Page 56 - Tuscany & Umbria: Rustic Beauty in the Italian Heartland

RESOURCES

Suggested Readings

Tuscany

BT_STY ?`^NLYd% =PʮPN_TZY^ ZY L ?TXP LYO ;WLNP by Matthew Spender (Travel Narrative) Sculptor
Matthew Spender, whose work was featured in the movie Stealing Beauty, captures the essence
of the Tuscan people, art, and culture in this delightful travel narrative.

?SP .T_d ZQ 1WZ]PYNP% 3T^_Z]TNLW AT^_L^ LYO ;P]^ZYLW >TRS_TYR^ by R.W.B. Lewis (Culture) A historic
[Z]_]LT_ bT_S TY^TRS_ TY_Z _SP NT_dɪ^ TYʮ`PYNP ZY XZOP]Y BP^_P]Y .`W_`]P LYO T_^ NTaTW WPRLNd
from the Middle Ages. Includes commentary on the Arno, Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, Santa Croce,
and other landmarks.

?SP 3Z`^P ZQ 8POTNT% 4_^ =T^P LYO 1LWW by Christopher Hibbert (History) Portrays the Medici’s
personal lives and political squabbles, and captures the workings of Renaissance city-state
politics.

, .`WTYL]d ?]LaPWWP] TY ?`^NLYd% 0c[WZ]TYR LYO 0L_TYR Zʬ _SP -PL_PY ?]LNV by Beth Elon (Food)
Combining travel and food, this book is half guidebook (where to eat in small towns
throughout Tuscany) and half cookbook (recipes from those small towns).

@YOP] _SP ?`^NLY >`Y% ,_ 3ZXP TY 4_LWd by Frances Mayes (Memoir/Travel Narrative) The true-life
story of a wealthy American who falls in love with a dilapidated farmhouse in Tuscany and
vows to restore it. Unlike the movie, the book focuses a lot on daily life and the renovations
process, rather than romance.

General Italy

,_WL^ ZQ _SP =ZXLY BZ]WO by Tim Cornell and John Matthews (History) A compact yet thorough
illustrated history of the rise, zenith, and decline of the Roman Empire.

Desiring Italy edited by Susan Neunzig Cahill (Travel Account) A collection of writings penned
by 31 renowned women authors, each inspired by her experiences in Italy. Edith Wharton
writes on Rome, George Eliot on Florence, Shirley Hazzard on Naples.
3T^_Z]d ZQ _SP /PNWTYP LYO 1LWW ZQ _SP =ZXLY 0X[T]P by Edward Gibbon (History) A landmark
scholarly work ever since it was written in the 18th century. Coverage extends from the 2nd
century A.D. to the fall of Constantinople in 1453.

4_LWTLY -LNVR]Z`YO^ by Edith Wharton (Vintage Travel Account) Originally published in 1906,
Wharton’s travel diary still rings true in its depiction of the Italian people and culture.

Italian Days by Barbara G. Harrison (Travel Account) An absorbing travel journal that
]PLO^ XZ]P WTVP WT_P]L_`]P LYO ZʬP]^ bT__d TY^TRS_^ TY_Z 4_LWdɪ^ ST^_Z]d [ZWT_TN^ QZZO
architecture, and art.

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