2. Le Colline Pisane, Tuscany

Getting there: Pisa airport
La cucina: Peposo della Fornacina (beef cooked in a cotta pot with herbs and black pepper)

I vini: Chianti Colline Pisane

The hilly countryside south-east of Pisa is less "discovered" than other parts of Tuscany, but is still a viable option for culture vultures, as it is less than an hour away from Castiglioncello, Forte dei Marmi, Florence and Lucca.

 3. Casperia, northern Lazio

Getting there: Rome Fiumicino and Rome Ciampino airports
La cucina: Saltimbocca alla Romana (sliced veal with ham in a Marsala sauce)
I vini: Cerveteri vineyards, and Est Est Est from Montefiascone

All eyes are on Viterbo in northern Lazio, as the area has been chosen for Rome's third international airport. Regular flights from the UK will boost the local economy and open up the surrounding countryside. The airport will serve both Rome and northern Lazio, bridging the gap between Rome and southern Umbria and Tuscany.

Northern Lazio is dotted with medieval villages, such as Bagnaia, Montefiascone and Vitorchiano, and features two picturesque lakes, Vico and Bolsena. Further east towards Umbria, around the medieval town of Casperia, 45 minutes from Rome, there are stone properties and villas for sale at a fraction of what they would cost across the Umbrian border.

4. Corinaldo, Le Marche

Getting there: Ancona, Rimini, Bologna airports
La cucina: Vincisgrassi (baked lasagne without tomatoes)
I vini: Verdicchio wine

The Italians have claimed the coast of the Le Marche (pronounced Markay) region, and left the rolling inland countryside free for British buyers.

"Le Marche is perfect for people who are gutted they can't afford to buy in Tuscany," says Dominic Hepplethwaite of Live In Italy.Expect to pay about €200,000 for a stone house with rural views, surrounded by private land, requiring renovation.

Dermott Sales, of Le Marche Townhouses, recommends Monterubbiano, Corinaldo and Ostra Vetere - medieval and Renaissance towns within easy reach of beautiful walking country and the Adriatic coast. "The best properties for sale in Le Marche tend to be between 5km and 25km inland from the Adriatic coast, as they have the best of both worlds, with the sea less than 25 minutes to the east and the mountains and skiing only 30 to 45 minutes to the west," he says.

5. Garfagnana Valley, Tuscany

Getting there: Pisa airport
La cucina: Zuppa di farro (Tuscan bean and barley soup)

I vini: Sangiovese wines and vin santo

Garfagnana, north of Lucca, does not rival Florence or Siena in terms of culture, but the countryside is brimming with nature and you are offered a lot more property for your money (€400,00 to €600,000 for a property with land, compared with €1.2million to €1.3million in the most popular parts of Tuscany.)

"You have a Tuscany address, but it is more isolated," says Dominic Hepplethwaite. This did not deter Carducci, Pascali, Shelley and Byron from visiting, and the annual jazz festival at Barga, near Castel Nuovo di Garfagnana, is attracting a larger crowd each year. Try not to let the fact that it is one of Italy's rainiest regions put you off.Garfagnana's proximity to the mountains, forests and coast will compensate for the unpredictable weather.

6. Oltrepo Pavese, Lombardy

Getting there: Milan airports
La cucina: Salame di Varzi and black truffles
I vini: Oltrepo Pavese (DOC)

The region of Oltrepo Pavese is called "Little Tuscany" by those who know it, due to its undulating hills, vineyards and medieval hamlets. Until now, it has attracted mainly Milanese buyers (including Giorgio Armani) in search of a second home less than an hour from Milan. But British buyers are beginning to explore the area, finding properties priced about 50 per cent less that the equivalent in Tuscany. Towns such as Stradella, Broni and Casteggio are within easy reach of the Ligurian coast and Milan. Larger shops can be found in the university city of Pavia. Wine-tasting (wine has been made in Oltrepo for 3,000 years), walking, and riding will appeal to British holidaymakers, but spoken Italian is essential. "No one in Oltrepo Pavese that I have contacted from the property industry has ever attempted to speak English," says Paul Hudson of the Property Finders.

7. Lunigiana, northern Tuscany

Getting there: Pisa, Parma and Genoa airports
La cucina: Testaroli with pesto sauce
I vini: Vermentino Colli di Luni DOC

Squeezed between Liguria, Tuscany, and Emilia-Romagna, Lunigiana is a region of Roman ruins, medieval castles and baroque palaces. You might have heard of Cinque Terre, on the nearby Ligurian coast - five fishing villages, built on stone spurs, with coloured properties popular with wealthy Italians. But you may not have ventured further into the Lungiana hills, where there are vineyards and hidden villages.

8. Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna

La cucina: Parma ham, balsamic vinegar, parmesan.
I vini: Lambrusco.
Getting there: Bologna, Milan (Bergamo), Milan airports

The plains of Emilia-Romagna are dotted with grand towns such as Bologna, Parma and Modena, but if you venture into the mountainous north-west, there are good-value stone farmhouses and villas. Admittedly, it can be isolated, but if you are a nature-lover, it is a more affordable option than Tuscany or Umbria. Rupert Fawcett, of Knight Frank, recommends Val Tidone and Val Trebbia, two valleys popular with the Milanese and Genovese. "The surrounding Piacentini hills offer a similar landscape to Tuscany, but are better priced," he says.

9. Otranto, Puglia

Getting there: airports at Brindisi and Bari
La cucina: Taiddha (mussels, potatoes, pecorino)
I vini: Salento Puglia

Southern Italy has more Mediterranean and Greek influences than the north, and this is reflected in the architecture and cuisine. Lecce, on the coast, is widely regarded as "Florence of the south", but unlike its northern twin, it is created from pietra leccese, the local stone. Here, there are designer shops, restaurants and a half-buried Roman amphitheatre. There are stunning beaches between Lecce and the town of Otranto - popular with Italy's jetset, with regular ferries to Greece.

"Puglia is beach-orientated," says Rupert Fawcett of Knight Frank. House prices in the region have risen by 8 per cent in two years; buyers can choose between masserie (traditional courtyard farmhouses) and trulli (conical-shaped, white-washed houses, designed to be cool in summer and warm in winter) that cost as little as €30,000.

10. Matera, Basilicata

Getting there: airports at Brindisi and Bari
La cucina: calzone di verdura (folded pizza with chard, peppers and raisins)
I vini: Aglianico del Vulture

The lesser-known Basilicata forms a triangle between Campania, Puglia and Calabria, and, according to Rupert Fawcett, the landscape could be mistaken for Tuscany. "It is geographically closer to Greece than Milan," says Mr Fawcett. "And this is reflected in the food and culture." There are good beaches and countryside, with stone villages and vineyards.

Buying property in rural Italy