Think of Tuscany and Umbria – beautiful scenery, beguiling hilltop towns; Siena, Cortona, Assisi… Pozzuolo? OK, few people may have heard of Pozzuolo, but it’s actually more typical of the region than its famous cousins. Maybe nothing much to look at, but well placed and much more relaxed than the tourist hotspots, all of which are within one hour of this quaint, sleepy little town.

As central Italy goes, Pozzuolo is pretty much, well, dead centre. A two-hour drive from each of the airports in Rome, Pisa and Bologna, an hour from Florence and 40 minutes from Perugia. Once here, two hours driving west takes you to the clear blue waters of the Med, while the same time driving east over the Apennines will take you to the equally attractive Adriatic.