Lucca

The most important church in Lucca. Begun in the 11th-century, it has a magnificently carved marble façade and houses the tomb of Ilaria Carretto, a beautiful work in marble by Jacopo della Quercia.

Opera buffs shouldn’t miss the small museum dedicated to Giacomo Puccini, Lucca’s most famous son. He’s regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi.

On the third weekend of the month, Piazza San Martino and the surrounding streets host a sprawling antiques market with everything from furniture and pictures to coins, jewellery and vintage clothes.

Seasonal fruit, local ingredients and organic milk, cream and eggs are the mainstays of this artisanal ice cream. Flavours vary with the seasons, but look out for the sinful De Bondt chocolate and candied orange peel and the pistachio ice creams, and the refreshing Sicilian-style granitas (almond, maybe) in summer.

A picturesque mix of Medieval and Renaissance buildings, Lucca is a gem of a town that never gets over-run with tourists, giving it a delightfully authentic feel.