20 of the most beautiful villages in Italy
This two-kilometer-long island close to Rome was once a prison, with lustful Roman women and anti-fascists among its detainees over the years.Bright orange and pink dwellings, former prisoner cells, mingle with ancient cisterns and fisheries in its small village.The little harbor is lined with fishermen grottoes that have been turned into lounge bars, while the main Piazza Castello features an old Bourbon fortress tower.The ruins of Julia’s Villa, named after the daughter of Emperor Augustus, exiled here by her father on charges of adultery, are still visible.Italian politician Altiero Spinelli, who became one of the European Union’s founding fathers co-wrote the “Ventotene Manifesto” here in the village.Positioned within Piazza Castello, hotel restaurant Mezzatorre has a dining terrace overlooking the main Cala Nave beach.