It’s impossible to resist Italy’s charm. Think Italy and you are dreaming of rolling Tuscan hills dotted with olive groves; gondolas manoeuvring quietly down Venetian canals; hilltop medieval villages enclosed by ancient walls; towering mountain ranges; shimmering lakes; majestic volcanoes. There is an abundance of soul-stirring beauty.

Italy’s 20 regions are so different that travelling between them can feel like 20 different holidays. Once is never enough. Everything you see, everything you imagine - it’s true. The more I see, the more I want to explore; the more I learn, the more books I want to read. Italy captures your heart and soul and never lets go.

Villages throughout Italy embrace a slowness of life and an appreciation of small things because they matter. Savouring the morning coffee; simple conversations at the fruit and vegetable market; lingering in the piazza to chat to friends. It is the fabric of community life and the Italian way. Here are three more villages I love.

The name alone makes you want to visit. Officially one of the I **Borghi piu belli d’Italia - the most beautiful villages of Italy - this town is simply gorgeous. The centro storico, perched on the top of a round hill, is laid out in concentric circles. It is a maze of stone-paved alleys lined with historic buildings, some humble and faded, others retaining rather grand baroque archways and detailed architecture.

Unique to the town are the cummerse - narrow, rectangular whitewashed houses with steep pitched stone-gabled roofs.

Every little street and every little house feels well cared for with abundant flower pots providing splashes of colour in stone stairways and balconies. As you walk totally enraptured, there are wonderful views over the Valle d’Itria which is a patchwork of vineyards, olive groves and trulli dissected by dry-stone walls.

The town is famous for producing a crisp, dry white wine called Locorotondo DOC. While southern Italy is predominantly known for robust red wines, Locorotondo was officially granted DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) status for this wine in 1969, making it one of the earliest wine appellations established in Puglia. The core grape varieties used - primarily Verdeca and Bianco d’Alessano - have been cultivated in Puglia for centuries.

Perched on the top of a mountain above stunning Taormina there is a charming village called Castelmola with around 1,000 people. By foot it is a steep two kilometre walk or a five kilometre drive via a winding road from Taormina.

Sitting over 500 metres above sea level, the village offers sweeping views of Mount Etna, the Ionian Sea, Giardini Naxos and the surrounding coastline. The 360 degree views are breathtaking and the quiet winding alleys a joy to wander. A beautiful piazza with a black and white lava stone mosaic pavement is the entrance to the village. Old stone benches, medieval ruins, bars and restaurants that are so Sicilian combine to make you feel like you’ve escaped the world.

Bar Turrisi, family owned since 1947, is a must visit for its quirky and historic decor celebrating ancient fertility symbols. Built four levels high with balconies on each level, there is no escaping the magnificent vista below. It is the signature spot in town to sample vino alla mandorla, a traditional Sicilian dry white wine infused with almonds and citrus essences.

If the walk up doesn’t appeal, the walk down is well worth it, or there is a local bus to take you back to Taormina.

Just north of Bari, capital of Puglia, is the elegant seaside port of Trani. The old town centre, a medieval labyrinth, surrounds the delightful fishing harbour which has a marina crammed with luxurious sailing boats and clunky wooden fishing boats. Love the contrast. The many bars, cafes and restaurants on the edge of the harbour are enticing for a long lunch, aperitivo or sunset dinner.

Visible immediately upon entering the harbour is Trani’s iconic seafront cathedral built of creamy white local limestone, one of the most impressive of any in Italy. Built on the water’s edge, its 60 metre bell tower and striking exterior dramatically frame the sea behind it.

Not far from the cathedral is another monumental marvel rising from the sea, Emperor Frederick II’s castle built in 1233 to defend the town’s harbour. In the early 1800s it became a prison and only closed in 1975. Surrounded by a stone bridge over its former moat, the castle now hosts historic exhibitions and cultural events.

A stroll through the narrow alleys of Trani’s historic centre reveals medieval churches, grand palazzi and two synagogues, one of which dates back to the 13th century. It is one of the oldest functioning synagogues in Europe.

Under Frederick II a large Jewish community flourished in Trani resulting in four active synagogues, but by 1380 all four had been converted to churches and the remaining Jews were forced to convert to Christianity. Today’s tiny Jewish community consists of the descendants of the Jews who were forcibly converted during the Inquisition and those who for centuries had to conceal their Jewish identity.

Across from the picturesque harbour, there is a lush public park with a waterfront promenade. It is where locals enjoy strolling the tree-lined walking paths with panoramic terraces overlooking the harbour and Adriatic sea.

Ci vediamo la prossima settimana.

Deb