If you're dreaming of buying property in Italy, you will not only have to decide on an area, but also on an architectural style.

As building practices evolved and power ebbed and flowed between the Church and the State, so Italian architectural styles developed. The result is one of the most diverse architectural landscapes in the world, with some of its finest buildings, from the Colosseum and the Pantheon in Rome to the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence and Milan Cathedral.

Don't know your Baroque from your Venetian Gothic? Here's where to find the best examples of five of Italy's most influential styles, plus examples currently on the market.

Pisa/Romanesque

The Romanesque period lasted from around 800 AD to 1100 AD. Campaniles, or towers, began to replace domes – The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a good example. This period also featured smaller windows, barrel-vaulted ceilings and rounded arches.