The Italian towns perfect for social distancing

CNN — As one of the nation’s worst hit by the pandemic, Italy went from being a tourist hotspot to a no-go zone within the space of weeks earlier this year. “This summer the virus and related travel restrictions have pushed many Italians to discover and appreciate places near home, in their so-called ‘backyard,’ which they never would have seen otherwise”, Fiorello Primi, president of I Borghi Più Belli d’Italia, an elite club devised to promote and unite some of Italy’s most beautiful small villages and towns, tells CNN. Courtesy I Borghi Piu Belli d'Italia Located close to Rome in the region of Umbria, this tiny hilltop village offers one of the most stunning panoramas of central Italy across the ragged Apennine mountain range. Courtesy I Borghi Più Belli d'Italia Situated on the southern slopes of Monte Gargano, Monte Sant’Angelo is one of Puglia’s famous “white citadels,” named for their picturesque white houses and buildings. Courtesy I Borghi Piu Belli d'Italia Casoli may be one of Abruzzo’s lesser-known places, but the medieval village is also one of its most intriguing thanks to the many beautiful wall murals that cover its buildings.