Slow Escapes: Our Favorite Places in Italy This Summer
The Italian Art of Summer: Where to Go for Inspiration, Stillness, and Beauty
As the season unfolds with long golden evenings and quiet mornings scented with jasmine, we’d like to share a few of our favorite destinations in Italy — places where time slows down, nature takes the lead, and beauty reveals itself in silence and detail.
Each of these places embodies what we value most at Midsummer: craftsmanship, heritage, natural harmony, and a sense of stillness that restores both body and spirit.
Alberobello & Valle d’Itria (Puglia)
A land of light and limestone. The whitewashed trulli houses with their conical roofs seem drawn from a dream, while olive trees and dry stone walls stretch across the landscape. Stay in a masseria, wake to the scent of figs, and live to the rhythm of cicadas and stone.
What to notice: Handcrafted linen, aged stone, and the silence of ancient groves.
Pantelleria (Sicily)
Wild, volcanic, and elemental — Pantelleria is an island shaped by wind and lava. Here, dammusi homes built from lava stone offer a cool retreat. The sea is everywhere, as are the vines that produce the island’s passito wine.
What to bring home: The art of simplicity. Dry heat, raw textures, and total immersion.
Lake Orta (Piedmont)
Smaller and more meditative than Como, Lake Orta is a hidden gem in northern Italy. Writers and painters have long found solace here. Visit Sacro Monte d'Orta or take a boat to the monastery on San Giulio Island for a truly quiet afternoon.
What to remember: Still water, noble silences, and interiors bathed in soft northern light.
Mantua (Lombardy)
A UNESCO heritage city wrapped in Renaissance harmony, Mantua is surrounded by water and filled with quiet grandeur. Palazzo Te is a must for lovers of surreal frescoes and architectural surprise.
Design note: Proportions, perspective, and elegance in restraint — architecture as poetry.
Dolomites, Alta Badia
In summer, these majestic mountains are blanketed with wildflowers. Stay in a wooden chalet and hike into meadows where the air is alpine clear and cool. End your day with a dinner of foraged herbs and mountain butter.
What you’ll find: Elevation, focus, and beauty stripped to its essence.
A Summer to Feel, Not Just See
At Midsummer, we believe that beauty is not decoration — it’s experience. And the Italian summer offers endless ways to live that truth.
Wishing you slow days, quiet mornings, and meaningful rest wherever you are.
