• Rome is just one of dozens of popular Italian cities.Ancient Rome image by Andrea Horvath from Fotolia.com
  
  Though settled first by the Greeks in the early 8th century B.C., Italy was not wholly unified until 1870. It now has the fifth-highest population density in Europe and is an enormously popular tourist destination. Cities like Florence, Milan, Rome and Venice flawlessly combine the country's love of art, fashion and food, while the wine-producing regions of Umbria and Tuscany showcase the art of relaxation. Luxury four-star hotels dot Italy's bustling streets and cater to the needs of millions of guests annually.
  
  

Hotel Ca' Maria Adele

• The Santa Maria della Salute was built in 1631 by Venetians who survived the Black Death.basilica di santa maria della salute image by Rob Hill from Fotolia.com
  
  Housed within a historic 16th-century palazzo, this Venetian hotel overlooks both the canal and the Santa Maria della Salute, or the Basilica of St. Mary of Health. Located in the art quarter, the Hotel Ca' Maria Adele offers 14 guest rooms, including five themed rooms. All are extravagantly decorated with African wood furnishings, heavy damask fabrics and Murano glass accents and include either cable or satellite televisions and Wi-Fi Internet access, while themed rooms offer additional amenities like a fireplace or Jacuzzi.
  
  Room rates include a full breakfast, which may be enjoyed in the breakfast room or on the outdoor terrace. The second-floor Morrocan-style bar mixes drinks into the evening.
  
  About a half mile from the hotel is the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, a museum that showcases the personal collection of Guggenheim herself. Permanent exhibits include works by Picasso, Duchamp, Kandinsky and Dalí.
  
  Hotel Ca Maria Adele
  
  Sestiere Dorsoduro, 111
  
  30123, Venice, Italy
  
  011-39-041-520-3078
  
  camariaadele.hotelinvenice.com
  
  

Palazzo Seneca

• The Basilica of St. Benedict is said to have been built on the remains of his native home.norcia image by fotografiche.eu from Fotolia.com
  
  This family-owned hotel occupies a 16th-century palace in the heart of Umbria. The Palazzo Seneca offers four room styles and one suite, all of which include a flat-screen TV, DVD player and tea kettle. Four-poster beds complement many rooms, as do marble bathrooms, antique furnishings and art works from the owner's private collection.
  
  The Ristorante Vespasia serves a selection of egg-based pastas, local lamb and pork products, aged cheeses and dishes highlighting the black truffle, which is native to the Norcia region. The in-house spa and wellness center--located in the basement of the palace--provides a variety of hydro- and aromatherapy treatments and massages. A sauna, Turkish hammams and a six-person stone hydro-massage bath are also available.
  
  The small town of Norcia is home to several authentic eateries, an art museum and the Basilica of St. Benedict of Nursia, parts of which date back to the Renaissance period and which boasts frescoes from the 16th and 17th centuries.
  
  Palazzo Seneca
  
  Cesare Battisti
  
  12 06046, Norcia (Perugia), Italy
  
  011-39-0743-817-434
  
  palazzoseneca.com
  
  

Continentale Hotel

• The Duomo's frst stone was laid on September 8, 1296.details on a cathedral in florence, italy image by Gary from Fotolia.com
  
  This boutique hotel enjoys an enviable location overlooking both the Ponte Vecchio and the Arno River. The walls of the Continentale are adorned with black-and-white fashion photographs, while the hotel's Sky Lounge bar offers seamless panoramic views of the city from its location atop the medieval Torre de' Consorti.
  
  Five room options are available, and all include an LCD satellite TV and Internet access; most offer views of the river or the city. An exercise room and sauna are available, and the hotel arranges babysitting services upon request. Breakfast is available from the first-floor hotel restaurant.
  
  The Continentale is within half a mile of at least a dozen of Florence's most popular attractions like the churches of Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croce; the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Flower, better known as the Florence Duomo; the National Bargello Museum; and the Uffizi Gallery, which houses an impressive collection of primitive and Renaissance paintings and sculptures by artists including da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Botticelli.
  
  Continentale Hotel
  
  Vicolo dell'Oro, 6R
  
  50123, Florence, Italy
  
  011-39-055-27262
  
  continentale.it