The same holds true for Pompeii and Herculaneum. With recent excavations having uncovered a well-preserved Roman chariot and a painted fast-food counter, Pompeii is having a bit of a moment. Book a guide before you go rather than opting for one of the touts at the entrance.

Well, how about love quotes in Italian to better hear just how romantic the language can be – and actually understand the “sound”? Just speaking the name “Tuscany” conjures up the most romantic images of picnics, wine, sunshine, and newly awakened love. Remember the movie “ Under the Tuscan Sun?” Of course you do. Veggies never looked so good. Savor this colorful and flavorful Italian-inspired baked ratatouille, a perfect comfort dish filled with fresh ingredients. Picture this: An exhilarating boat ride over the azure waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea, a secluded beach dotted with bright yellow umbrellas, and hours alone with your love under the brilliant Mediterranean sun. That’s your day at Santa Croce Beach. Delight your taste buds with this savory homemade marinara sauce recipe. Bursting with the rich flavors of ripe tomatoes, aromatic herbs, and a hint of garlic as any good Italian marinara does, this sauce is the perfect companion for your favorite pasta dishes or as a dipping sauce for crusty bread.What could possibly be more romantic than the Capulet House, where Juliet pined away for her lost love Romeo? In the tiny courtyard of her Verona home stands a bronze statue of Shakespeare’s most favorite heroine, into which star-crossed lovers have left love notes for their paramours for decades. Ready to go? Amare non è solo guardarsi l’un l’altro, ma guardare insieme nella stessa direzione.”– Antoine de Saint-Exupèry Tea With Mussolini is Franco Zeffirelli's heartfelt love-letter to British cinema's most dependable export -- indomitable old ladies in white linen. Although based on the director's autobiography, the film feels like luxurious fantasy from start to finish, and ends with these sturdy dames -- and their pet terrier -- saving the historic towers of San Gimignano from destruction by the Nazis. All that's missing at that point is for Roberto Benigni to ride in on his bicycle and present them all with flowers.

Villa Cimbrone is perhaps the crown jewel of Ravello. Its Terrace of Infinity is aptly named—the magnificent views of the Amalfi Coast go on forever. Wander the lush gardens of the villa and end your afternoon contemplating your future together as you gaze at the sea below. Gore Vidal once called it the “most beautiful view in the world.”

But when Sarah-Jane's car breaks down in Montenello, she has to stay longer than she intended! And the trouble is, love is everywhere... Get the Recipe: Risotto with Peas and Lemon Tomato Soup. Photo credit: Honest and Truly. Tomato Soup The photography, with just a dash of faded sepia, reminds us that Zeffirelli was the original patent-holder of the style subsequently perfected by Merchant and Ivory -- this could be A Room With A View: The Next Generation. With more than its share of sunsets over the Duomo, this is a terribly gracious and charming film -- unless you happen to be Italian. Its young hero Luca (played at different ages by Charlie Lucas and Baird Wallace) is the illegitimate son of an Italian cloth merchant who hands him over to Plowright to make him a "proper English gentleman", which indeed he becomes -- he never sounds remotely Italian.