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When writer Meg Nolan visited Italy’s Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni with her parents in 1997, she not only fell in love with the country and la bella vita (leading her to eventually work in Milan for several years; she now is an editor at Town & Country Travel magazine). She also found herself intrigued and inspired by the setting of the Lake Como grand dame where they were staying. “The decadence of the building’s interiors was overwhelming,” she writes in the introduction of her new book Italian Hideaways: Discovering Enchanting Rooms and Private Villas (Rizzoli, $45). “High, frescoed ceilings, a glorious marble staircase with gilded floor chandeliers, and two enormous salons filled with neoclassical antiques and Persian rugs left me speechless.” In the beautifully illustrated book, Nolan profiles thirty exquisite properties, focusing almost exclusively on smaller hotels and private villas; some are famous, some lesser-known, but all provide the backdrop of an authentic—and intimate—view of Italy.

Anyone who thinks that once you’ve seen one Italian countryside villa, you’ve seen them all, will be delighted by the wide variety of design styles included in Italian Hideaways, ranging from 19th-century grandeur (Tuscany’s Castello del Nero) to white-on-white designer chic (Praino’s Casa Angelina). There are classics, like Lazio’s Posta Vecchio, formerly owned by Paul Getty, but also newcomers like JK Place on Capri, which has garnered rave review from stylish visitors since opening in 2007. Italian Hideaways is a great resource for a traveler trying to determine the destination of a next Italy sojourn. Best of all, each profile includes detailed room descriptions—so that if you’re inspired to make a reservation right away, you’ll know the best ones to request.

Read an interview with the author, including her own favorite hideaways in Italy. Share with us your favorite Italian hideaways by emailing us at info@indagare.com.