Petralia Soprana (Sicily)

Salemi is ranked as one of Italy’s most beautiful villages. But residents seem prouder of one Risorgimento episode in which their town’s role often gets glossed over.

Alicudi, a tiny island in the Aeolian archipelago, has been in the headlines recently for its goat giveaway scheme, but the demand for cuddly “capre” has now outpaced the supply. We’ve flagged five welfare-minded farms worth visiting if you aren’t quite ready to raise a “kid.”

This converted 18th century oil-making monastery has the sustainability clout and calm of an average agriturismo, but with an extra touch of elegance.

Looming over the gateway to the island of Ortigia and its Porto Piccolo, the Ortea Palace pays homage to Syracuse’s layer-cake past with its glossy, Neoclassical-meets-Art Nouveau sensibility.