Villa San Michele, a Belmond Hotel, Florence

Climate

The climate in Italy varies across its regions, with the lakes and mountains of the north markedly different to the Mediterranean climate in the south, and inland areas between the two falling somewhere in the middle. Winter temperatures tend to vary the most – freezing temperatures are not unusual further north in December to February, especially at altitude, but in Sicily average temperatures remain in the teens. Summers are hot all over the country with June to September comfortably in the twenties and thirties degrees Celsius and the months either side of that offering mild temperatures perfect for exploring in. Autumn is the rainiest season, followed by the winter and then early spring.