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Lazio's Bandiere Arancioni: the most beautiful villages

Lazio’s Bandiere Arancioni

Mamma Italia offers citizens and tourists alike an endless amount of beauty, a cultural heritage to discover, admire and protect. One of the peculiarities that characterize the Bel Paese are undoubtedly the villages : small jewels of history and architecture where time seems to stand still, protected microcosms, suspended between the desire to safeguard the tradition and incorporate new models of green life.

Perfectly consistent with this approach is a new form of tourism, whose driving force becomes the pure experience: a “slow tourism”, a relaxed and sustainable approach that values quality over quantity. The app Acea Waidy Wow offers everyone the opportunity to explore the evocative wonders of Italian villages through unique routes: thematic routes that combine sportiness and culture, sustainability and tradition.

For more than two decades, the Italian Touring Club has been bringing together and enhancing the excellence of the country's villages, awarding each of them with the Bandiera Arancione. An honor that rewards sustainable, experiential and authentic tourism, typical of a nation that offers itself to its remotest points.

Bandiera Arancione: village excellence since 1998

Earning a Bandiera Arancione (Orange Flag) represents proof of merit for each village, a promise under the environmental profile and a touristic opportunity to reveal a pearl of Italy. The constellation of Orange Flags in Italy counts no less than 274 villages, all awarded in just over 20 years.

The initiative was born in 1998, driven by the will of the Italian Touring Club and the Department of Tourism of the Liguria region to enhance and stimulate the country's tourist flows in territories far from the coast, less known, but equally deserving of attention.

The classification is made on the basis of the Territorial Analysis Model (M.A.T.), developed by Touring Club to retrace the tourist's steps in a specific location and evaluate their overall experience.

A team of experts evaluates the over 250 analysis criteria for small municipalities, grouped into 5 reception:

  • Areas: determines the level of accessibility to the tourist area and internal mobility, including services and tourist information signs;
  • Accommodation and complementary services: analyses the offer and variety of establishments providing accommodation and catering;
  • Tourist attraction factors: study the tourist offer, the accessibility of historical, cultural and environmental points of interest, the agri-food heritage, craft and folkloric heritage of the locality;
  • Environmental sustainability: evaluates the actions and initiatives with sustainable focus undertaken by the community, for example related to waste management, energy conservation or environmental education;
  • Structure and quality of the location: observe the components that help determine the final positive visitor experience, such as atmosphere or hospitality.

The new Bandiera Arancione villages of 2022

In November 2022, the Italian Touring Club decided to award four more Italian villages with the title of Bandiera Arancione for tourism and cultural quality.

The four small municipalities, which stand out for their hospitality, sustainability, and tourism offerings, are Castione della Presolana, Moltrasio, Morrovalle, and Picinisco. The first two are located in Lombardy, which now comes to a total of 18 Bandiera Arancione villages. Morrovalle is in Marche, a region that is home to 25 award-winning villages. Picinisco, in the province of Frosinone, joins the wonderful gems of Lazio.

The 21 Orange Pearls of Lazio

With as many as 21 Orange Flags, Lazio officially enters the top 5 in Italy for village excellence. Each of Lazio's five provinces is home to some symbols of the Italian Middle Ages, municipalities and hamlets rich in evocative natural heritage and of an enviable architectural heritage.

Come along with Acea Waidy Wow and explore the most beautiful villages of Ciociaria, discover the four Bandiera Arancione villages in the province of Latina, the three charming award-winning towns near Rieti, the most characteristic small towns near Rome, and the numerous Bandiera Arancione towns in the province of Viterbo.

Province of Frosinone

  • Arpino (FR)
  • Collepardo (FR)
  • San Donato Val di Comino (FR)
  • Picinisco (FR)

Province of Latina

  • Bassiano (LT)
  • Campodimele (LT)
  • Fossanova (LT)
  • Sermoneta (LT)

Province of Rieti

  • Casperia (RI)
  • Labro (RI)
  • Leonessa (RI)

Province of Roma

  • Nemi (RM)
  • Subiaco (RM)
  • Trevignano Romano (RM)

Province of Viterbo

  • Bolsena (VT)
  • Bomarzo (VT)
  • Calcata (VT)
  • Caprarola (VT)
  • Sutri (VT)
  • Tuscania (VT)
  • Vitorchiano (VT)


Would you like to visit these villages and discover original and evocative routes around the Via Francigena?
Today, thanks to the project Le vie dell'acqua by AdF and ACEA, which promotes slow and zero-impact tourism, and the Acea Waidy Wow app, you can always have a guide at hand to learn about the many hidden beauties of our territory.

Download now the app Acea Waidy Wowand find out which Orange Flags you can visit along Le vie dell'acqua.