Take a stroll down Pietrasanta's main street, Via Giuseppe Mazzini, and visit La Misericordia. The tiny chapel is adorned with two famous paintings, Colombian painter Fernando Botero's Heaven and Hell frescoes. The murals are typical of the 20th-century artist's work, featuring large, rotund figures presented in a storybook environment. Once you've marvelled at his voluminous cherubim and red-hot hellfire, seek out his Warrior sculpture, just around the corner.

Hop in the car and set the satnav for Lucca. The 40-minute drive will be worth it for all of the Renaissance art, enotecas (wine bars) and grand old churches you'll discover packed tightly into the stony confines of this medieval walled city. We suggest saddling up and skirting the city's crumbling walls by bike for an on-the-ground introduction to its storied streets.

On Wednesday and Sunday mornings, the most fabulous flea market unravels slap bang in the centre of Forte dei Marmi, just a 30-minute bike ride from Pietrasanta. After you've picked up as many supple leather goods and as much boho beachwear as your suitcase will allow, order a cappuccino and a fresh spremuta d'arancia (freshly squeezed orange juice) at the nearby Caffè Principe.

Drive out to Carrara for a peek at a centuries-old marble quarry that some say provided the raw material for Michelangelo's David. Whether that's true or not, this Medici-opened marvel certainly looks impressive - especially when viewed from one of the open-top jeeps that take visitors up the cliff face for a small fee.