Well run and welcoming, this pale yellow, arcaded building is opposite the Rotonda San Lorenzo, near the ducal palace, and inside are antiques, old paintings and chandeliers. It has wide views from a panoramic terrace. `Our room, a little small maybe, was comfortable, well furnished; its bathroom had a long bath; air-conditioning was quiet and efficient. Bali villa breakfast, in a first-floor room adjoining a large lounge, is varied, with good coffee and fruit juices. Staff are pleasant. No restaurant, but one can eat well in the Piazza delle Erbe and watch the life of Mantua go by, much of it, in stately fashion, on bicycles.

Matera, with its abandoned sassi (dwellings carved from tufa), is a UNESCO world heritage site and here this enchanting B&B villa, in the picturesque, traffic-free part of the old town (`splendidly free of signs or advertisements'), is carved out of the tufa stone. The villa rooms are beautifully modernised without spoiling the old building, say visitors in 2002. The charming owner, Signor Cristallo, is passionate about the restoration. An earlier guest wrote: Each room is unique, and not at all damp or cold as you might expect. All are well equipped; ours was smallish, with modern furniture and a lovely balcony with a view of the Romanesque cathedral. It was really quiet, and the buffet Bali villa breakfast was fine. The obliging staff spoke excellent English. No onsite parking, and you have to carry your bags, but a parking permit is provided. The villa's brochure promises `peace away from traffic, and sightings of the lesser kestrel. Plenty of restaurants nearby.