Central Italy

Le Marche is a self sufficient area. It is known for its Adriatic seafood, used to produce local versions of the rich fish stew, brodetto.
Tuscany - famous for its rolling green countryside and vineyards; also towns like Florence, Siena and Pisa.
Umbria - less well-known than its neighbours, Umbria has hidden attractions as well as popular destinations like Assisi.
Emilia Romagna known as the Italy's greatest region for food. Emilia Romagna is the mother land of homemade pasta. In Bologna, tagliatelle, lasagne, and tortellini are favorites. In Emilia, preparing pasta is a work of art.

Southern Italy and islands

Campania - chaotic but beautiful, Campania's attractions range from hectic Naples to dream-like Capri and Positano.
Sicily - an island with a history all of its own, Sicily has beaches, baroque towns and ancient Greek ruins.
Calabria - mostly popular for beach holidays, it also has remote national parks.
Puglia - a recent addition to the tourist trail, this is the home of those photogenic round houses called trulli.
Lazio is influenced by the unique food of its capital. Roman cuisine is not delicate and makes use of pasta, beans, artichokes, meat and its spaghetti al carbonara and bucatini all'amatriciana both include the local guanciale (cured peg's cheek).
Abruzzo Saffron is grown in Abruzzo, along with the divolilli (tiny red chilies) that go into so many dishes.
Molise a mountainous area with strong rural cooking traditions. Molise produces fine lentils, pasta and olive oils.
Basilicata is one of the poorest regions of Italy, but it cucina povera, dominated by pasta and vegetables, can be delicious,. Dishes and meats are spiced with peperoncino.
Sardinia has traditionally looked more to their inhospitable interior for food than to their once mosquito infested coast. The food is based on sucking pig and lamb, percorino, pane carsu (flat bread) and honey.