Easter in Italy

Be prepared for huge Easter week crowds of international tourists. I was in northern Italy last year over Easter week and I have never seen such crowds. I realize I was also part of the crowd but it did impact lines, transportation, and wait times. It is hard to be spontaneous when you are one of thousands. Since you have been to Italy many times I suggest you look at smaller towns not traditionally on the world tourist radar for Easter celebrations. I would look into destinations in Puglia and Basilicata. I would suggest Sicily but expect crowds at major cities. Lots of towns have religious Passion Week reenactments and processions. Do you want to go somewhere new? Have you been to Southern Italy or Sicily before?

I have been to the Almafi Coast, Positano, Capri, and nowhere else. I was trying to experience something new while being able to ride trains and not drive. I have 16 days and then need to be in Florence by then. Any suggestions, I would love. I don't mind taking buses and also with Easter....I don't want to be one of thousands but would love to experience something different, even in a small town. Thank you so much

Puglia has excellent Holy Week (Settimana Santa) events (the week leading up to and including Easter), and you can see Lecce, Matera (Basilicata), Bari, and the trulli as well. It takes a bit of planning but it's well worth it. The official tourism site had a lot of specific Easter week info, but sometimes not all of it in the English version: https://www.settimanasantainpuglia.it/content/index.asp?lan=eng That website will have more specific info with event dates after the New Year as they did in 2019 when they listed 94 events in the region. Many other articles are available with any search.