It is a cultured crowd (or at least they would like to think so) who make for Tuscany in summer. The region's undulating olive groves, Renaissance towns and stone borghi satisfy their romantic definition of "summer holiday".

But those who dream of owning an Italian farmhouse in Tuscany will find the prices far from romantic. In sought-after parts of the region (so-called Chiantishire, for example) and even in neighbouring Umbria, an average four-bedroom, stone farmhouse can cost about €1.2 million.

The British outpost, however, comprises a relatively small area of Italy. If you venture an hour north into Lunigiana or south into Emilia-Romagna, equivalent properties can cost up to half as much - and there is still plenty for classics scholars to sink their teeth into.

For those prepared to explore, there are many lovely, old houses within easy reach of unspoilt coast and countryside all over Italy. Hardened Tuscanophiles will take some convincing that the countryside in Basilicata, in the far south, could be mistaken for Tuscany, but the €600,000 (£475,860) price tag for a bespoke stone farmhouse, surrounded by olive groves, might get them thinking. Here are 10 of the most enticing areas.

1. Majella, Abruzzo

Getting there: Abruzzo International Airport, Pescara
La cucina: Maccheroni alla Chitarra, black truffles
I vini: Trebianno

Abruzzo has slipped through the net of most British second-home owners. "Abruzzo has everything, yet still only Italians seem to be aware of it," says Lorna Richardson of Properties Around Italy. It is fronted on one side by the Adriatic coastline, with Europe's only blue flag beaches (seven in total). Further inland are some of Italy's best-preserved medieval and Renaissance hill-towns such as Castel del Monte and Santo Stefano di Sessanio, as well as the Roccaraso ski area and national parks.

"I spent more than six years searching all over Italy to find my ideal property. I now live in Abruzzo. I rest my case," says Ms Richardson. "I can ski in winter, a 15-minute drive from my house, I can be on the beach in the summer, a 30-minute drive, and I live in the national park, with views to die for. Nowhere is like Abruzzo."

2. Le Colline Pisane, Tuscany

Getting there: Pisa airport
La cucina: Peposo della Fornacina (beef cooked in a cotta pot with herbs and black pepper)

I vini: Chianti Colline Pisane

The hilly countryside south-east of Pisa is less "discovered" than other parts of Tuscany, but is still a viable option for culture vultures, as it is less than an hour away from Castiglioncello, Forte dei Marmi, Florence and Lucca.

 3. Casperia, northern Lazio

Getting there: Rome Fiumicino and Rome Ciampino airports
La cucina: Saltimbocca alla Romana (sliced veal with ham in a Marsala sauce)
I vini: Cerveteri vineyards, and Est Est Est from Montefiascone

All eyes are on Viterbo in northern Lazio, as the area has been chosen for Rome's third international airport. Regular flights from the UK will boost the local economy and open up the surrounding countryside. The airport will serve both Rome and northern Lazio, bridging the gap between Rome and southern Umbria and Tuscany.

Northern Lazio is dotted with medieval villages, such as Bagnaia, Montefiascone and Vitorchiano, and features two picturesque lakes, Vico and Bolsena. Further east towards Umbria, around the medieval town of Casperia, 45 minutes from Rome, there are stone properties and villas for sale at a fraction of what they would cost across the Umbrian border.

4. Corinaldo, Le Marche

Getting there: Ancona, Rimini, Bologna airports
La cucina: Vincisgrassi (baked lasagne without tomatoes)
I vini: Verdicchio wine

The Italians have claimed the coast of the Le Marche (pronounced Markay) region, and left the rolling inland countryside free for British buyers.

"Le Marche is perfect for people who are gutted they can't afford to buy in Tuscany," says Dominic Hepplethwaite of Live In Italy.Expect to pay about €200,000 for a stone house with rural views, surrounded by private land, requiring renovation.

Dermott Sales, of Le Marche Townhouses, recommends Monterubbiano, Corinaldo and Ostra Vetere - medieval and Renaissance towns within easy reach of beautiful walking country and the Adriatic coast. "The best properties for sale in Le Marche tend to be between 5km and 25km inland from the Adriatic coast, as they have the best of both worlds, with the sea less than 25 minutes to the east and the mountains and skiing only 30 to 45 minutes to the west," he says.

 

5. Garfagnana Valley, Tuscany

Getting there: Pisa airport
La cucina: Zuppa di farro (Tuscan bean and barley soup)

I vini: Sangiovese wines and vin santo

Garfagnana, north of Lucca, does not rival Florence or Siena in terms of culture, but the countryside is brimming with nature and you are offered a lot more property for your money (€400,00 to €600,000 for a property with land, compared with €1.2million to €1.3million in the most popular parts of Tuscany.)

"You have a Tuscany address, but it is more isolated," says Dominic Hepplethwaite. This did not deter Carducci, Pascali, Shelley and Byron from visiting, and the annual jazz festival at Barga, near Castel Nuovo di Garfagnana, is attracting a larger crowd each year. Try not to let the fact that it is one of Italy's rainiest regions put you off.Garfagnana's proximity to the mountains, forests and coast will compensate for the unpredictable weather.

 

6. Oltrepo Pavese, Lombardy

Getting there: Milan airports
La cucina: Salame di Varzi and black truffles
I vini: Oltrepo Pavese (DOC)

The region of Oltrepo Pavese is called "Little Tuscany" by those who know it, due to its undulating hills, vineyards and medieval hamlets. Until now, it has attracted mainly Milanese buyers (including Giorgio Armani) in search of a second home less than an hour from Milan. But British buyers are beginning to explore the area, finding properties priced about 50 per cent less that the equivalent in Tuscany. Towns such as Stradella, Broni and Casteggio are within easy reach of the Ligurian coast and Milan. Larger shops can be found in the university city of Pavia. Wine-tasting (wine has been made in Oltrepo for 3,000 years), walking, and riding will appeal to British holidaymakers, but spoken Italian is essential. "No one in Oltrepo Pavese that I have contacted from the property industry has ever attempted to speak English," says Paul Hudson of the Property Finders.

 

7. Lunigiana, northern Tuscany

Getting there: Pisa, Parma and Genoa airports
La cucina: Testaroli with pesto sauce
I vini: Vermentino Colli di Luni DOC

Squeezed between Liguria, Tuscany, and Emilia-Romagna, Lunigiana is a region of Roman ruins, medieval castles and baroque palaces. You might have heard of Cinque Terre, on the nearby Ligurian coast - five fishing villages, built on stone spurs, with coloured properties popular with wealthy Italians. But you may not have ventured further into the Lungiana hills, where there are vineyards and hidden villages.

 

 

8. Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna

La cucina: Parma ham, balsamic vinegar, parmesan.
I vini: Lambrusco.
Getting there: Bologna, Milan (Bergamo), Milan airports

The plains of Emilia-Romagna are dotted with grand towns such as Bologna, Parma and Modena, but if you venture into the mountainous north-west, there are good-value stone farmhouses and villas. Admittedly, it can be isolated, but if you are a nature-lover, it is a more affordable option than Tuscany or Umbria. Rupert Fawcett, of Knight Frank, recommends Val Tidone and Val Trebbia, two valleys popular with the Milanese and Genovese. "The surrounding Piacentini hills offer a similar landscape to Tuscany, but are better priced," he says.

9. Otranto, Puglia

Getting there: airports at Brindisi and Bari
La cucina: Taiddha (mussels, potatoes, pecorino)
I vini: Salento Puglia

Southern Italy has more Mediterranean and Greek influences than the north, and this is reflected in the architecture and cuisine. Lecce, on the coast, is widely regarded as "Florence of the south", but unlike its northern twin, it is created from pietra leccese, the local stone. Here, there are designer shops, restaurants and a half-buried Roman amphitheatre. There are stunning beaches between Lecce and the town of Otranto - popular with Italy's jetset, with regular ferries to Greece.

"Puglia is beach-orientated," says Rupert Fawcett of Knight Frank. House prices in the region have risen by 8 per cent in two years; buyers can choose between masserie (traditional courtyard farmhouses) and trulli (conical-shaped, white-washed houses, designed to be cool in summer and warm in winter) that cost as little as €30,000.

 

10. Matera, Basilicata

Getting there: airports at Brindisi and Bari
La cucina: calzone di verdura (folded pizza with chard, peppers and raisins)
I vini: Aglianico del Vulture

The lesser-known Basilicata forms a triangle between Campania, Puglia and Calabria, and, according to Rupert Fawcett, the landscape could be mistaken for Tuscany. "It is geographically closer to Greece than Milan," says Mr Fawcett. "And this is reflected in the food and culture." There are good beaches and countryside, with stone villages and vineyards.

 

Buying property in rural Italy

 

Spend time in an area before buying.

 

Find an English-speaking agent or use a buying agent, e.g www.italianproperties.org 

 

Italians don't go in for glossy brochures. The best properties are often found by word of mouth.

 

Be warned: if Italians smell a foreigner, they are prone to double the price.

 

Negotiate: prices are flexible by as much as €200,000.

 

For rentals, buy in an area with a good infrastructure: airport, station, and motorway.

 

Seek financial and legal advice before purchase.

 

Both buyer and seller must pay agent's fees, usually 3 per cent.

Following last week's elections in Italy, the country's government should soon be implementing some reforms, which could spell good news for Italy's housing market. Newly re-elected Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has pledged to see his electoral campaign promises through.

During the run-up to the Italian elections, Berlusconi pledged to eliminate the main Italian property tax. At the first meeting of his newly formed government, the Italian PM said that this is a promise he would fulfill, despite the estimated cost to the government. Abolishing the principal property tax in Italy (the ICI) would undoubtedly be a boon for any investor in the Italian property market, but it is reckoned that by doing so, the government would see a loss of roughly € 2 billion in potential revenue.

The abolition of the ICI would add to Italy's potential for those thinking of investing there, as capital gains tax (CGT) on property is wiped out after five years of ownership. By getting rid of the ICI, home buyers would be presented with another incentive to sink their money into Italy and this in turn could help to push up property prices in the country. Combined with the lack of CGT, this could mean long term investors would see favourable returns upon sale,

Berlusconi was eager to please during the electoral campaign and sceptics fear that he may have been too enthusiastic, estimating that if he were to act upon all his pre-election promises, he would need to find €63 billion of government cash to fund them,

It would seem that canny investors have already started to cotton on to the benefits of Italian property; earlier this year a survey carried out by A Place in the Sun Magazine ranked the country fifth in the top ten destinations for overseas buyers. The poll showed how Italy was muscling in on the traditional destinations such as Spain and France (ranked first and second respectively), moving up three positions from the previous survey.

Taxing times for Italy? Italian tax laws have recently changed and it is private buyers looking for holiday homes, supplemented by holiday rentals that are now streets ahead compared to the taxing times of old.

Considerably lower completion costs and the potential to bypass capital gains tax will certainly benefit the already formidable Italian property market.

Non-professional investors who are looking for a holiday home that they will enjoy for at least five years, or a permanent residence, are undoubtedly the winners in the Italian property market. New tax laws now favour this sector of the market with dramatic tax benefits. Purchase costs in Italy used to be as high as 15-17%, but new rulings mean that this figure can decrease to approx 4% - 5%, which is a huge gain in some cases.

Furthermore, after five years of property ownership owners, even holiday home owners, are exempt from capital gains tax in Italy. Capital gains tax stood at 12% but under new rulings this has been raised to 20%, so long term investors seeking stability gain considerably. This coupled with inheritance tax only on high value properties and still significantly lower than that of UK death duties, is also a big factor to mature individuals looking to invest here.

Sarah Ferrara, Managing Director of Garda Homes, says, “To gain some perspective of just how beneficial the new taxs laws are, if we take the featured two bedroom apartment in Caneto, near the popular Lake Garda town of Salò, as an example, we see that under the old rules taxes on this property would have been £16,500. However, under the new rulings this figure drops dramatically to around just £2,250; the savings are evident for all to see. Furthermore, if the owner becomes an Italian resident within 18 months of purchase this figure drops again to around just £600. Therefore those looking to invest into the Italian property market to enjoy the benefits of this region also gain significantly financially. The new tax laws will undoubtedly bring a resurgence of buyers back to Italian shores which will further strengthen this market which has performed well over the last decade.”

Italian tax laws have recently changed and it is private buyers looking for holiday homes, supplemented by holiday rentals that are now benefiting.

Non-professional investors who are looking for a holiday home that they will enjoy for at least five years are undoubtedly the winners in the Italian property market. New tax laws now favour this sector of the market.

Purchase costs in Italy used to be as high as 15-17 percent, but new rulings mean that this figure can decrease to approximately 4 - 5 percent.

Furthermore, after five years, even holiday home owners, are exempt from capital gains tax in Italy. Capital gains tax stood at 12 percent but under new rulings this has been raised to 20 percent.

This coupled with inheritance tax only on high value properties and still significantly lower than that of UK death duties, is also a big factor to mature individuals looking to invest in the country.

Sarah Ferrara, managing director of Garda Homes, said: “To gain some perspective of just how beneficial the new tax laws are, if we take the featured two bedroom apartment in Caneto, near the popular Lake Garda town of Salò, as an example, we see that under the old rules taxes on this property would have been £16,500.

“However, under the new rulings this figure drops dramatically to around just £2,250; the savings are evident for all to see.

“The new tax laws will undoubtedly bring a resurgence of buyers back to Italian shores which will further strengthen this market which has performed well over the last decade.”

 

THE most famous temptations of northern Italy - the cities of Venice, Milan and Turin, and the panoramic charms of the Lakes - make it easy to forget the diversity and richness of the region's smaller towns.

Yet from Rivoli in western Piedmont to Trieste in the east, it is possible to enjoy all pleasures of the region, but without the crowded sprawl and high prices of the larger destinations.

Here, from Vercelli to Padua, are six towns in which history and contemporary life enjoy a successful and reassuringly comfortable long-term marriage. You can reach them on budget airlines to small Italian airports, such as Bergamo and Treviso, and all are within easy reach of each other by car or local trains and buses.

VERCELLI

“You are like a land no one has ever mentioned before,” the poet Cesare Pavese wrote. So discreet is this narrow labyrinthine town that, arriving from the railway station, there appear to be no hotels. Parts of the massive Cathedral of St Eusebius go back 1,500 years. It is home to the Vercelli Book, which includes one of the earliest English religious texts, the 8th-century Dream of the Rood.

Vercelli is where England's “first tourist”, Thomas Coryat, discovered the “fork” in 1608. It is also the rice-growing capital of Europe, and the many local risotto dishes are unique to the region. Try panissa: risotto with Saluggia beans, sausage (such as the salam d'la duja) and red wine.

At eight in the evening in Piazza Cavour, the central square, there is not an empty seat in any of the three cafés, despite the rain. I am the only foreigner. “So sleepy,” says my waiter, catching the eye of a local beauty. “We are a town of 40,000, nothing happens here. Now in Turin ...”

Stay in Hotel Matteotti (00 39 0161 211187, www.hotelmatteotti.it, B&B doubles about £63) on the outskirts of town. For delicious snacks, stop in at the Sassone bakery on Galileo Ferraris, which is full of exotic breads such as fogliette and diplomatici.

CREMONA

The centre of Cremona is defined by three large squares surrounding the massive cathedral and the highest bell tower in Europe. Cremona has a musical rhythm: a four-movement day. Mornings are about shopping, a blur of colours and mercantile sounds. Afternoons can be very hot: siesta stillness hits town.

Each square has its own vibe: the cathedral square, Piazza del Comune, is older, quieter, content to watch the light play tricks on the duomo's façade. Expensive ice-cream rules. The Piazza della Pace is very young; in the Piazza Stradivari dinner is part of the process. This is the

to-be-looked-at square: the women appear to have walked out of the Bertolucci movies of the 1970s; men want to be hot footballer Paolo Maldini. A retro-is-chic feel is everywhere.

Stay near the cathedral to savour piazza life throughout the day. Albergo Duomo on Via Gonfalonieri (00 39 03 72 35 242, B&B doubles about £56) has decent rooms, a good chef and talkative diners.

Drink in pretty much any of the central bars, though the gelateria Portici del Comune opposite the cathedral, is expensive and features few Italians; if you want to be right at the centre it's better to sit on the steps of the duomo itself and eat ice-cream bought at Pierrot on Largo Boccaccino.

LODI

Just a few hundred metres from Lodi's dark Romanesque cathedral is an octagonal church, the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Mary Crowned. It is covered, almost wallpapered, in frescoes and paintings, some by Il Bergognone. Built on the grounds of a medieval brothel as a kind of almshouse, the church is a magnificent jewel of space: a place for silent contemplation or listening to rousing music.

Locals often told me this is a ghostly and conservative farming town. But there is a marvellous rhythm, and a sense of quiet contentment. Festivals are flecked through the year, costume dramas all of them. And hidden in Lodi's nooks and crannies are fantastic cheese shops, fashionable bars, and gentle hints of history - such as the Battle of Lodi, won by the young Corsican general Napoleon Bonaparte.

Stay at the Hotel Europa (00 39 0371 35215, www.hoteleuropa-lodi.it, B&B doubles about £74). For more luxury, try the Hotel Una, near the motorway (00 39 0371 410461, www.unahotels.it, B&B doubles about £57). Eat anywhere in the Piazza della Vittoria; there are five options. I liked the Nationale best, though the Duomo feels most local.

MANTUA

The Gonzaga family ruled here during the Renaissance, but the revenues from their territories never kept up with their lavish lifestyle.Take the “secret” Gonzaga route from the palazzo back past the city walls and on to Mantua's grand central squares and palace, and stop at Andrea Mantegna's home, built with “classical” precision. Now the house is a modern art gallery, with fantastic computer-based installations about Mantengna's life: new media and classical architecture in perfect harmony.

Avoid the Piazza Sordello for food or drinks, and stick to the Piazza delle Erbe. I also enjoyed the quiet of the Ristorante Tiratappi in the small Piazza Leon Battista Alberti, and the bustle of the jazzy Delle Erbe restaurant. Tortelli di zucca (pumpkin and almond pasta) is a must here. The Hotel Rechigi (00 39 0376 320 781, www.rechigi.com, B&B doubles from about £148) on Via Pietro Fortunato Calvi is comfortably central.

PADUA

In term time students dominate the Piazza della Erbe, the focal centre of the city. In the Palazzo della Ragione, morning is a riot of peaches and barter, haggles and oranges. Above the vaulted market, the first-floor room of the palazzo is like a three-dimensional map. Four walls covered in frescoes tell the story of time, with enough visual storytelling to keep J.K.Rowling in plots for decades.

The cheap central modernism of Albergo Verdi on Via Dondo dall' Orologio (00 39 049 8364163, www.albergoverdipadova.it, B&B doubles from about £74) makes for an ideal budget starting point. I drank Campari spritz at both the main bars of Piazza dei Signori, and if the locals seem slightly chilly here, then move on anywhere in the Piazza delle Erbe.

SAN PELLEGRINO

A brief bus journey from Bergamo's railway station takes you to my favourite of all these small towns - because its pleasures are so unexpected. San Pellegrino, as the name might suggest, is a bubbly place. Hemmed in by mountains - take a day trip up to the San Marco pass and its bikers' lodge - San Pellegrino makes a sparkling debut after the smaller towns of the Brembana valley.

San Pellegrino has long been known for its spa water, but only in the late 19th and early 20th centuries did it become an upmarket destination. So, while there are no Renaissance masterpieces, or Venetian tropes, it feels easier to imagine its past than those of some of the more famous Italian towns. This is the place to write that Great European Novel.

The Centrale (00 39 0345 21008, www.albergo-centrale.it, B&B doubles about £47) is in the middle of San Pellegrino's high street with great views of the derelict Grand Hotel and the mountains beyond. The town is small enough to try out all the cafés and bars. Caffetteria degli Artisti, on the corner of Viale Papa Giovanni XXIII and Via Mazzoni, offers cha-cha-cha classes, afternoons and evenings. Until San Pellegrino Terme's spa hotel opens again (scheduled for next year), the best way to exercise is to walk