Val d'Orcia's rolling hills are home to this albergo diffuso named after the 16th-century humanist, designed around bold colours, contemporary artworks, and custom-made furniture by local artisans alongside old wooden beams and four-poster beds. A standout infinity pool with countryside views; an osteria-style lunch with ragu to follow. A car is needed and worth it.

La Bandita is a boutique hotel tucked inside a former Renaissance convent in the heart of Pienza, in the UNESCO-listed Val d’Orcia. Its founder, a former New York music-industry exec, swapped rock stars for Tuscan village life, bringing together a mix of original stone, contemporary design, good food and an easygoing local feel.

The medieval hill town of Orvieto, perched between Rome and Umbria on a volcanic tufa cliff, is an excellent reason to pause any Italian road trip, and Palazzo Petrvs makes the case for staying the night. Elegant and personal, with attentive service and a cellar stocked with Umbrian wines, it sits surrounded by olive groves and extraordinary landscape. A very good address.