Non tourist places in Italy ...

[IfyouseeRitaMoreno]

...where I can practise my Italian and have a good chance of people not answering me in English!

I was thinking of Bergamo due to an earlier thread here but hmmm.. it does seem super touristy.

Any recommendations gratefully received. Going with teenagers.

bump?

We went to Ponza and Ventotene last Summer - Two islands just off Lazio to the North of Ischia. Gorgeous, entirely unspoiled. Touristy - but entirely Italian tourists. Nobody spoke any English at all. We didn't hear an English voice in weeks. Ponza with teenagers - lots of Italian teens lounging about being gorgeous, and all the swimming involves diving off rocks into the incredible turquoise sea . You can also hire a boat with a UK driving license and moor up in little coves, diving into the water. V easy to get to from Rome or Naples. Try to avoid August, because that's when all of Rome is there. July would be lovely.

Umbria. We stayed in an Agriturismo near Spello and got by with sign language and DH's minimal Italian. There are Brits about but not high in numbers.

When we went into churches there would be one lonely monk pointing the sights out in Italian. By chance we were in Montefalco for their festival and saw 'the running of the bulls' - didn't understand a word but picked a quarter and had great fun cheering them on.

Obvs different in Assisi but even there as soon as you go away from the main basilica, you are pretty much on your own finding places.

It was noticeably different the day we crossed the border into Tuscany when it was suddenly heaving with Brits.

I like Cagliari. There never usually seems to be many foreigners there and the beach is nice.
Or just go where you want and insist on talking Italian. It’s very rude of people to answer in English if you talk in Italian.

Oooh thanks for the recommendations! Off to research them all.