My daughter is honeymooning in Italy this summer. Favorite books set in Italy?
My daughter is honeymooning in Italy this summer. Favorite books set in Italy?
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My daughter is honeymooning in Italy this summer. Favorite books set in Italy?
A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
I really like Forster, most especially “A Passage to India.”
A Room With A View is my favorite book!
Under the Tuscan Sun (not a novel, but wonderful) and the Inspector Brunetti mysteries by Donna Leon’s set in Venice come to mind.
The Ferrante series!!!
I forgot about these. They are excellent!
A Soldier of the Great War, Mark Helprin.
Love and Gelato
Beautiful Ruins
Beneath a Scarlet Sky
Just read this one and loved it
I’ve been thinking about reading this one, but I didn’t know anything much about it.
No books to name, but I took my honeymoon to Italy also. We loved it there.
Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
If you haven’t read her Bella Tuscany or A Year in Tuscany, they’re even better than Under the Tuscan Sun.
Uh oh! My list is getting longer! ?
A Room with a View
Montalbano detective series by Andrea Camilleri. All are wonderful visits to Sicily.
This is memoir.
I second this. It is by the author of All The Light We Cannot See.
Under the Tuscan Sun!
Also, that movie is such a guilty pleasure for me!?
Women in Sunlight by Frances Mayes
A Vineyard in Tuscany, Bella Tuscany, Italian Neighbors.
Tim Parks and Frances Mayes have several books, mostly memoirs, that are great.
The Sixteen Pleasures, Robert Hellenga
Women in Sunlight by Francis Mayes, beautiful and heartwarming novel.❤
I first listened to “That Summer in Sicily” narrated by the author and followed by 1000 Nights in Venice. Both wonderfully romantic and true.
The Birth of Venus, A Farewell to Arms, Call Me By Your Name, The Talented Mr. Ripley.
I’ll be following this thread. We’re going to Italy in September. Delayed honeymoon. Like 26 years delayed. And our 25-year-old is going with us. 😀 If anyone here has been to Italy and would like to share travel tips/places to go there, I’d love to hear!! We will definitely be going to Rome, and also Sicily.
I’ve lived there and visited several times since. I recommend Cinque Terre, Venice, Siena, and Bolzano, or somewhere in the So limited–they’re amazing. PM me for details, of you like, including the best spa experience of my life.
I have to go to work right now, but I will. Thank you!
Happy belated honeymoon!
I’m going in Sept/Oct too! PM me if you’d like to chat about plans. We are staying at Airbnb-Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, Venice and Milan. Can’t wait!
I went a few years ago and we spent the bulk of our time in Florence with side trips to Pisa, Luca, San Gimignano (my personal fave) and Siena. Tuscany is incredible. I hope you have a wonderful time!
We were there in April….Venice, Cinque Terre, Rome, Pompeii and Florence. Our daughter was studying in Rome and our other daughter and her fiance came along. Great time!
The Light in the Piazza
by Elizabeth Spencer
Beach Music by Pat Conroy
Wasn’t there a Maeve Bunche one set there?
Evening Class culminates in a viaggio to Italy! One of my favorite books?
Donna Leon’s Brunetti mysteries; they’re set in Venice.
Romeo and Juliet
The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone
by Tennessee Williams
Definitely Francis Mayes!
Under the Tuscan sun
Wonderful!
Under the Tuscan Sun
Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian
Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances @Mayes
Thanks for the list we will be there this fall! I love to read books about the places I travel!
Under the Tuscan Sun
If she is going to Sienna, Juliet.
Sarah Durant—Sacred Hearts and In the Company of the Courtesan. Excellent!
Under the Tuscan sun
Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons and The DaVinci Code
The Enchanted April and the Guido Brunetti series
Under the Tuscan Sun!
Elena Ferrante!!!!
Across the River and into the Trees- Hemingway’s novel about Venice
YES! Naples series was just impossible to put down – just buy all four at once and dive in!
“Pan’ e Pompdor” by Ian Mcewan.
The Godfather and Eat, Pray, Love.
Very Valentine
(Rereading this currently… such a descriptive, lovely book!)
The Secret of Santa Vittoria
Elena Ferrante’s Neopolitan novels and The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim!
Earthly Remains by Donna Leon, reading it now, very easy & a quick read.This book is one of a series of the Brunetti mystery’s..These Donna Leon’s novels will transcend you in to the culture, cousin’s & beauty of Venice.??????????????????
Cousine
Under the Tuscan Sun
Beautiful Ruins
“Chasing The Rose,” set mostly in Italy and partly in France, is a beautiful story by Andrea di Robilant.
Beneath A Scarlet Sky (Historical Fiction)
Actually this a true story but it’s a wonderful read.
It’s based on a true story but I’m sure it was glorified a bit. It’s categorized as biographical/historical fiction. Definitely one of my favorites.
Enchanted April and Room with a View!
The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone. About Michaelangelo. Historical fiction.
Under the Tuscan Sun is a delightful read.
A Room with a View!! So romantic!!!
Beneath a Scarlet Sky
Iris & Lily, a fantastic book and there was a follow up also, I believe.
All of Donna Leon’s Commissario Guido Brunetti series. They all take place in and around Venice, Lots of mystery, beautiful scenery and food, lots of food.
The Agony and Ecstasy
The Shoemakers Wife, partly in Italy. Great book!
A Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian. Very good historical fiction!
Donna Leon mysteries. Also David Hewson’s mysteries; start with “Season for the Dead.”
Beautiful Ruins. This book inspired me to go to Cinque Terre
Remembering a trip to Italy with my daughters, I am now reading “Four Seasons in Rome” by Anthony Doer. It is a wonderful memoir of a year he spent in Rome. So beautifully written and so evocative of the country and the culture!
I loved that one!
Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes.
Call Me By Your Name
I just finished Only in Naples by Katherine Wilson.
And I would also recommend In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri.
Love Room With a View!
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. Foucault’s Penduluum by Umberto Eco, A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
Under the Tuscan Sun. Granted, its inspiration is a failed relationship, but the writing – and the food descriptions – are fabulous!
The DaVinci Code
Anything by Adriana Trigiani. 🙂
The Shoemaker’s Wife was great!
Juliet, by Ann Fortier
“Home to Italy” by Peter Pezzelli and “Italian for Beginners” by Kristin Harmel
An interesting story and you also learn about these artists – Oil and Marble: A Novel of Leonardo and Michelangelo. I also love Donna Leon’s mysteries, all set in Venice.
A Thread of Grace by Maria Doria Russell
Enchanted April – by far, but also Reluctant Tuscan, only the book of Under the Tuscan Sun, other than that, it depends where she is going or whether she prefers fiction or non
“The Bravo,” James Fenimore Cooper.
The Neapolitan Novels are my favorite books of all times. Written by Elena Ferrante
Absolutely!
Get some books for yourself to read
Anything by Donna Leon, Under the Tuscan Sun.
doubletriple ditto re: Donna Leon!!
A Room With A View. I think it’s based in Italy.
Love this book, I reread frequently!
Anything by Andrea Trigianee.
Neopolitan novels
Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon books.
A Room With A View and Middlemarch
Angels and Demons
A Farewell To Arms
Donna Leon Brunetti mysteries
Donna Leon’s series set in Venice
Under the Tuscan Sun
There are many of them. Under The Tuscan Sun is nice for a light read with a moral. There are several historical mysteries set in Italy around war time.
The Italian Party
Check out the Italy reading challenge on Pinterest. It has 35 books set in Italy
Enchanted april
Beautiful ruins by jess Walter
I second that!
Me too! Great book!!
Whispering Vines by Amy Schisler
Forster’s Room with a View & Athanassiadis’ A Year in Tuscany
Under the Tuscan Sun! ( Tuscany! Birthplace of both my parents!) Che Bella!❤️??❤️
Italian Bulldozer by McCall-Smith. Light, fun and fast read.
I just love Montelcino, I spent 2 weeks just under it outside Buonconvento.
Beautiful Ruins! It is located in the Italian Riveria My daughter is coming home on Monday from a 9 month Exchange in Italy. A beautiful country!
Under the Tuscan Sun for sure <3 I have Beautiful Ruins in my cabinet of "books to read" though!
Beneath A Scarlet Sky
Reading this right now!! Wonderful ?book
“The Lives of the Twelve Caesars” by Suetonius.
A Thousand Days in Venice: An Unexpected Romance.
Loved it!
Love & Gelato… By Jenna Evans Welch … Its a YA book but I liked it.
I have yet to read her book…but I love her father’s books.
Me too!!
@Jennifer now I have to read Love & Gelato!
I know, its a disease.. I’m the carrier!! Lol…. I have not yet read her second book, but its on my TBR list.
@JenniferCoburn..lol I was aware she released a second one…I’ll have to read that one, as well. Have a lovely day!
Under the Tuscan Sun.
Beautiful Ruins
I second this!!
Enchanted April
Light in the Piazza, it might be a bit dated now since I read it in the 60’s.
oh, I did not know it was a book! Love the movie with all of the scenery but had no interest in the play (and I LOVE going to a play) but what is a Piazza on a stage?
@Barbara I passed on the musical too. Needless to say the book went into greater depth than the movie.
Eat Pray Love
A Room With A View – I read it on my trip to Italy ?? ?
Under the Tuscan Sun.
Yes!!!
Playing for Pizza by John Grisham. A real departure from his normal genre and very good!
I agree! Playing for Pizza is such a fun story. It would be a perfect and quick read for a vacation to Italy!
Loved this
all of Frances Mayes’s books are lovely. Helped me take a literary “vacation” to Italy one winter.
Loved these books! Became some of my favorites ❤
Parts of The Godfather are set in Sicily
Under the Tuscan sun
Under the Tuscan Sun
Donna Leon mysteries. Also Andrea Camilleri.
Playing for Pizza by John Grisham. Not a typical Grisham mystery. Very cute description of Italy.
A Room with a View
Under the Tuscan Sun
Where Angels Fear to Tread
The Tuscan Child Rhys Bowen
Under the Tuscan Sun is the first that comes to mind ?
Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
Peter Pezzelli’s books
Italo Calvino’s books
Playing for Pizza – John Grisham
The Merchant of Venice – Shakespeare
Death in Venice – Thomas Mann
The Mysteries of Udolpho – Anne Radcliffe
Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemmingway
Call Me By Your Name.
A Death in Venice
Call me by Your Name
The Italian Party
Maeve Binchy’s “Evening Class” is a fun story by a superior author of a group of people learning to speak Italian.
Call Me By Your Name
Frances Mayes books
Donna Leon – Venice. Magdalen Nabb – Florence.
Under the Tuscan Sun
Elena Ferrante books–fantastic!!!
The Shoemaker’s Wife ??
A Room with a View
Under the Tuscan Sun! Cheesy but so easy and nice
Eat Pray Love
The Shepherdess of Siena by Linda Lafferty
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23748001-the-shepherdess-of-siena
A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell and Light in the Ruins by Chris Bojalian
I am reading Elly Griffiths latest Dark Angel that takes place in Italy.
Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani
The Portrait of A Lady by Henry James
Some young adult ones: The Thief Lord and Love and Gelato
Donna Leon’s murder mysteries set in Venice
River in Time Series by Lisa T. Berger, about two sisters who travel back in time to the Medieval period in Italy.
Someone recommend ‘set the fite ‘J.London’s . Thx fine short novel
Under the Tuscan Sun
First Man in Rome
Is she going to Florence? If so, The Boticelli Secret about a painting in the Ufizzi is good.
She is!
@Elizabeth, it’s about my favorite painting, Primavera. Is rate the book PG13, though. In case you’re not comfortable. A lot of history from the Medici period.
Enchanted april
Didn’t read the book, but the movie was lovely!
Dan brown books.
Magdalen Nabb series set in Florence, Donna Leon series in Venice, Andrea Camelleri series in Sicily if she likes mysteries. The Agony and the Ecstasy about Michelangelo.
Beautiful Ruin by Jess @Walter
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Read the whole Ferrante series!
@Francesca Yes! Francesca, I just thought that the first book would lead to the next!
Betsey Glaser Betsy, I read the Neopolitan Trilogy, and was hooked! I followed that with all of her publications. They pretty much keep to the same theme. But Domenico Starnone, is said by some, to be her husband. Who knows. But his book TIES is such an incredible read. Short, tightly written and a very intriguing story. Blew me away! I read it in Italian as well as in translation. You won’t be disappointed!
Francesca LaPlante-Sosnowsky Thank you for this recommendation. I might just read it in between Monte Cristo chapters!?
Under the Tuscan Sun
Under the Tuscan sun
The Neopolitan novels by Elena Ferrente
Elena Ferrante series
Beautiful Ruins
The Reluctant Tuscan!
Starnone…Ties. And all of Camellieri’s, Commissario Di Montalbano, set jn Sicily. And so many more….try reading some of the Italian authors…Gabriele D’Anunnzio, Iris Origo, and anything of Bernard Berenson for Renaissance art .
The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
Beautiful Ruins
Maybe read Italian authors. Would be more fun: Dante and Italo Svevo
Eat, Pray, Love
Best one ever is A Room with a View. Watch the movie, too.
Under the Tucson Sun
Good book, terrible movie
Any of the Donna Leon detective stories set in Venice.
The Agony and the Ecstasy
Under the Tuscon Sun
The Shoemakers Daughter!!!
Most of Adriana Trigiani’s books are partially set in Italy. The Valentine books are great!
“Call Me By Your Name” / Andre Aciman (best sensory book ever. such an aesthetically pleasing read, too!!)
Ugh I love this book so much. I also listened to the audiobook afterwards and it was fantastic (narrated by Armie Hammer).
Under the Tuscan Sun….
Under the Tuscan Sun & Evening Class
Eat, Pray, Love
The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
Playing for Pizza
Author Anthony Doerr….
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10799.A_Farewell_to_Arms?from_search=true
Under the Tuscan Sun
Light in the Piazza
Name of the Rose
Donna Leon mysteries .
Dante oeuvre
The beautiful Ruins
Romeo & Juliet, of course!
Thank goodness someone posted that!
Enchanted April
Under the Tuscan Sun
Evening Class by Maeve Binchy. Portait of Emily Price by Katherine Reay.
Letters to Juliet
Frances mayles
Mayes‘ WOMEN IN SUNLIGHT, UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN, AND BELLA TUSCANY
“The Romance of Leonardo da Vinci” by Dmitri Merezhkovsky
“Death in Venice” by Thomas Mann
“The Wings of the Dove” by Henry James
“Portrait of a Lady” by Henry James
“Jacob’s Room” by Virginia Woolf (the James and Woolf novels aren’t set exclusively in Italy, though if that’s important the novella “The Aspern Papers” is set entirely in Venice)
“The Name of the Rose” by Umberto Eco
“Foucault’s Pendulum” by Umberto Eco
“The Decameron” by Giovanni Boccaccio
“The Leopard” by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
“The Conformist” by Alberto Moravia
“The Enchantress of Florence” by Salman Rushdie
And if one counts the Italian peninsula, rather than Italy as a country, there are any number of classical Roman works I love, as well as books about classical Rome:
“The Aeneid” by Virgil (especially in John Dryden’s translation)
“Bulfinch’s Mythology” by Thomas Bulfinch
“Metamorphoses” by Ovid
“The Twelve Caesars” by Suetonius
“The Death of the Gods” by Dmitri Merezhkovsky
“Memoirs of Hadrian” by Marguerite Yourcenar
“The Death of Virgil” by Hermann Broch
“Augustus” by John Williams
Thank you!
I used to like Mary Renault quite a lot, historical fiction.
You mean the same John Williams who wrote Stoner??!
@Leah He’s the one.
A Room With A View
John Grisham Playing for Pizza
It is not a mystery, more of a comedy like his Skipping Christmas.
Hill Towns by Anne Rivers Siddons. Also The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt
A Room With A View
My copy is all worn out!
The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani
“A Room with a View” by E.M. Forster. The movie is wonderful too.
From Sand and Ash. So beautiful! I’d read it again and again!
Beneath the Scarlet Sky. A story about WWII. I loved it.
Books by Donna Leon
“A Portrait of Emily Price” by Katherine Reay
Room With a View!
The Neapolitan Series by Elena Ferrante. I could NOT put it down. The first one is My Brilliant Friend (I also think the first one is the slowest of the four but I wouldn’t call it slow).
Under the Tuscan Sun
I spent a year reading books about Italy but I had to save this post for all the ones I need to add to my TBR list!
The Marble Faun by Nathaniel Hawthorne for its focus on the art and architecture of Rome 🙂
A Room with a View….sigh….
Beneathe a scarlet sky
Women in Sunlight, Frances Mayes
A Room with a View. It’s Edwardian, it’s romantic; what’s not to love?
Under the Tuscan Sun
Love and Gelato was a fun read.
Letters to Juliet
Under the Tuscan Son
The Agony and the Ecstasy, a biographical novel about michealangelo. I really liked that book a lot.
Call Me by Your Name
E M Forester’s Room with a View.
Are you getting books for her to read on her honeymoon?????
No Im just passing on these great suggestions. Knowing her shell tour Italy with a book in her bag at all times.
John Banville’s Mrs Osmond if she is a Henry James fan — this is a sequel to Portrait of a Lady. And Forester’s Where Angels Fear to Tread.
Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
Under the Tuscan Sun
Room with a view is set in Italy. I reread it when I was in Firenze last year!! It is my favorite book that is set in Italy.
A thousand days in Venice
A thousand days in Tuscany
Every day in Tuscany
That summer in Venice
Casa Nostra – A home in Sicily
Beautiful Ruins, hands down❤️
Just finished this today! Excellent!!!
A Room With A Views
I do Agree!!!! A ROOM WITH A VIEWS IS THE ONE TO START WITH.
I enjoyed reading A thousand days in Tuscany!!! It is the book that triggered my curiosity about Tuscany…
Not the most cheerful, but “Daisy Miller,” “Death in Venice,” and parts of “Portrait of a Lady” are set in Italy and are very well-written.
IT IS TRUE!! IT IS VERY WELL WRITTEN!!! BOOKS THAT I SHOULD PUT ON MY REREADING LIST.
I loved The Smile by Donna Jo Napoli. It’s YA but it’s a beautiful story of the girl behind Mona Lisa’s smile.
Tuscany
Room with a View
Beneath A Scarlet Sky – but it’s about WWII, so has some rough parts.
Yes but true story
Enchanted April is a wonderful book.
Before arriving in Italy: La Bella Figura: A Field Guide to the Italian Mind by Beppe Severgnini. While in Italy: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, A Room with a View by E.M. Forster, and The House at the Edge of Night by Catherine Banner. After Italy: (especially if having visited southern Italy) Christ Stopped at Eboli by Carlo Levi, and Murder in Matera by Helene Stepinski. Also the many wonderful titles listed by all the other posters in this chain! Best wishes to the bride and groom!
Thank you! Great list Barbara!
Under the Tuscan son
It’s a YA but loved Love & Gelato. Such a cuteeee book!
Yes, that was very sweet!
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
One of the most beautiful books I have ever read is The Scribe of Sienna. This is the one I would want to travel with!
By Brilliant Friend (series) by Elena Ferrante
These books are incredible, so very well written and the back- story is fascinating. The books are primarily set in Sicily, however, and might not give a view of the area she will be visiting.
@Claudette True. And a different time period. But I’m also a lover of history, so I would like to incorporate that aspect into how I look at the cities. If memory serves, Florence is also a setting in these books. Either way, amazing books and I couldn’t put them down. I loved the way the characters’ identities were so rooted in their culture and home town, even through their struggles to escape.
And wasn’t it predominantly set in Naples? My memory isn’t always great…
@Maureen Oh my Yes!! Naples. By the end of the first book, all the characters were like friends and relatives! Was happy for the family tree that was provided!
Room with a View, Enchanted April, Romeo & Juliet
Oh, and Where Angels Fear to Tread & Wings of the Dove!
Wings of the dove is my favorite followed by room with a view! Very romantic stories!
Donna Leon’s Guido Brunetti’s mystery series set in Venice.
Under the Tuscan sun
Movie too !
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
A THREAD OF GRACE by Mary Doria Russell / the Inspector Montalbano mystery series by Andrea Camilleri (1st book is THE SHAPE OF WATER – not to be confused with the movie!) / LIVING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE by Michael Tucker (memoir) / MIRACLE AT ST ANNA by James McBride / THE ALMOND PICKER by Simonetta Agnello Hornby / A THOUSAND DAYS IN VENICE -and- THAT SUMMER IN SICILY by Marlena de Blasi / THE FOOD OF LOVE by Anthony Capella …. Tessa Book Concierge for @Richard
Any and all books by Donna Leon
Room with a View, Forster
Wonderful book! The movie was beautiful too
Loved this. We had an Italian meal when we. Finished discussing this treasure.
Beautiful ruins
Loved that book!
Marcus Didius Falco mysteries
Elena Ferrante series absolutely. 4 books. Start with My Brilliant Friend
Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
All of Donna Leon’s books. My Italian Bulldozer by Alexander McCall Smith. Room with a View
Enchanted April
Room With a View; Eat, Pray, Love
Dante’s Inferno?
Room with a View and Wings of the Dove. The latter is a bit of a tear jerker
I pick both of those too, Elisabeth, great reads! Enjoyed both movies too!
Roman Fever (it’s a short story but worth the read)
Was Beautiful Ruins set in Italy?
I liked, I’m not Scared
Not very romantic though
A Year in Provence
Under the Tuscan Sun
THE SAVAGE GARDEN by Mark Mills
Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes. Although the content might be off puttimg for a honeymoon.
My Brilliant Friend, by Elena Ferrante
These books gave me a picture of a how people lived in Italy after the war. Very interesting and a wild life these two women had.
My Italian Bulldozer, the Food of Love
Hi Diane, The Food of love is it the book written by Anthony Cappella? I read this book which I found in a garage sale in about 5 years ago and what I remember is that the story is set in rome. It is a great summer reading.
@Prince yes. Also goes into country side for truffles
Why bring a book if ur honeymooning.
For the flight there and back.
Oh. That’s good , I love books but……?
I’ve never been on a honeymoon yet, but i bring books on every vacation. ?
The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante!
Check out http://tripfiction.com/ for books relating to trip destinations
What a great resource!
Thank you!
Siracusa by Delia Ephron
Dante’s Inferno!
Two Gentleman from Verona
A Room With A View
Under the Tuscan Sun
Anything by Peter Pezzelli!
Davinci Code
Books by Donna Leon… Set in Venice I think.
definitely Venice, arrivadercci
A Farewell to Arms.
A room with a view
Flavia Brunetti’s new novel