Points unknown? Other Italian places to explore
Chioggia
In December, I visited a few lovely and interesting spots that are not on the radar of most tourists: Chioggia, Carpi, Medicina and Dozza, among others.
The first was Chioggia, which I immediately named ‘Baby Venice'. In fact it is just south of Venice and features the same bridges and canals for which Venice is famous. But it is much smaller, a little sleepy, but so charming it was easy to fall in love with right away.
We strolled around (we were a group of four ladies) and after awhile I noticed that apart from two other British tourists we passed, we were the only strangers there. After exploring the canals and bridges, we found a spot for lunch were we had pasta, the most delicious ombrina (an almost sweet white fish), a bottle of wine and of course, dessert.
Carpi: Piazza dei Martiri, the largest piazza in Italy.
The next was Carpi. Certain experts and friends told me to skip it. This just made me more curious and my need to see absolutely everything got the best of me.
Carpi is known for having the largest piazza in Italy. And it is indeed much bigger than you can imagine when you’re on the outskirts of town walking toward the center. I’m not even sure this photo does it any justice, but the scale of the piazza is very much out of proportion to the rest of the town.
We had a coffee, strolled Piazza dei Martiri and then wandered into Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, which in itself was quite stunning inside. After about an hour we were back on the road on the way to Mantova.
La lasagnetta at Osteria di Medicina
Another afternoon we visited Medicina and Dozza. We lunched in Medicina at Osteria di Medicina, which has been cited by Il Gambero Rosso and features many dishes with onions, including friggione, a typical Bolognese condiment — in this case served on its own. I had the lasagnetta di crespelle, which also featured friggione. The atmosphere was laid back and friendly and I know we’ll make an another stop there soon.
Medicina, for me, reminds me of growing up in Nebraska surrounded by farms, farmers and small rural communities. I think this is part of why I have such a soft spot for so many places in Romagna.
Dozza
Dozza, a tiny town, famous for the mural art painted all over its walls, was our last stop. We’ve all visited before, but wanted to see the new murals from 2023. We also of course wanted to stop at the regional enoteca there that is housed in the basement of a castle and features wines from Emilia Romagna. Needless to say we didn’t go away empty-handed.
I enjoyed exploring these lesser known locales in December. I did wonder, however, if it would be the same as someone coming to the U.S. and wanting to visit places like Eagle, Nebraska (a tiny town where I attended elementary school). As a local, I’d have my own opinion about whether that was worth it or not!
Nonetheless it’s a peek into a more normal, everyday version of Italy than most tourists see on vacation.