Cortona

Rooms with a view are the rule rather than the exception in this spectacularly sited hilltop town. At the beginning of the 15th century Fra' Angelico lived and worked here, and fellow artists Luca Signorelli and Pietro da Cortona were both born within the walls – all three are represented in the Museo Diocesano's small but sensational collection. Large chunks of Under the Tuscan Sun, the 2003 film of the book by Frances Mayes, were shot here and the town has been a popular tourism destination ever since.