"Bob Terwilliger" > wrote in message
>
> If you're going to have a base camp, why not select one more centrally
> located, like Umbria? If you consider only the main land mass of Italy
> (i.e., disregarding Sicily and Malta), it looks like the most central
> location would lie north of Rieti (in Latium) and east of Terni (in
> Umbria). If you *do* count Sicily, then the most central location would be
> east of Rome, somewhere around Castel Madama.

You may be correct geographically, but no so much "things to see wise", IMO.
Firenze was pretty much the center of the Renaissance and you can spend lots
of time close by. Easy day trips to Pisa, Lucca. Bologna. There is a road
running from Bologna to Firenze that is used for testing Ducati bikes. It
has more turns per mile than any other road.

There is no right or wrong places to stay, just preferences.