Italy is a country engrained with a deep history left from remnants of the powerful Roman Empire. The world Italian immediately stirs feeling of romance, passion and sophistication. Italy can offer chic high fashion cities like Milan, romance capital Venice and the well preserved Renaissance city of Florence. Italians are extremely style concious and the whole country opens up a shoppers delight of high fashion designers and exclusive boutiques. Rome can pander to any taste, from ancient cultural monument the Colosseum and the Trevi fountain. Religious whims can be satisfied by a day in the Vatican city and culinary travellers can have all tastes quenched. The Amalfi coast has heart stopping scenery mixed with the kind of resorts that do not require buckets and spades. Italian beach holiday are carried out with the usual panache.

Italy produced some of the most influential artists in the world with De Vinci and Michaelangelo being the most renowned. Their works alongside others are hung proudly in galleries everywhere. Be stunned by Michelangelos biggest work on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel, home of the Pope. Italians are passionate about art almost as much as they are stirred by their own foods and wines. Beyond the ubiquitous pasta and pizza lies a much overlooked cuisine oozing with deep sexy flavours. Wines have been produced in these parts since Roman times when it was described as 'life water.'

Of the outer lying islands of Italy including Sardinia, Sicily and Elba, Capri is likely to be the most enticing. From afar Capri appears to be just a huge rock jutting out of the water, but on closer inspection the discovery of a forgotten civilisation complimented by a backdrop that could have been created by Da Vinci himself seduces visitors in a land they never want to leave.