Sophee In Alberobello, in the region of Puglia in southern Italy, known for its unusual districts of trulli, the characteristic white-washed conical-roofed houses of the area. A trullo is a small dwelling built from the local limestone, with dry-stone walls and a characteristic conical roof. We love the story behind Alberobello: its design was to fiddle taxes and fool the authorities. The local feudal lord, Count Acquaviva, moved his peasant workers here to clear woodland and cultivate the land. To dodge laws and taxes, Alberobello couldn't be classified as an inhabited settlement. So until 1797, when it was finally given 'town' status, the people had to live in trulli, which could be dismantled in a hurry when necessary.
Cinque Terre - a string of centuries-old seaside villages on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline, in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia.
Sophee in Pompeii - a vast archaeological site in southern Italy’s Campania region, near the coast of the Bay of Naples. Once a thriving and sophisticated Roman city, Pompeii was buried in meters of ash and pumice after the catastrophic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD.
The breathtaking Autumnal colour show in the Dolomites - a mountain range located in north-eastern Italy, forming part of the Southern Limestone Alps.
Boats at Positano - the famous cliff-side village on southern Italy's Amalfi Coast, with a pebble beachfront and steep, narrow streets lined with boutiques and cafes.
Taormina is a small town on the east coast of the island of Sicily, with gorgeous medieval churches, a stunning Greek theatre and sweeping views over the Gulf of Naxos.
And finally - Venice! The stuff of James Bond movies, Venice is the capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region, and is built on more than 100 small islands in a marshy lagoon in the Adriatic Sea.
'Happiness Hunter' Sophee Southall is the writer, photographer and social media addict behind the travel blog Sophee Smiles - 'Explore. Experiment. Find your Happy Place.'
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