Camping Michelangelo

Take the 10-minute walk from the site to reach the spectacular city centre of fab Florence, birthplace of the Renaissance and a rightly famed travel destination for centuries. There are gardens and museums galore to wander; eye-watering piazzas including the Piazza della Signoria; the 13th-century Il Duomo di Firenze or Florence Cathedral – and then, but of course, the many first-rate restaurants serving the finest food… do be sure to allow several days in town. Those of an arty disposition (and those who aren't; this is Florence, after all) should make for the Uffizi Gallery and the Galleria dell'Accademia, to gaze upon works by Leonardo da Vinci, Giotto, Botticelli and Michelangelo, as well as a large collection of Greek and Roman sculptures. If you only have time for one gallery, the Uffzi is your destination if you yearn after Renaissance art and the flame-haired ladies of Botticelli; head for the Accademia to see the world-famed statue of Michelangelo's David,. The two are the most visited art galleries in all of Italy, so you'll be sure of splendour whichever one you pick. From Florence, take the shuttle to Fiesole, about 20 minutes' drive away, for piles of ancient artefacts around its ancient city centre, including Roman bath ruins and a Roman amphitheatre that hosts festivals throughout the summer. Curious scientists can also clamber the hilltop here, where one L da Vinci first pondered on the idea of flight. For day trips, venture into the nearby Chianti vineyards (tours are easy to sort from Florence), or have a sightseeing day around Siena, Lucca and Arezzo, all about an hour's drive away, or Pisa, within an hour and a quarter.