If you only have time to see one gallery in Milan, make it this one. Set up in 1618, it is home to over 1500 paintings by artists such as Raphael, Luini, Titian, Caravaggio, Botticelli and Brueghel. It also has a large collection of work by Da Vinci including his ‘Codex Atlanticus' and many of his notebooks. The building itself was completely restored in the 1990s and is a fine example of Lombard architecture with mullioned windows, frescoed walls and vaulted ceilings. The visit ends in the impressive library, rich in classical manuscripts, notably Homer and Virgil. Another bonus is the lack of crowds, so you always have a great view without having to jostle with the hordes!

www.ambrosiana.eu/jsp/index.jsp
Piazza Pio XI, 2, 20123 Milano, Italy
+3902806921
Google map: bit.ly/xVwNJW

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Situated on a hilltop just outside the town, these painted Etruscan burial chambers inspired D.H.Lawrence to write what was to be his final, most heartfelt travelogue, Etruscan Places. Although there are more than 6000 tombs, only about 15 are open to visitors each day. The wall paintings are surprisingly celebratory, depicting scenes of dancing, music, feasting and even sex! After exploring the tombs, go into town to visit the Tarquinia National Museum, devoted to Etruscan exhibits and sarcophagi excavated from the necropolis. Be sure not to miss the almost life-size pair of winged horses from the pediment of a Tarquinian temple, one of the greatest Etruscan masterpieces ever discovered.

www.comune.tarquinia.vt.it/
Piazza Cavour, 1a, 01016 Tarquinia Viterbo, Italy
+39 0766 856036
Google map: bit.ly/yFewFd

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Visit the hilltop Etruscan town of Cortona. As you wander around its narrow streets, taking in breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside, you may notice that some of it looks familiar. It has infact been used as a backdrop for various films, notably Under the Tuscan Sun, based on the book of the same name by Frances Mayes, and Roberto Benigni's Life is Beautiful. You can continue the film tour in most of Tuscany - towns south of Siena (Stealing Beauty), the Val d'Orcia valley (Gladiator) and obviously Florence (A Room with a View, Tea with Mussolini).

Google map: bit.ly/lovdaV

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For a more authentic Tuscan experience, go to Siena in winter. With far fewer tourists, you can see the sights without the crowds and although it's quite cold, the days are usually clear and crisp. Typical Tuscan food is more suitable for winter too - ribollita (vegetable and bread soup, far more delicious than it sounds), pici (local pasta, rather like fat spaghetti) and bistecca alla fiorentina will keep you full and warm for hours. The atmosphere before Christmas is magical - the streets are festooned with garlands made from fir trees and oranges while on New Year's Eve, the Piazza del Campo, filled with revellers of all ages, plays host to a free concert with stars from the Italian music scene.

Piazza del Campo, Siena
Google map: bit.ly/iP31vP

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