Ute Junker Let's put it bluntly: you love Italy, but you want something new. Which may seem like a cheeky ask for a place with 2000 years of history, but Italy is more than up to the challenge. From Etruscan frescoes to Norman mosaics, elegant northern cities to mysterious southern castles, add some of these destinations to your itinerary. Classic rock in Matera When you are onto a good thing, stick to it. Thus the people of Matera, in the region of Basilicata, have been carving homes out of the local rock, a soft volcanic stone called tufa, since Paleolithic times. Along the way, they also carved out 155 astonishing rock churches. Must-visits include Santa Barbara and San Nicola dei Freci, bedecked with ancient frescoes, and the magnificent San Pietro Barisano, where jazz concerts are occasionally held. Another highlight is the Madonna delle Virtu complex, spread across a dozen caves over two levels. While you're there: churches aren't the only highlight of this spectacular stone landscape. There are also cave museums – the MUSMA sculpture gallery is a must – and cave hotels, such as the spectacular Le Grotte della Civita. Life and death in Otranto Whitewashed walls, narrow lanes, pots of geraniums: the Pugliese hill of Otranto is a pretty place. Most visitors, however, head straight for its mighty cathedral, where the floor is covered by a spectacular 12th-century Norman mosaic depicting the entirety of creation. The Tree of Life, balanced on the back of two elephants, includes Biblical stalwarts such as Adam and Eve and Noah alongside King Arthur, Hercules and Alexander the Great, as well as assorted sea monsters and monkeys. Beside the altar lies a more ghoulish attraction: the Chapel of the Dead, commemorating 800 martyrs killed in the church by invading Turks back in 1480. The martyrs' skulls and bones line the walls of the chapel. While you're there: Puglia's beaches include some of the best in the country. Otranto itself has some small beaches, but more picturesque coastal getaways, such as Porto Badisco, lie nearby. Singing in the rain in Turin The good folk of Turin owe a debt of gratitude to King Vittorio Emanuele I of Savoy, a man who apparently didn't like getting his feet wet. He had a series of covered arcades built through the city centre, later extended to cover a total of 18 kilometres, so he could go walking in the rain without an umbrella. The elegant arcades are part of Turin's legacy as a two-time royal capital, first of Savoy, then as the first capital of united Italy. Turin also boasts elaborate palaces, art nouveau houses and the most impressive baroque staircase you will ever see, inside the Palazzo Madama. Of a more recent vintage is the spectacular modernist Il Lingotto, the former Fiat factory that has been converted into a hotel and leisure centre. While you're there: Turin's grand cafes are even more glamorous than their Viennese counterparts. Whether you opt for Caffe Torino, Caffe Mulassano or Baratti & Milano, make like a local and order a bicherin, a concoction of espresso, hot chocolate and cream. Raising the dead in Tuscania The streets of Tuscania are lined with corpses. To be more precise, the streets are lined with ancient Etruscan coffin lids, each depicting the dearly departed reclining as if at a banquet. This lovely hill town just north of Rome is surrounded by an Etruscan necropolis so vast, the authorities simply ran out of display space, and decided to use some of the sarcophagi as a form of street decoration. Between the tombs and the archaeological museum, this is one of the best places in Italy to learn more about the mysterious Etruscans, the sophisticated culture that ruled before the Romans. While you're there: check out the extraordinary Judgment Day fresco in Santa Maria Maggiore, in which a devil is depicted eating and excreting sinners' souls. Home sweet home in Mantua Florence had the Medici but Mantua had the Gonzagas, another glorious Renaissance family that supported artists and collected treasures on a grand scale. To house their goodies, the Gonzagas created Italy's largest residence (not counting the Vatican) – the Palazzo Ducale, consisting of 500 frescoed, gilded rooms. Although the last duke took an astonishing 1000 paintings into exile, what has been left behind is impressive enough for a tour to take several hours. Highlights include the 16th-century tapestries reproducing Raphael's designs for the Sistine Chapel, Ruben's massive Adoration of the Magi, and the spectacular bridal chamber, in which every surface is covered by frescoes depicting daily life in the Gonzaga court. While you're there: surrounded by lakes acting as a moat, Mantua's compact design makes it easy to cross off all the sights. Top of your list should be the lovely Palazzo Te, designed for the duke's mistress, and the rococo Teatro Bibiena, where Mozart performed at age 13. Embracing the dark side in Naples Images of poverty, pickpockets, and the Camorra keep many people from adding Naples to their itinerary. In fact, the city is as safe for visitors as any other big city; however, playing up to its dark side can make for a memorable stay. Quirky tourist attractions include the catacombs of San Gennaro, where the resting places reflect the social status of the deceased, and a cemetery holding an estimated 8 million bones, many of them victims of epidemics of cholera and the plague. Throw in no fewer than three masterpieces by Caravaggio, the painter who, in both his life and his art, seemed to embrace squalor, and you have a trip to remember. While you're there: Naples also has its lighter side. The gorgeous Cappella Sansevero is home to one of Italy's most moving sculptures, Giuseppe Sanmartino's Cristo Velato, while the Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte's stunning art collection covers six centuries. Deciphering the mystery of Castel del Monte Italy has 50 world heritage sites, but none as enigmatic as this elegant octagonal Pugliese castle. Its bewitching mix of Arabic, classical and Gothic influences marks it out as the brainchild of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Sicily and one of the most fascinating figures of the Middle Ages. While his counterparts were fighting bloody crusades, he corresponded with sultans in Arabic (one of six languages he spoke), sponsored scientific research, and travelled with his own private zoo. What is unclear, however, is why the thing was built. Its hilltop position suggests a military outpost, but it has no moat, drawbridges or other defensive measures. It might have been a hunting lodge, except it lacks some basic equipment, such as a kitchen. Its precise, geometric design has led some to speculate it was built for mystic purposes, but the truth remains hidden. While you're there: drop into the nearby town of Andria to try the local specialty, burrata. Feasting in Modena Every Italian knows that the best food in the world, apart from mamma's, comes from the region of Emilia-Romagna, the birthplace of such Italian essentials as balsamic vinegar, parmigiano-reggiano and prosciutto di parma. The area's culinary epicentre is Modena, a city where it is impossible to have a bad meal. It is home to Italy's best-known restaurant, Massimo Bottura's Osteria Francescana, but the city's real gems are the family-run trattorie where you can sample local favourites such as tortelloni pasta, zampone and chocolate and coffee cake. Leave enough time to explore Modena's covered market and the many artisanal outlets such as Hombre; staff will explain that the rich taste of Hombre cheese is thanks to the Mozart soundtrack enjoyed by their cows. While you're there: the pretty hill towns surrounding Modena, such as Castelvetro di Modena, make a pleasant day trip and also offer superb dining. Going underground in Perugia It doesn't pay to mess with the Pope. The people of Perugia found that out the hard way, during lengthy conflicts with the papacy. When Pope Paul III finally managed to subdue the rebellious Umbrian city in the 16th century, he destroyed an entire district to build a massive fort in the centre of town, a bricks-and-mortar reminder of just who was in charge. The fort is no more – the vengeful Perugians eventually tore it down – but visitors can still wander through the city quarter that was buried by its construction. Walking through subterranean streets, doorless entrances and stairways that go nowhere is an eerie sensation. While you're there: Perugia has plenty of other sights, including a mighty Etruscan gate, but the most splendid is surely the Nobile Collegio del Cambio. Renaissance Perugia's powerful money lenders didn't hold back in decorating their workplace, embellishing each room with exquisite woodwork and Perugino frescoes. Ancient drama in Syracuse Sicily has been conquered by many peoples over the last 3000 years, from the Greeks and the Romans to the Swabians and Arabs. Most of them left their mark on Syracuse, making this venerable city heaven for history buffs. Its attractions range from a Roman amphitheatre where gladiators fought and charioteers raced to the magnificent Teatro Greco, an ancient Greek theatre where 16,000-strong crowds watched the premieres of plays by Aeschylus – and where the plays are still performed today. Even the cathedral is built upon the remains of a fifth-century Greek temple, and still displays the original Greek columns. The rich array of artefacts recovered from these sites is on display at the magnificent archaeological museum. While you're there: a walk through the streets of Syracuse's labyrinthine old town, Ortygia, is a history lesson in itself, with five centuries of building styles on display in its streets. - AFR
