The south is a different Italy, poorer than the north and grittier too. Here the ugly and beautiful sit side-by-side, historic buildings quietly crumble, and life moves more slowly, governed still by tradition.

For a long time much of the south remained undiscovered by visitors. But that is changing and now Puglia with its red earth and cute conical trulli houses is Italy’s newest hotspot. Helen Mirren has a place here.