Italy in January can be all about making the most of the early snow in the Dolomites and Apennines or revelling in a darker, moodier side to the country’s tourist bereft cities such as Venice, Bologna and Florence.

The further south you go and the warmer you’ll find it with several sites in Sicily and Sardinia certainly worth visiting in the ‘off peak’ months of February and March.

Easter is a major calendar event in Italy with everywhere from Rome to Milan recognising religious ceremonies and cultural traditions in some form of procession or another.

April and May are certainly the best time to go to Italy if you’re looking for ideal temperatures for hillside hiking and steep cycling although there’s still every chance of rain, especially in the north.

June, July and August are heating up no matter where you are in Italy and it’s probably too hot for cyclists and hikers hoping for lengthy treks and too crowded for couples looking for secluded romance.

September and October are also considered the best time to go to Italy as the harvest brings the freshest market produce imaginable as well as a flourish of colour from the forests and characterful images of farmers and pickers working the undulating agricultural landscapes.

November can be bleak and regions such as Tuscany take on a much more sombre mood ahead of the religious festivities and brazier warmed Christmas markets that help to make December a dark horse but well worth a punt on a city break.