A witty and warm-hearted memoir of abandoning fast-paced American days in favor of discovering the Italian secrets of food, community, and life. Moving across the globe meant Michelle Damiani soon found herself untangling Italian customs, delighting in glorious regional cuisine (recipes included), and creating lasting friendships. From grandmothers eager to teach the ancient art of pasta making, to bakers tossing bread into fiery ovens with a song, to butchers extolling the benefits of pork fat, Il Bel Centro is rich with captivating characters and cultural insights. Throw in clinking glasses of Umbrian red with the local communists and a village all-nighter decorating the cobblestone streets with flower petals; as well as embarrassing language minefields and a serious summons to the mayor’s office, and you have all the ingredients for a spellbinding travel tale. Exquisitely observed, Il Bel Centro is an intimate celebration of small town Italy, as well as a thoughtful look at raising a family in a new culture and a fascinating story of finding a home. Ultimately though, this is a story about how travel can change you when you’re ready to let it. With laugh-out-loud situations and wanderlust-inspiring storytelling, Il Bel Centro is a joyous and life-affirming read that will have readers rushing to renew their passports. “This is one of the most beautiful book I’ve ever read.” “I absolutely couldn’t get enough of this book.” “This book made me want to pack my bags.” “I loved, loved this book. Fabulously written, engaging, and entertaining.” “A magical read.”

Experience world-famous art, stroll romantic streets, and savor the flavors of Italy's top cities. Inside Moon Rome, Florence & Venice you'll find: Flexible itineraries for 1 to 5 days in Rome, Florence, and Venice that can be combined into a longer trip, including side trips to Assisi, Siena, Pisa, and Lucca Strategic advice for foodies, art lovers, history buffs, and more Must-see highlights and unique experiences: Cycle the Borghese park on a sunny day, learn classic Italian recipes in a cooking class, and admire masterworks by Bernini, Botticelli, and Caravaggio. Hike to sprawling hilltop views of Florence, meander through historic museums, or catch the Gregorian chants being sung at the Duomo on a Sunday morning. Stroll through Venice's fish markets, rent a kayak and explore the winding canals, and bask in the afternoon sun as you sip wine on a piazza Honest advice on where to stay, how to get around, and where to find the best regional cuisine, from pizza al taglio in Rome to gelato in Florence and fritto misto in Venice Local perspective from American-turned-Roman Alexei Cohen on his adopted home country Full-color photos and detailed maps throughout Background information on the landscape, history, and cultural customs of each city Handy tools such as visa information, an Italian phrasebook, and tips for traveling with children or as a senior Experience la dolce vita your way with Moon's practical tips and local insight. Exploring more of Italy? Try Moon Milan & the Italian Lakes or Moon Amalfi Coast.

Florence and Leon have never met. Florence is a swimming instructor. She has a small problem with her lungs: it's as if she's breathing through a straw. Leon is an insurance salesman. He has a small problem with his eyes: it's as if he's seeing the world through a straw. One day Florence and Leon bump into each other, literally, and this mishap turns their lives upside down. Over slushy drinks with proper straws, Florence and Leon find out how their differences make them alike.

In the nonfiction tradition of John Berendt and Erik Larson, the author of the #1 NYT bestseller The Lost City of the Monkey God presents a gripping account of crime and punishment in the lush hills surrounding Florence as he seeks to uncover one of the most infamous figures in Italian history. In 2000, Douglas Preston fulfilled a dream to move his family to Italy. Then he discovered that the olive grove in front of their 14th century farmhouse had been the scene of the most infamous double-murders in Italian history, committed by a serial killer known as the Monster of Florence. Preston, intrigued, meets Italian investigative journalist Mario Spezi to learn more. This is the true story of their search for--and identification of--the man they believe committed the crimes, and their chilling interview with him. And then, in a strange twist of fate, Preston and Spezi themselves become targets of the police investigation. Preston has his phone tapped, is interrogated, and told to leave the country. Spezi fares worse: he is thrown into Italy's grim Capanne prison, accused of being the Monster of Florence himself. Like one of Preston's thrillers, The Monster of Florence, tells a remarkable and harrowing story involving murder, mutilation, and suicide-and at the center of it, Preston and Spezi, caught in a bizarre prosecutorial vendetta.

This book is as captivating as the city itself. Hibbert's gift is weaving political, social and art history into an elegantly readable and marvellously lively whole. The author's book on Florence will also be at once a history and a guide book and will be enhanced by splendid photographs and illustrations and line drawings which will describe all teh buildings and treasures of the city.

Florence has the greatest collection of Renaissance art in the world, and a character list that reads like a Who's Who of the period's greatest artists and thinkers u Dante, Leonardo, Michaelangelo u not to mention the powerful families who financed their work - the Medici and the Strozzi. Evidence of their lasting influence abounds today, including the discovery of a Leonardo fresco beneath a painting by Vasari, and the unearthing of Michaelangelo's plans for a church facade. The city's challenge today is to manage the resultant tourist hordes; a new entrance to an enlarged Uffizi should double tourist numbers to the gallery, while a tramline is intended to reduce the city's traffic.