Casa Gugu'

Ravenna is a gem, once capital of the western Roman empire, today a sleepy town packed with Unesco World Heritage Sites. You stay super centrally, an easy stroll past the 12th-century Torre Civica (yes, it leans!) to three churches housing some of the exceptional Byzantine mosaics that draw visitors today.

Owner Cristiana, utterly charming and around in the mornings, has created a stylish and super chic hideaway, mixing clever modern design pieces with harmonious Persian kilims and antiques. Bedrooms are sumptuous, the suite is enormous. Breakfast, inside or out, is a feast of sweet and savoury treats, order pancakes or eggs if you fancy.

Pick a book from the library, enjoy an aperitivo in the courtyard under the shade of a pomegranate tree, plan where you might go for supper – Osteria dalla Zabariona is atmospheric and authentic. Hire e-bikes, hop on a train to glorious Bologna, unbend at Salina beach club (10km) on the coast.