and see familiar regions from a dif- ferent angle. This approach does not challenge the value of Italy's most visited destinations, nor does it claim to uncover unknown places; instead, it recognizes that Italy's depth o f t e n e m e r g e s w h e n o u r attention moves from tradi- tional destinations to lesser- known ones. For those will- ing to plan around moments rather than landmarks, Italy in 2026 offers a beautiful – if quieter – kind of richness. T h e c l a s s i c s w i l l r e m a i n exactly where they are, but t h e p a t h t a k e n b e t w e e n t h e m c a n c h a n g e . A n d , s o m e t i m e s , t h a t s m a l l a d j u s t m e n t i s e n o u g h t o make the country feel new again. Italy in 2026. Beyond the places everyone talks about CHIARA D'ALESSIO Instead of Rome, why not celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the Republic in Emilia Romagna, the region where the tricolor was born? (Photo: Luca Lorenzelli/Dreamstime) The Sacra di San Michele, in Val Susa, an Alpine valley you could visit instead of the Dolomites (Photo: Wessel Cirkel/Dreamstime) ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES

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