Italy is littered with the more than 3,000 years of history, and an atmosphere that ranges from the Armani-wearing-scooter-driving-espresso-drinking buzz of its cities to the quiet, pastoral existence of its hillside olive farms and seaside fishing villages.

Seat of the Roman Empire, birthplace of the Renaissance the 'Bel Paese' is also the quintessence of glamour and 'Dolce Vita', of designer chic for the glitterati with sophistication and style.

Italy's cities reveal awe-inspiring architecture from the curved arches of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence to the crumbling magnificence of the Colosseum in Rome. Home of da Vinci, Michelangelo, Caravaggio and Botticelli, its artworks are a visual delight, just as much as sunset watching in Capri.

Venice is an aesthete's heaven for those who wish to live a magic atmosphere. Rome is an historian's dream, home to the famous St Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, the inspiration for brilliant movie directors like Roberto Rossellini and Federico Fellini. And if ever a region in the world has been a land of geniuses, that was Leonardo's and Michelangelo's Tuscany.