San Gimignano

Only 14 of the original 72 towers remain, but this wonderfully preserved medieval city in Tuscany is still known as San Gimignano of the Fine Towers. The towers reflect a period of quarrlesome one-upmanship in Italian history.

Crenellated palazzos and soaring towers circle the town's major piazzas, with Torre Grossa the tallest tower at 54m (177ft). A Romanesque cathedral, ruined fortress, frescoed church and a fabulous museum featuring art from the Sienese and Florentine schools round off this special city's charms.

Sardinia

Sardinia has some fascinating medieval sections and beautiful beaches. There's also the magnificent and relatively unspoiled Costa Verde coastline, the beaches and grottoes around the tourist enclave of Alghero, and the trekking and traditional culture offered in Nuoro Province.

Sardinia has been colonised and invaded by the Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans, Pisans, Genoese and Spaniards. Through these ravages, the locals (known as the Sardi) have retained their identity and singularity, remaining strangely insular people.

Sicily

The island of Sicily is a place of contrasts, from the crumbling grandeur of its capital, Palermo, to the Greek ruins at Syracuse, volatile Mt Etna and the Aeolian Islands. It's home to touristy Lipari, jet-set Panarea, rugged Vulcano and spectacularly spouting Stromboli.

Squatting strategically in the Mediterranean, and its largest island, Sicily has attracted waves of invaders and colonisers, leaving a historical detritus that includes Greek temples, Roman ruins, Norman churches and castles, and Arab and Byzantine domes.

Tremiti Islands

Catch a boat from the Gargano Peninsula in Apulia to the three main islands of the Tremiti group: San Domino, San Nicola and Capraia. The islands remain relatively undeveloped and unspoiled, and offer a great escape from mainland concerns. San Domino boasts sandy beaches, with secluded coves, rocky pools and grottoes.

San Nicola's Church of Santa Maria, founded in the 11th century by Benedictine monks, features a black Madonna, an 11th-century floor mosaic and a Byzantine crucifix.