Michael, the Italians “disdain” the Brits? Hardly. Try going to London sometime: I’m glad to say that you’ll see plenty of Italian tourists. It’s also interesting to note that over the years the UK has played host to many, many Italian immigrants. The flow the other way, with the exception of the occasional aesthete, has been minimal.

That said, Italy is a delightful place, and we don’t have to go back to the days of the grand tour to see how much Brits appreciate it. Check out the British film director Peter Greenaway’s wonderful The Belly of an Architect to start with, and see if you can resist hopping on the next plane to Rome the moment the movie ends.