Since these enchanted provinces of Italy seduced the artistic geniuses of the Renaissance – da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Raphael – they have lost none of their potency. In a cultivated idyll of vineyards, olive groves and cornfields, slim cypresses still punctuate the scenery like paintbrushes in-waiting, while ancient farm houses dripping with wisteria lord it on the hilltops.

Umbria is perhaps less well known than Tuscany. With its wooded heights rising from a rustic eiderdown, and craggy outcrops holding aloft historic towns like Spello, Spoleto and Perugia, this green central region is no less dramatic and somehow more intensely Italian than its much-vaunted neighbour.

Both regions brim with great art and architecture. Yet it’s the lie of the land itself and the pleasure of being in it that draws visitors back. In the delightful villas and hotels we have selected, from the wine country of Chianti and Montepulciano to the lakelands of Trasimeno, you’ll feel in touch with the spirit of the place the moment you arrive. The locations are so well chosen – by someone who knows and loves this part of Italy – that even in the height of summer the peace and perfection of the surroundings remain relatively undisturbed.

Yet it’s never far to civilisation. To the Florence of the Medicis, to marvel at Brunelleschi’s domes or Prada's latest heels. To Siena to stand in the lopsided Campo where the Palio horse race thunders. To Lucca to remember Puccini. Or to Assisi to pay homage to a best-loved saint, Francis. Or, in some quiet hill town, simply to seek out a small osteria where the pasta is homemade and the sauce redolent of fresh herbs.

There are so many beautiful towns to explore, where weathered walls harbour Etruscan treasures, shops are crammed with Italian style and the ice cream is sublime. Pisa, San Gimignano, Volterra, Gubbio – each as memorable as the last. And when you’ve had your fill of Giotto and Gucci, of Bargello sculptures and the rip of Piaggios, think what bliss it will be to retreat to your own personal corner, pour a glass of wine and uncurl your toes.