Buon Viaggio with Books Set in Italy

A Nation Filled with Memories

Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop: A Memoir by Alba Donati

Donati knows however captivating the Italian countryside tin be. She moved backmost to her location colony of Lucignana (near Lucca, Tuscany) to unfastened ‘Bookshop connected the Hill’. It was her ‘hill change’ and soon became a literate destination. Was it easy? No. Was she wooed by her nostalgic Italian village? Absolutely. Was it worthy it? Undeniably so! If you are a person of books, bookstores, and immoderate literate charm, Donati’s memoir is the cleanable enticement to bargain that summons to Lucca (and past prosecute a Vespa). 

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The Light of Italy: The Life and Times of Federico da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino by Dr. Jane Stevenson

If you emotion Italy for the Renaissance, instrumentality a measurement backmost successful clip to Urbino: a exemplary Renaissance city. Dr. Stevenson has researched the past of Urbino’s astir celebrated Duke, from condottiere to person and nobleman. Federico created 1 of the astir celebrated libraries successful Italy extracurricular of Rome and was the driving unit down the Renaissance, arguably the astir culturally important clip successful Italian history. 

The Land Where Lemons Grow: The Story of Italy and its Citrus Fruit by Helena Attlee

This is little memoir / much nonfiction publication and volition promote you to question to Italy conscionable to spot the citrus groves! It’s a unsocial operation of nutrient and travel, pursuing the past of lemons and however it has seeded wrong the quality of Italy. Attlee paints a glorious representation of Italy’s emotion with citrus; from the Battle of Oranges successful Ivrea to the aboriginal days of the Mafia amongst the citrus groves adjacent Palermo. Paired champion with a chilled limoncello. 

Fictional Memoirs a Little Close to Home 

A Literary Escape to Italy

The Little Italian Hotel by Phaedra Patrick

What amended mode to flight your breached beingness than to tally distant with 4 strangers? Ginny Splinter, a nonrecreational narration expert, has conscionable been handed divorcement papers connected their 30th wedding anniversary. Her reaction: she takes disconnected for Italy with 4 heartbroken listeners to stock their stories and enslaved unneurotic connected a vacation of healing. It’s a lighthearted escapade arsenic they research Italy, looking for thing the state tin connection to heal their wounded souls. Set crossed aggregate locations successful Italy, The Little Italian Hotel doesn’t connection a speedy hole to everyone, but it decidedly shows however bully question tin beryllium for our weary souls.

Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Despite everything I said supra astir the deficiency of diverseness for books acceptable successful Italy, determination are times erstwhile we simply privation a saccharine airy scoop of gelato. This is simply a publication precisely similar that, portion inactive hitting immoderate important feels successful the satellite of YA novels. Friendship, family, and emotion diagnostic precocious connected the list. It starts with Lina, reeling from the decease of her parent and the abrupt anticipation to question to Italy for the summertime to conscionable her absent dad, Howard. The lone existent guidance she has is her mother’s journal. As Lina’s parent takes her connected a nostalgic circuit done Florence, she dilatory reveals her secrets and her favourite patisseries (both are arsenic important).

Historical Fiction Books Set successful Italy

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, English mentation translated by William Weaver

Possibly the astir celebrated of books acceptable successful Italy. You person enigma and history, sectarian politics, heresy, and a Benedictine monastery successful bluish Italy. Bonus points for the labyrinthine abbey room due to the fact that it’s a room and a labyrinth. Unfortunately, it is simply a fictional spot though inspired by the existent Sacra di San Michele (St Michael’s Abbey) successful Piedmont. Set successful the 14th century, the decease of an illuminator sparks an probe into the powerfulness of the Church and the books it holds astir dear. 

Oliva Denaro by Viola Ardone

The Lost Boy of Bologna by Francesca Scanacapra

Bologna is 1 of the astir underrated cities successful Italy, perchance the world. Sure, it’s celebrated for its pasta condiment (which, traditionally, is delicious). However, determination is acold much character, history, and quality recovered successful the city. As heartbreaking arsenic the communicative tin be, The Lost Boy of Bologna captures the psyche of Bologna connected each page. Rinaldo Scamorza becomes an unwitting circuit guide, sharing his beingness communicative and utilizing his intimate cognition of the metropolis to survive. As helium scampers crossed the streets and piazzas, Bologna becomes different quality successful the story. You’ll ne'er look astatine Bolognese porticos successful the aforesaid mode again. 

The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio, edited by G.H. McWilliam

Nothing captures the acquisition of Florence during The Plague arsenic a captive assemblage trying to distract itself from The Plague. The Decameron is simply a postulation of novellas by the 14th period Italian writer Boccaccio. They are presented nether the guise of a communicative of 10 radical sheltering successful a secluded villa extracurricular Florence during the Bubonic Plague. It’s a slice-of-life storytelling depicting the adventures and misadventures of the time. Life, love, fortune, and debauchery. It’s hilarious and insightful, and I truthful privation I had work this during COVID Lockdowns. 

In Praise of Disobedience: Clare of Assisi by Dacia Maraini, translated by Jane Tylus

The tiny colony of Assisi is dominated by the Basilica di San Francesco d’Assisi (The Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi). Few tourists adjacent realise determination is simply a 2nd Basilica: that of Santa Chiara/St Clare, a follower of St Francis and laminitis of the Order of Poor Ladies. Prompted by a missive from a young Sicilian girl, Maraini dives into the past of St Clare to soma retired her communicative and research the taste circumstances. The rubric refers to St Clare’s disobedience to her family, refusing to wed and choosing to go a nun. Both Clares go the personification of disobedience against societal rules that bash not enactment women. 

The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni, translated by Bruce Penman

First published successful 1827, The Betrothed is 1 of those books often featured connected Italian High School speechmaking lists and yet ne'er genuinely appreciated until we are overmuch older. It presents arsenic a romance, but it is acold much socio-commentary, coating the scenery of Lombardy during the Spanish concern successful the 1620s. Renzo and Lucia (the betrothed couple) are thwarted by the jealous Don Rodrigo, forcing them to fly and subsequently separate. Under the menace of plague, famine, and imprisonment, the lovers strive to find each different again, learning harsh lessons astir spot and society’s powerfulness implicit our astir vulnerable. 

The Passion by Jeanette Winterson

This is hard to categorise beyond its humanities mounting successful Italy; much specifically Venice during the Napoleonic Wars. Our 2 main characters are Henri, a French worker pursuing Napoleon crossed Europe, and Villanelle, the girl of a Venetian boatman sold into prostitution by her husband. This is not a emotion story, but alternatively a communicative astir passion. How passionateness drives us, leads us, and carves retired pieces of your psyche lone to manus it backmost to you wrapped successful ribbon. Italians are thought of arsenic passionate people, and Winterson’s characters personify this truthful precise well. 

So Many Romance Books Set successful Italy

It is casual to commencement with Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare’s astir celebrated play acceptable successful the Italian metropolis of Verona. Tourists flock to Juliet’s Balcony each year, hoping for immoderate blessing successful their love-life; preferably without a tragic end. And yes: you can, successful fact, constitute a missive to ‘Juliet’ for advice. The movie, Letters to Juliet, is fictional but based connected the precise existent Juliet Club and its Secretaries to Juliet (you tin larn much astir it here). It’s besides not the archetypal to animate romanticist holidays successful Italy.

In Wild Lemon Groves by Selina Kray

“Will wine-soaked Amalfi nights and agelong walks done citrus groves enactment their magic connected Seb’s wounded soul?” Sorry, but I had to see this nonstop punctuation from the blurb due to the fact that it was the clincher for maine to work this! In his long-standing grief for the nonaccomplishment of his hubby (Henry), Seb travels to Amalfi for a travel they had primitively planned together. Andrea is the chauffeur (and all-around bully guy) consenting to usher him. It’s a beauteous hurt/comfort romance novel, arsenic overmuch a emotion missive to the Amalfi Coast arsenic it is to the characters. 

To Italy With Love and Other Stories (Anthology) by Fiona Zedde

Only the archetypal communicative is acceptable successful Italy, but it is glorious. ‘To Italy With Love’ centres connected Iris, who travels to the Amalfi Coast for a friend’s destination wedding. When she meets Chrisanne, Iris feels challenged and aroused. It’s casual to beryllium caught up successful the romance of the Amalfi Coast, but this communicative shows that blistery enactment isn’t ever capable to marque a narration work. In fact, that’s beauteous overmuch the psyche of each 3 stories. And it’s told really, truly well. 

Oh, Serafina!: A Fable of Ecology, Lunacy, and Love by Giuseppe Berto, translated by Gregory Conti

This is 1 of those charming fable stories you would ne'er person picked up if it wasn’t for idiosyncratic recommending it. And yet, it is simply a delicate caller intelligibly intended for a screenplay, from the elaborate scenes and marvelous environments. Augusto’s cleanable satellite revolves astir talking with the birds successful the plot and making emotion to his beauteous wife, Palmira. Unfortunately, Palmira is much funny successful his wealth and locking him distant successful an asylum. When Augusto meets Serafina, helium discovers a like-minded psyche who cares for quality arsenic overmuch arsenic helium does. Sure, it’s a romance, but Berto’s penning benignant makes it an ode to the earthy quality of Lombardy. 

That Summer successful Puglia by Valeria Vescina

Thirty years aft helium fled from Italy, Tommaso is discovered by a young backstage investigator, Will. In an effort to person Will to ‘forget astir him’, Tomasso shares his communicative — his emotion and his crushed for moving away. It is simply a formidable story, fixed its extent done Tomasso’s recollection of Puglia. Vescina paints Tomasso’s experiences with sensual words that transport you straight to the region. This is nary modern romance. It is simply a nostalgic emotion wrapped successful an ambiance of past and warmth. Every arched alleyway is simply a infinitesimal of romance, each focaccia is simply a kiss. 

The Mystery of Italy

The Other End of the Line by Andrea Camilleri, translated by Stephen Sartarelli

On 1 hand, you person Leon and her Brunetti series. On the different hand, you person Camilleri and Inspector Montalbano. These 2 authors are the champion for enigma books acceptable successful Italy. This time, Camilleri takes america to Sicily during a question of refugees arriving astatine the port. Amongst the chaos astatine the port, a maestro seamstress is recovered dormant — stabbed with her ain scissors. The convulsive enigma is finely woven with the ongoing societal crisis. However, Camilleri ever balances the seriousness with affection for his characters. It is done Montalbano that we make a heavy and passionate emotion for Italian food, particularly Sicilian cuisine. I tin astir sensation the arancini…