Altomonte, Calabria

Altomonte, Calabria Escorted Tours

Explore the Cities and Towns of Calabria

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Over 20 years of crafting exceptional journeys across Altomonte

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Local Knowledge

Our team lives and works here, offering insight beyond the landmarks.

Tailored for You

Every itinerary is thoughtfully crafted around your pace, from private dawn tours to intimate vineyard tastings.

Overview

Altomonte, is a small gem of a town in the heart of Calabria's "Entroterra".  It has earned the nickname "Spoleto of the South", taking its name from the famous Umbrian town in Italy's north.  Like Spoleto, Altomonte sits high on a hill, in a patchwork quilt of green.
 
Altomonte, or "high mountain" as the town's name translates to English, stands at the centre of a spectacularly beautiful scene.  With the Appenines at its back, it faces the Ionian coast in the distance, delivering some of Calabria's most fantastic views.
 
Unlike some of the other Calabrian towns that have been left to disintegrate these fabulous panoramas are not the only thing which remain to glorify Altomonte.  Quite the contrary. 
 
When you travel to Altomonte you will find a wonderful Civic Museum, several gorgeous Gothic style churches and chic wine bars, delightful cafes and good restaurants like the Restaurant Barbieri, where you can eat as well - or better - than in most restaurants in allegedly more sophisticated towns.
 
It won't take you long to discover the pride the local people have in their history and traditions.  It manifests itself everywhere - in Altomonte's clean streets and well kept buildings, and in the good graces of the people.
 
There is always some type of festival happening in Altomonte, usually corresponding to the harvest of different types of foods.  For example, in fall you will find festivals devoted to Mushrooms (Sagri dei Funghi) and Chestnuts (Sagra dei Castagna).  There is also a relatively new wine festival in November and a peach festival during the summer.
 
They have also built a wonderful museum in the old convent adjacent to the Chiesa Santa Maria della Consolazione, where you will find a plethora of artifacts dating back to the bronze age, and numerous paintings by important artists such as Angelo Galtieri, Francesco Solimena, Giuseppe Castellano, Pietro Negroni, Paolo di Ciacio, Simone Martini and Bernardo Daddi, and others.  Keep an eye out for the "Altarolo con storie della Passione" by brothers Antonio and Onofrio Penna - a real and unexpected gem.
 
The tradition of fine art being commissioned in Altomonte began with Fillipo Sangineto, who was the great grandson of Ruggero I San Gineto. Fillipo, during his time as Count he saught the services of a the famous Tuscan artist, Simone Martini, to create three, 8 x 10 carvings in gold, of famous saints and bishops.  The wors are immaculately well-preserved and are the first to meet visitors upon entrance to the museum.
 
Some places we say, visit on your way to or from somewhere else.  Altomonte, however, is one of those places you should make a destination.  In Altomonte, the saying is, time goes according to the seasons.
 
Spend a day (or two or three) and sink into its ambience, stroll its streets, enjoy its cuisine, meet its people.  And make plans to return again - soon.
 
- by Jesse Andrews, November 2nd, 2005

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Altomonte

Stories That Stay With You

Here's what our guests share about their unforgettable journeys

“We're home now from the most amazing trip to Italy! I can't thank you enough for your efforts and coordination of what was without question the finest vacations I've been on to date.”
[Read More] Carol Carson
“I am a travel agent from Lebanon and have organized several group tours as well as individual tours of Italy with Italy Vacation Specialists. I highly recommend them as one of the very best tour operators in Italy to work with, given their professionalism and work ethic which I feel is second-to-none in the travel industry. All of the staff, the guides, the coaches and even the meals we enjoyed we”
[Read More] Nicole Haddad, Lebanese Travel Agent
“Dear Guiseppe and Jesse, We just returned from our most wonderful vacation to Italy and wanted to first thank you for putting together such a wonderful trip, and second to provide some feedback for the future. Hotels 1. Hotel Sovestro in San Gimignano was wonderful. The staff were very friendly and helpful and made the first portion of our journey very stress free. They made us feel like we were p”
[Read More] Ron and Deb Crosby
“Jesse & Giuseppe, Sandy and I have been looking through my slides of our trip to Southern Italy. We had such a good time with you and Giuseppe that we wanted to let you know again. You were the best guides ever.”
[Read More] Bob & Sandy
“Jesse, There are no words to describe the fabulous time we had in Italy. Everything went as you promised. Absolutely no problems! The venues were fabulous. The guides were punctual and helpful. It couldn't have worked out better. You and your staff deserve high praise for the quality and efficiency of your work. BTW, Guiseppe was an absolute delight. We enjoyed his informative and effervescent per”
[Read More] Jo Ann West
“I have traveled to Italy 2x with the IVS for my own pleasure trips and 2x for business with IVS. These guys really pay attention and make your trip go like clockwork. Italy is nuts, just saying! There are so many rules and restrictions now, so we did not want to drive ourselves. Having traveled with them many times and done business on several occasions, most definitely USE this company. They know”
[Read More] JoAnne Beaudoin, Retired Nurse
“In August 2018, my family of four and myself travelled from Vancouver, BC to Rome Italy and spent 3 weeks touring Italy with IVS. This company had come highly recommended by many friends and associates of ours who had used them before and indeed to say they do an outstanding job is an understatement. You can tell while being in Italy that it is one complicated place to run tours in, just by the sh”
[Read More] Vijaya Sunil CPA, CGA
“In September of 2018 I brought a group of 12 from Venice to Sicily and organized all of my services with the Italy Vacation Specialists. Being a travel agent and in the business, I know how complicated organizing travel arrangements can be in Italy and the IVS team took a huge burden off of me! I would like to start of by saying "THANK YOU" both for the amazing job you did on our trip. There was n”
[Read More] Ann Brownell, KHM Travel Group
“The trip was great; we appreciate all the hard work you and your team invested to make our experience a once in a lifetime trip. We appreciate all the attention to the details, in particular Giuseppe spending the time and the focus with us on the road and as we were exploring your great country.”
[Read More] Leon and Michele
“As a travel agent, but also a traveler to Italy, thee is no other company I would recommend than the Italy Vacation Specialists. Not only do they really care about what they are doing, they also really know Italy and try to educate many people about ways they can best see the country and not fall into tourist traps. I have been on 4 trips with the IVS team, firstly when they did my first 2 trips f”
[Read More] Laura Chomiak, Travel Agent

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