THE STONE PIAZZA in Urbisaglia, in the Marche region of central Italy, is like many in the country’s medieval villages. School kids play soccer under the shadow of a 16th-century tower, their abandoned book bags strewn on the church steps. Two older men sit on a bench and talk politics.

A woman crosses the piazza, heading home with groceries in-hand. The clothing store shopkeeper steps outside to smoke a cigarette as a pair of travelers watch Italian life unfold, relaxing over aperitivi and snacks on a cafe patio. The difference between here and Rome or the Amalfi Coast is that they are the only tourists around.