Antica Dimora Country House e Campeggio Fiordaliso

Any stay here surely has to feature a good pile of rural activities – start with walks or mountain bike rides in the Monti Sibillini National Park (five minutes’ drive) or around Fiastra lake (20 minutes), or head out on horseback from Amandola (25 minutes). Touring foodies might also like to sign up for truffle hunting trips from San Ginesio (15 minutes), each of which ends with a fine feast of local fare. To throw a bit of Italian history into the mix, head to hilltop Macerata (40 minutes), where there’s lots of lovely old architecture to take in, including a splendid Gothic cathedral. Theatre buffs will want to stop by here in summer for evenings spent watching opera in the ancient amphitheatre. Drive south for an hour and you’ll land up in Ascoli Piceno, another fine city with art galleries and the grand Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo to explore. Plot a course in an easterly direction instead and that hour-long drive will get you to the Adriatic coast for beach days and seafood lunches in Pedaso.