Then, in a district called the Portiuncula, they found a ruined church, Santa Maria degli Angeli, and they built wattle-and-daub cells around it.

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Tuscany is more famous for its inland hits, but the Costa degli Etruschi (Etruscan coast) is where this most beautiful region meets the Mediterranean.

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Expect fabulous Valdostan cuisine at cosy Trattoria degli Artisti.

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Romance icon: Galleria degli Uffizi.

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Speckled by ancient ruins, it even has a wine route: the Strada del Vino Costa degli Etruschi, which runs south from Livorno to Piombino and across to the island of Elba, edged by searing-blue water and with views to sigh over.

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The most important part of the morning is the coffee, and Romans are passionately divided as to who makes the best cup: Sant Eustachio (Piazza Sant'Eustachio, steps behind the Pantheon) or Tazza d'Oro (Via degli Orfani, a few feet in front of the Pantheon).

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