The top 10 villa holidays in Italy

From 2,090 Archimede (sleeps four); from 2,400 Ortigia (sleeps six) (020 7377 8518; thethinkingtraveller.com). LM

Not so much a villa as a village, Borgo di Vagli is a hamlet of 14th-century houses, expertly renovated but gloriously lost in time. Just getting there will help you shake off the 21st century quite literally, as the bumpy final 2km of unpaved approach road are a serious challenge. In this hilltop fastness the internet seems an anachronism, with wooded mountains as far as the eye can see: in the restaurant kitchen, the cook is floury to her elbows, while the vegetable garden yields wonderful produce for the table. But a landscaped terrace has two pools for sun-worshipping, and the rustic simplicity of the 21 self-catering houses conceals a wealth of up-to-the minute facilities. For guests who can handle the road, pretty Cortona is nearby, and the historic towns of Tuscany and Umbria are conveniently close.

From 820 through Traditional Tuscany (0800 975 5379; traditionaltuscany.co.uk). LM

On the western edge of the Cinque Terre that string of near-vertical Ligurian villages beloved of walkers Levanto is a characterful, cultured seaside town with a long sandy beach. Its perfect for families keen to combine gentle coastal walks made more accessible thanks to frequent, cheap trains that link the town with all five Cinque Terre villages with some bucket-and-spade time for the kids. Up above the town, but only a 15-minute walk from the beach, pretty, ochre-washed Villa Levanto would work well for a group of friends or two medium-sized family groups. Think of it as a country villa near the beach.

Between June and September, weekly rental varies From 4,550 through Bridgewaters Idyllic Italy (0161 787 8587; bridgewatertravel.co.uk). LM

For a once-in-a-lifetime holiday, you could do worse than this magnificent 18th-century villa in Tremezzo on the western shore of Lake Como, frescoed and stuccoed to the hilt and surrounded by formal gardens that descend to your own private landing stage. Once owned by Duke Gian Galeazzo Serbelloni, an Italian supporter of Napoleon, the villa is a living museum, with trompe-loeil artworks by two pupils of Tiepolo and a historic weaponry collection among its many treasures. There are six luminous double bedrooms done out with true antique noblesse oblige. And if the rental seems steep, bear in mind that it includes your own private butler and chef. It makes George Clooneys place down the road look positively shabby.

From 19,000 through Bellini Travel (020 7602 7602; bellinitravel.com). LM

Sometimes its worth looking beyond the villa rental companies especially in areas like Le Marche, which are patchily covered by most of the usual Italy specialists. Cut-out-the-middleman websites like Owners Direct (ownersdirect.co.uk) and Airbnb (airbnb.com) offer a degree of anti-scam protection and allow you to check out reviews left by previous tenants. Among the well-liked Owners Direct properties in Le Marche is the Monastero di Favari (search for Villa in Apiro) a sensitively restored 17th-century monastery, owned by an Anglo-Italian couple, that sleeps up to 15. On Airbnb, home in on the area just to the north of Urbino and among the first results youll see a lovely old farmhouse near the village of Mondaino, which sleeps six, restored and decorated in romantic bohemian style by an English artist couple, Phelan and Susan Harlock-Black.

Monastero di Favari is a restored 17th-century monastery

Monastero di Favari from 1,180; Mondaino from 610, including Airbnb service fee. LM

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The top 10 villa holidays in Italy