Casoli’s recent placement in the Borgo dei Borghi contest is big news in this little hilltop town. Nestled deep in the region of Abruzzo, the ancient town doesn’t get anything close to the attention of Tuscan hotspots like Montepulciano or San Gimignano, and its residents are mostly happy to fly under the radar.

In 2021, Casoli was officially awarded a coveted “I Borghi più belli d’Italia” designation by the association recognizing “The Most Beautiful Villages of Italy.” This May, however, Casoli was voted an impressive sixth place out of more than 300 towns and villages that were entered.