Why Italy Feels Made for Cycling Tours

Italy’s compact geography offers an unmatched cycling playground: from winding olive-lined lanes to vineyard-cloaked hills, dramatic mountain passes, and coastal stretches with endless views. Unlike the vast and often segregated landscapes of Australia or the United States, Italy’s countryside roads wind directly through life—farmers in the fields, shepherds with their flocks, hill towns clinging to ridge-lines.
As A’qto owner Nancy notes, Italian drivers are often courteous and welcoming to cyclists, sometimes even pulling over so riders can take a photo. This cultural respect for cycling is deeply rooted in Italy’s national identity, thanks in part to its long tradition of professional and recreational cycling.
Each of A’qto’s tours is handcrafted to reflect not only terrain but culture, food, wine, and heritage. Here’s a taste of their Italian offerings, including the brand-new Sardinia tour just LAUNCHED TODAY!

In Atina, in the mountainous heart of Lazio, far from Rome's bustling piazzas and tourist crowds, a young girl claims to have seen the Madonna (a Marian Apparition). Her story, quiet yet profound, forms the core of Broken Madonna, the debut novel by Anna Lucia. The book explores one of the most mysterious and emotionally charged phenomena in Catholic tradition: the Marian apparition.

A Marian apparition is said to occur when the Virgin Mary appears to an individual or group, often children, conveying messages of faith, hope, or warning. Some of the most famous include Lourdes in France and Fatima in Portugal. But in Broken Madonna, Maria Lucia has rooted her fictional account in a lesser-known but deeply personal setting: the post-war mountain village of Atina, nestled in the Ciociaria area of Lazio.

Italy’s Mother Trees, Fishery Valleys, Endangered Wildlife and Invasive Species

When we think of Italy, our minds often turn to Renaissance art, Roman ruins, and unforgettable food and wine. But the soul of Italy is also found in its landscapes—its ancient trees, forgotten wetlands, and endangered species—and few people capture these overlooked treasures and environmental challenges better than documentary photographer Elisabetta Zavoli.