travel book about italy

35 Best Travel Guide Books for Italy to Read

Hey there, fellow traveler! This expertly curated selection of the best Italy travel books will help you navigate the country’s breathtaking landscapes, rich history, and delicious cuisine.

Even in this digital age, there’s something magical about turning the pages of an Italy guidebook . It’s more than just collecting facts and figures – it’s about savoring the anticipation, picturing yourself in the most beautiful places, and preparing for the Italian journey of a lifetime .

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Top Picks: Best Travel Books for Your Italian Adventure

Rick Steves Italy

A thorough, immersive guide for Italian travel , recommended for its blend of iconic sights and hidden gems.

The Rough Guide to Italy

Discover abundant off-the-beaten-path recommendations . The perfect guide for travelers who want to delve deeper into Italy’s hidden corners .

DK Eyewitness Italy

Rich in historical context and stunning visuals.

It enables travelers to appreciate Italy’s rich history and culture on a deeper level.

Keep reading to uncover the rich tapestry of Italy’s unique regions, sample its delectable cuisine, and bask in its timeless architecture, all from the comfort of your home.

The list of Italian travel guidebooks below is structured into two main sections :

• All-Encompassing Italian Travel Books
• Area-Specific Travel Guides

Each book will be reviewed based on a brief description, pros and cons, and the type of audience it’s most suitable for. Let’s start exploring!

Recommended Reading : Discover our detailed guide on the 21 Safest Cities in Italy for Travelers & Expats.

All-Encompassing Best Travel Guidebooks

1. rick steves italy travel guide.

Rick Steves Italy is an invaluable travel companion for anyone venturing into Italy’s breathtaking landscapes and vibrant cities. Rick’s guide is packed with comprehensive, up-to-date information for planning an unforgettable multi-week trip to Italy.

It introduces readers to top sights and hidden gems , from iconic architectural wonders like the Colosseum and Michelangelo’s David to cozy corner trattorias serving delicious Italian cuisine.

• Offers strategic advice on maximizing time and budget .
• Provides candid insights to beat crowds, skip lines, and avoid tourist traps.
• Suggests the best places to eat, sleep, and experience “ il dolce far niente .”
• Contains self-guided walking tours of lively neighborhoods and museums.
• Equips travelers with vital trip-planning tools.
• Includes detailed maps , including a fold-out map for on-the-go exploration.
• Lightweight design with over 1,000 pages, making it portable without compromising content.
• A considerable amount of information could be overwhelming for some readers.
• The “bible-thin” pages might be fragile and prone to tearing.

Suitable for:

Rick Steves Italy is ideal for seasoned travelers and those new to Italy, particularly those looking to immerse themselves in local culture. It’s also perfect for anyone planning a long trip and needing an in-depth guide to the country’s many offerings.

The book’s inclusion of COVID-related travel info makes it especially relevant in the current travel landscape.

Recommended Reading : Master essential Italian phrases for travel with our 135 basic phrases and PDF cheat sheet.

2. DK Eyewitness Italy (Travel Guide)

The DK Eyewitness Italy (Travel Guide) is a comprehensive and immersive tool that transports you to the beauty of Italy – from its breathtaking natural landscapes and UNESCO World Heritage Sites to the variety of its gastronomic traditions.

It uncovers the depth and diversity of Italy , presenting not just the acclaimed sights but also the hidden gems in this splendid country. With a beautiful blend of expert insights, practical advice, vivid photographs, and hand-drawn illustrations, this guide is an all-inclusive ticket to a memorable Italian journey .

• Offers a fully illustrated guide on top experiences and hidden gems.
• Includes accessible itineraries to optimize your daily exploration.
• Provides honest and expert advice on safety, timings, preparations, and cost savings.
• Features color-coded chapters covering every part of Italy.
• Gives practical tips on the best dining, shopping, and accommodation places.
• Contains detailed maps and walking routes for easy navigation.
• Overwhelming information could be daunting for some readers.
• The large scope of coverage may not suit travelers focusing on a specific region.

The DK Eyewitness Italy (Travel Guide) is an ideal pick for both seasoned and first-time visitors to Italy seeking a comprehensive overview of the country’s landmarks and hidden gems.

The guide’s practical advice and detailed itineraries make it a valuable resource for individuals looking for a well-planned, immersive experience. Also, art enthusiasts , nature lovers , and food connoisseurs will find this guide particularly enriching.

Seeking the perfect tribute to Italy? Check out our article 75 Italian Gifts for Italy Lovers: Best Gift Ideas for the ultimate gift guide.

3. Lonely Planet’s Italy (Travel Guide)

Italy is such an amazing place, and as one of the most in-depth guides available, Lonely Planet’s Italy offers an extensive exploration of Italy’s rich tapestry.

From traversing the beautiful ruins of Pompeii and enjoying a Tuscan wine tour to uncovering the picturesque Italian Riviera’s hidden gems, this book is your reliable travel buddy . It’s packed with the best and lesser-known experiences, making your Italian adventure unforgettable.

• Provides tailored itineraries catering to personal interests and needs.
• Delivers enriching local insights into history, culture, landscapes, and politics.
• Presents a visually inspiring collection of the top amazing experiences.
• Highlights regional dishes and drinks for an ultimate gastronomic journey.
• It gives insider tips to save time and money and avoid tourist traps.
• Offers planning tools for solo, LGBTQIA, family, and accessible travel.
• Features colorful maps and images throughout the guide.
• Includes essential language phrases and helpful travel tips.
• The extensive coverage might be too much for travelers focusing on a specific region.
• The size and weight may make it less portable.

Lonely Planet’s Italy is perfect for any traveler, whether a seasoned adventurer or a first-time visitor. Its well-rounded and inclusive approach also makes it suitable for solo, LGBTQIA, and family travelers and those seeking accessible travel advice.

If you’re a food lover or a history buff, this guide is advantageous, given its focus on regional cuisines and historical insights.

4. Glam Italia! How To Travel Italy: Secrets To Glamorous Travel

Penned by Italian travel guide and blogger Corinna Cooke, Glam Italia! How To Travel Italy is a comprehensive guide aimed at helping you design a personalized, memorable, and affordable vacation in Italy.

The book is packed with insider tips , from appreciating Italy’s art, cuisine, and landscapes, to navigating its fashion scene.

The author’s step-by-step methods for trip planning, regional cuisine, wine lists, the best time to visit (peak season and off-season), and cost-effective flight booking tips are thoughtfully designed to enhance your Italian journey. Whether planning to travel lavishly or on a budget, this guide offers priceless advice to enjoy Italy like a local.

• Provides detailed, step-by-step methods for planning your trip.
• Includes comprehensive lists of regional cuisines and wines.
• Offers practical advice on flight booking to save money.
• Gives precautionary tips for safe and healthy travel.
• Emphasizes local advice for a genuine Italian experience.
• As the book was published in 2018, some information might be outdated.
• While enjoyable, the cultural immersion aspects may not suit readers seeking strictly logistical advice.

Glam Italia! How To Travel Italy is perfect for anyone who dreams of an Italian vacation , whether they’re first-time travelers or experienced explorers.

The book’s emphasis on experiencing Italy as a local and its cost-saving tips make it a fitting choice for those traveling on a budget and individuals seeking an authentic, immersive cultural experience.

5. Frommer’s Italy (Complete Guide)

The completely revamped Frommer’s Italy , a trusted name in travel, serves as a thorough and opinionated guide for your Italian escapade. It provides well-researched , valuable information for walking through the ancient ruins of Pompeii, cruising the Venice canals, admiring Renaissance masterpieces in Florence, or exploring less-traveled places like Puglia.

Suggested Reading : Discover the best Pompeii tours from Rome – 20 curated day trips to step back in time.

The guide makes you appreciate the la dolce vita in Rome and uncovers timeless marvels like Tuscan vineyards and the cliff-edge towns of the Amalfi Coast.

• Includes full-color photographs and handy maps , with a removable fold-out map for ease of use.
• It contains meticulously crafted itineraries to optimize your trip planning.
• Provides intriguing cultural insights into Italy’s history, cuisine, and traditions.
• Honest reviews with a star rating system for a quick understanding of what’s worth your time and money.
• Offers up-to-date practical information such as transportation details, useful websites, and healthcare options.
• Comes with budget-planning tools, including precise pricing and money-saving tips for travelers on a wide range of budgets.
• Being an opinionated guide, it might only align with some readers’ tastes or preferences.
• Comprehensive and detailed, it might be overwhelming for travelers seeking a brief, casual overview.

Frommer’s Italy (Complete Guide) is ideal for travelers seeking a comprehensive, culturally rich guide to Italy . Whether you’re an avid history buff, a food enthusiast, or a leisure traveler looking to soak up Italy’s landscapes and cities, this guide provides comprehensive coverage.

Thanks to its wide range of money-saving tips and diverse itinerary options, it’s perfect for budget-conscious travelers and those seeking luxury.

6. Fodor’s Essential Italy (Full-color Travel Guide)

Fodor’s Essential Italy is a detailed travel guide crafted with love and expertise by local travel connoisseurs . This comprehensive guide aims to transform your journey, whether visiting the historic Colosseum, shopping in Milan’s designer boutiques, or hiking through the picturesque Cinque Terre.

Packed with over 78 detailed maps , a free pull-out map, and vibrant photographs, this guide ensures your Italian adventure is as smooth and fulfilling as possible.

Suggested Reading : Discover the top 10 shopping destinations in Italy : your Italy shopping guide, from luxury fashion to artisanal crafts.

• Features an illustrated guide to the best experiences Italy has to offer.
• Includes multiple well-organized itineraries to maximize your time effectively.
• Offers over 78 detailed maps and a complimentary pull-out map to assist in confident navigation.
• It contains stunning color photos throughout to inspire your travels.
• Presents reliable recommendations from locals on attractions, dining, accommodation, nightlife, shopping, and more.
• Provides photo-rich features on topics like “The Best Ancient Sites in Rome,” “Italy’s Best Beaches,” and more.
• Gives practical trip-planning tools and tips , including the best times to visit and how to save time and money.
• Offers historical and cultural insights into the local people, arts, architecture, and more.
• Special features on landmarks like “T he Sistine Chapel ” and “ Cruising the Grand Cana l.”
• Includes Italian language primers to help you with essential phrases and useful words.
• This guide might be too detailed and extensive for someone seeking a brief overview.
• Those who prefer minimalist design find the guide visually overwhelming.

Fodor’s Essential Italy is a perfect companion for travelers seeking a detailed, locally-informed guide to Italy. It is ideal for history buffs, adventure seekers, food enthusiasts, and cultural explorers. It’s especially beneficial for first-time visitors to Italy , assisting them with language, navigation, and insider recommendations.

7. Italy in Your Pocket!

Italy in Your Pocket! is a compact guide that promises to uncover the myriad of Italy’s rich history and vibrant culture. This pocket guide will ensure you won’t miss the charming villages, stunning mountains, bustling cities, or serene countryside.

More than just a tool to navigate Italy’s well-known tourist spots, this guide aims to immerse you in the authentic Italian lifestyle .

Authored by someone who has considered Italy their second home for over two decades, this book is your ticket to uncovering the essence of Italy that locals hold dear.

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• Highlights the beautiful contrast between Italy’s rural and urban life.
• Guides on how to avoid tourist crowds and experience the real Italy.
• Reveals off-the-beaten-path outdoor activities, accommodations, and attractions.
• Offers insight into traditional Italian events , customs, and yearly gatherings.
• Provides helpful tips on safety, interacting with locals, and integration into Italian society.
• It may not provide enough detail for travelers looking for a comprehensive guide.
• Readers already familiar with Italy may not find a lot of new information.

Italy in Your Pocket! is an ideal companion for travelers looking to experience Italy beyond the typical tourist perspective. It is perfect for adventure-seekers , cultural explorers, and individuals desiring to mingle with the locals and blend seamlessly into Italian life.

Those who appreciate the convenience and seek a compact, easy-to-carry guide will find this book especially useful.

8. The Rough Guide to Italy

The Rough Guide to Italy is a comprehensive and practical guide to discovering authentic Italy, including hidden gems and renowned hotspots.

Replete with an easy-to-follow, color-coded layout, this guide helps you effortlessly plan your trip from pre-departure to your journey’s end.

It covers regions from Rome and Lazio to Sicily and Sardinia, offering structured lists of all sights and lesser-known treasures. This guide was updated post-COVID-19 and comes with a free eBook for easy accessibility.

• Extensive regional coverage and clear structure within each chapter for easy navigation.
• Recommendations are suitable for all types of travelers, whether seeking adventures in Sicily or family activities in Tuscany.
• Provides practical travel tips , including pre-departure information, tips for traveling with children, sports and outdoor activities, festivals, culture, etiquette, and more.
• Time-saving itineraries and detailed routes showcase the richness and diversity of Italy.
• Offers insights into getting around like a local, with tips on beating crowds, saving time and money , and finding the best local spots.
• Full-color photography and color-coded mapping for visual appeal and easy orientation.
• It may overwhelm first-time travelers due to its comprehensive nature.
• Some travelers might prefer a more focused guide tailored to specific cities or regions.

The Rough Guide to Italy is ideal for first-time and seasoned travelers seeking a comprehensive understanding of Italy’s diverse regions.

Its detailed and wide-ranging content makes it an excellent resource for those with varied interests, such as food and drink, festivals, outdoor activities, and cultural exploration. Furthermore, this guide benefits travelers who appreciate planning their trip in detail with time-saving itineraries and expert recommendations.

9. Michelin Green Guide Wine Trails of Italy: Travel Guide

The Michelin Green Guide Wine Trails of Italy offers a fascinating tour through Italy’s wine regions . This guide covers 125 driving tours that take you to Italy’s renowned wineries, charming towns, villages, and captivating countryside.

It introduces you to the art of Italian wine-making , tasting, and serving. It encourages you to delve into Italy’s rich history, culture, and, unquestionably, its delectable wines.

Suggested Reading : For wine lovers in Bologna, don’t miss the Best Wine Tours & Tastings .

• Provides 125 driving tours offering a comprehensive exploration of Italy’s wine regions.
• The book offers insights into Italian wine : its creation, tasting, and the art of serving it.
• Uses a star-rating system for points of interest, facilitating decision-making.
• Features well-researched recommendations for accommodation and dining options .
• Encourages discovery of Italy’s history, culture, and, of course, its wines.
• It might not appeal to readers who are not interested in wine.
• It could be overwhelming for those seeking a less comprehensive guide.

The Michelin Green Guide Wine Trails of Italy is perfect for wine connoisseurs and enthusiasts, individuals interested in Italian culture and history, and anyone looking for an immersive, off-the-beaten-path exploration of Italy’s wineries and vineyards.

This guide will also appeal to those who enjoy self-guided driving tours and exploring new cuisines and dining experiences.

10. ITALY Made Easy for Seniors: An Alternative to the Escorted Tour

Authored by Bob Kaufman, the president of National Travel Vacations for 30 years, ITALY Made Easy for Seniors dispels the misconceptions that hinder seniors from experiencing Italy’s charm.

This handy guide includes comprehensive itineraries , covering not just Rome, Florence, and Venice but also hidden gems like Sicily, Puglia, Cinque Terre, and The Lakes.

Suggested Reading : Experience Tour Rome by Golf Cart – Uncover the city’s charm through the best private tours.

With tips specifically designed for seniors , like avoiding hilly areas for accommodation, the book also proves to be an insightful companion for first-time visitors and repeat travelers.

• Covers all major cities beyond Rome, Florence, and Venice.
• Provides practical tips specifically designed for seniors.
• Informs readers about convenient accommodation options.
• Includes “ short and sweet ” historical facts, eliminating the need to carry heavy history books.
• It doesn’t include many color pictures, which might be expected in a travel guide.
• It might not be as relevant to younger travelers or those seeking more adventurous itineraries.

Italy Made Easy for Seniors is ideal for senior citizens looking to explore Italy, particularly those making their first, second, or third trip. It’s also beneficial for anyone looking for a cost-effective and well-planned travel guide to Italy , even if they’re not seniors.

This book is a must-have for anyone yearning to delve into the enchanting Italian culture without worrying about breaking the bank or getting lost in complex planning.

11. Italy: The Best Places to See by Rail (An Alternative to the Escorted Tour)

Bob Kaufman’s Italy The Best Places to See by Rail is the ultimate guide for those who yearn for a freestyle yet well-planned journey through Italy without the confines of an escorted tour.

Leveraging his 30 years of experience running National Travel Vacations, Inc., Kaufman presents a refreshing alternative to traditional tours with his cost-effective way to travel by train in Italy .

This book empowers travelers to chart their unique path with five main itineraries covering Rome, Florence, Venice, the Lakes District, and Sicily, along with the Bernina Express over the Alps option.

The book also includes specific details for day trips from various cities and a dedicated chapter on hotel options near train stations for convenience. It is a comprehensive planning tool with relevant website references to secure rail and attraction tickets, helping save time and resources.

• Offers a flexible, budget-friendly alternative to costly and strict escorted tours.
• Presents easy-to-follow, comprehensive itineraries for exploring Italy.
• It provides an accessible format with larger and bolder text, making it easier for seniors to read.
• Includes essential details such as hotel choices near train stations, tourist attraction ticket purchasing, and recommended restaurants.
• Packed with valuable insights derived from almost thirty trips to Italy by the author.
• It might not be suitable for those who prefer the structure and convenience of escorted tours.
• Requires more individual planning and decision-making compared to pre-arranged tours.

Italy The Best Places to See by Rail is ideal for younger travelers who prefer setting their pace, waking up, eating when they want, and spending as much time as they wish on each site.

It benefits those hesitant about driving in a foreign country or feeling confined by escorted tours. With its handy tips and detailed itineraries, this book ensures a rewarding Italian vacation without breaking the bank.

Dive into Italy: Area-Specific Travel Guides

1. rick steves rome travel guide.

Rick Steves Rome Travel Guide offers a timely, comprehensive resource for travelers navigating the Eternal City. As a trusted source, Rick Steves shares strategic advice on making the most of Rome—from exploring ancient ruins and the Vatican City to experiencing local culture.

The guide includes top sights and hidden gems, valuable tips to dodge tourist traps, best places to eat, sleep, and live “ il dolce far niente ” (the sweet doing nothing).

It offers self-guided walking tours of vibrant neighborhoods and renowned sights, such as Piazza Navona, detailed maps, a helpful packing list, an Italian phrase book, and historical insights. Also included are resources for COVID-related travel information, ensuring a seamless journey.

2. Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany Travel Guide

Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany Travel Guide is your quintessential handbook for immersing yourself in the cultural heart of Italy . This fully updated guide steers you through Florence and Tuscany, sharing top sights from the Uffizi Gallery to the Duomo and hidden gems like a centuries-old perfumery.

Suggested Reading : Unleash Tuscany’s splendor with our selection of the best Vespa tours from Florence .

You’ll learn to integrate with the local culture, from strolling morning markets to sipping robust wines with locals. Rick’s strategic advice will help you optimize your time and money , navigate crowds, and find the best places to dine, sleep, and relax.

The book also includes self-guided walking tours, detailed maps , and driving tours through Tuscany’s wine country.

3. Rick Steves Venice Travel Guide

Your trusted guide, Rick Steves, invites you to glide through the canals and wander down cobblestone alleys in his latest book, Rick Steves Venice Travel Guide .

You’ll learn to maximize your time and budget effectively by offering a fully updated and extensive guide for spending a week or more in Venice.

The guide covers top sights and hidden treasures from St. Mark’s Basilica to the charming city of Padua , along with strategic advice to beat the crowds and avoid tourist traps.

Discover how to connect with local culture , the best places to eat and sleep, and even enjoy self-guided walking tours.

The book features detailed neighborhood maps and a fold-out city map, with complete and current information on the city’s districts and side trips.

4. The Rough Guide to Italian Lakes

Discover the enthralling beauty of the Italian Lakes with Rough Guide’s comprehensive guidebook. This guidebook offers the most relevant and current suggestions for what to see , what to skip, and those hidden treasures that await you.

Traverse Lombard’s vineyards, get adventurous on Lake Garda or marvel at the 600-year-old Duomo in Milan.

Inside, you’ll find color maps and pictures, highlights, itineraries, and insider tips to navigate the Italian lakes like a local, bypassing crowded areas and saving time and money.

Expect enriching cultural insights and extensive coverage of regions including Lake Como, Lake Maggiore, Lake Garda, Milan, Verona, and more.

5. Fodor’s The Amalfi Coast, Capri & Naples (Full-color Travel Guide)

Unleash the charm of Southern Italy with Fodor’s insightful guide to The Amalfi Coast, Capri & Naples . Whether you’re planning to drive along the Amalfi Coast, explore Pompeii’s ruins, or savor authentic pizza in Naples, this guide has got you covered.

It’s brimming with maps, local expert recommendations , beautiful color photos, and valuable trip-planning tools.

The guide features multiple itineraries for effective time management, over 15 detailed maps for confident navigation, and honest suggestions on the best sights, eateries, hotels, outdoor activities, nightlife, shopping, and more.

Delve deeper into the local culture with historical insights and special features on the Amalfi Drive , Capri by boat, and the ancient city of Pompeii.

6. Puglia Travel Guide: Are You Ready to Visit Southern Italy?

If you’re yearning for an extraordinary exploration of Southern Italy, Puglia Travel Guide: Are You Ready to Visit Southern Italy? has got you covered.

This guide, penned by a native Apulian and passionate traveler, Francesco, serves as your comprehensive companion for discovering the hidden marvels of Puglia.

The book outlines the top five unmissable historic sites and over 50 spectacular beaches, from tourist hotspots to untouched natural locales, and introduces you to unique local cuisines .

Packed with more than 200 vibrant full-color photos, this guide makes planning your unforgettable Puglian adventure a breeze.

For those exploring Southern Italy, another honorable book mention goes to Lonely Planet Southern Italy , an excellent guidebook that unveils the vibrant and diverse region of Southern Italy.

Immerse Yourself Deeper in Italy: Beyond Travel Guides

If you wish to dive even deeper into the heart of Italy beyond the fantastic sights and delightful cuisines, we recommend looking at our curated list of prominent Italian best books .

These esteemed works offer profound insights into Italy’s intricate culture and society, weaving tales of love, family, politics, and the very fabric of human nature. This enriching list is in our “ 17 Best Italian Books: Explore Italy’s Rich Culture ” article.

Reading these masterpieces will enhance your understanding and appreciation of Italy before and during your journey. The books mentioned in the article are:

• Elena Ferrante – L’amica geniale ( My Brilliant Friend )
• Andrea Camilleri – La forma dell’acqua ( The Shape of Water )
• Italo Calvino – Il sentiero dei nidi di ragno (The Path to the Nest of Spiders)
• Carlo Levi – Cristo si è fermato a Eboli ( Christ Stopped at Eboli )
• Alessandro Baricco – Seta ( Silk )
• Paolo Giordano – La solitudine dei numeri primi ( The Solitude of Prime Numbers )
• Umberto Eco – Il nome della rosa ( The Name of the Rose )
• Elsa Morante – La storia ( History )
• Primo Levi – Se questo è un uomo ( If This Is a Man )
• Roberto Saviano – Gomorra ( Gomorrah )
• Niccolò Ammaniti – Io non ho paura ( I’m Not Scared )
• Italo Svevo – La coscienza di Zeno ( Zeno’s Conscience )
• Dante Alighieri – La Divina Commedia ( The Divine Comedy )
• Giovanni Verga – I Malavoglia (The House by the Medlar Tree)
• Giovanni Boccaccio – Il Decameron ( The Decameron )
• Luigi Pirandello – Il fu Mattia Pascal ( The Late Mattia Pascal )
• Alessandro Manzoni – I Promessi Sposi ( The Betrothed )
• Beppe Severgnini – La Bella Figura : A Field Guide to the Italian Mind

Best Travel Guide Books for Italy: Final Thoughts

We’ve come a long way on our literary journey across Italy! We’ve delved into general guides about the country as a whole and honed in on the specifics of its mesmerizing regions. Remember, each travel guide provides a different perspective and unique insights – just like Italy, each book has its personality and charm.

I hope this guide to the best Italy travel books proves helpful in preparing for your Italian adventure, whether you’re planning to bring one of these great books along on your trip or just reading in advance to immerse yourself in the beauty and culture of this beautiful country.

After all, these books are about more than just sightseeing – they’re about living and experiencing ‘La Dolce Vita,’ the sweet life, the Italian way. – Until our next Italian journey, Arrivederci!

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13 Travel Books to Read Before Your Next Trip to Italy

By Matt Ortile

Since you’re reading this article on Condé Nast Traveler , you’re likely someone who believes in the transportive power of good writing—and of travel books in particular. Whether it’s a vividly-rendered novel, or a well-researched deep dive into the history, subculture, or food of a place, a good travel-y read can easily inspire your next trip.

As the cold weather starts to creep into many parts of the world, many of us here at Traveler have Italy on the brain, dreaming of Amalfi 's crystalline waters, of melting gelato in Rome , of the warm Tuscan sun . Are you dreaming of la dolce vita too? Here’s a short list of books set in Italy that’ll motivate you to, well, book a trip. (Get it?)

Few places in the world invoke as much swooning and intense wanderlust as Italy , and this list of books features stories of various stripes: gripping thrillers, fascinating and readable histories, romantic true stories of love and loss, and unputdownable page-turners that’ll get you through a long layover . There’s something here for everyone, and a good handful of these titles have been adapted into movies (and one TV show), which underscores the point that these are some lush, cinematic, and extremely vibey books.

Read on to pick some travel books to add to your bedside table—and your overpacked suitcase .

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell

What it’s about: This captivating novel, set in the 16th-century, spins a story inspired by a little-known daughter of the Medici family, Lucrezia, who was wedded to a duke as part of a political marriage and, just a year after the wedding, was found dead. Inspired by Lucrezia’s titular marriage portrait, Maggie O’Farrell (no stranger to fictionalizing historical trivia ) writes in prose both lavish and readable, daring you to put down this strange and delicious book. With plenty of narrative twists and palazzo intrigue, this book will drop you into the middle of Renaissance Florence and never let you go.

The mood it’s giving: Running through an Italian palace in a very heavy gown, weighing you down like you're in a nightmare—in the best way possible

The book’s first line: “Lucrezia is taking her seat at the long dining table, which is polished to a watery gleam and spread with dishes, inverted cups, a woven circlet of fir.”

The Medici: Power, Money, and Ambition in the Italian Renaissance by Paul Strathern

What it’s about: For a more factual understanding of the influential family that shaped the Italian Renaissance, you can’t go wrong with this 464-page tome. This evocative and masterful account of the dramatic history of the Medicis also covers their patronage of the day’s greatest minds (Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Galileo, among others), offering context and knowledge upon which you can draw during your next visit to Florence and greater Tuscany.

The mood it’s giving: The thrill and shock of Succession , but Florentine and, you know, real

The book’s first line: “It is Sunday 26 April 1478 in Florence, and the church bells ring out from the towers above the rooftops of the city. Lorenzo the Magnificent, accompanied by his circle of favourites, is making his way through the colorful crowds towards the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.”

A Room with a View by E. M. Forster

What it’s about: This beloved classic of English literature, a satire of English society in the Edwardian era first published in 1908, opens at a hotel in Florence, Italy: Charlotte Bartlett and her cousin Lucy Honeychurch are positively incensed that their rooms face a drab courtyard (how dreadful!). Another guest and his son offer to switch accommodations with theirs—and what follows is a series of semi-fortunate events that will make you want to book a room with a view of the Arno and get into some Italian hijinks yourself. (The Merchant Ivory film adaptation is also stellar, starring Helena Bonham Carter and Maggie Smith.)

The mood it’s giving: That moment where Kim Kardashian is crying because she lost her diamond earring in the ocean in Bora Bora and her sister Kourtney telling her, “Kim, there’s people that are dying”—but in Florence

The book’s first line: “‘The Signora had no business to do it,” said Miss Bartlett, “no business at all. She promised us south rooms with a view close together, instead of which here are north rooms, looking into a courtyard, and a long way apart.”

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan

What it’s about: For a contemporary take on the set-up introduced by A Room with a View , pick up Kevin Kwan’s delightfully frothy Sex and Vanity . The protagonists are named Lucie and Charlotte as well, and Kwan’s latest novel Forster-ly satirizes the uber-rich Asian and Asian American diaspora that the author has long lampooned in his Crazy Rich trilogy of books. Only time will tell though, if sex and vanity are as timeless as a room with a view—but as far as cotton-candy vacation reads go, you can do far worse than bringing this paperback onto a chartered yacht.

The mood it’s giving: Crazy Rich Asians decadence goes to Capri (and the Hamptons)

The book’s first line: “[an email with the subject line: la dolce vita] Lucie!!! I’m sooooo happy you’re coming to my wedding in Capri!”

Olivia Morelli

Gianluca Longo

Charlie Hobbs

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

What it’s about: There are many ways to do Italy on a budget, and there are just as many (if not more) ways to do it extravagantly. Perhaps that’s why our collective cultural imagination so often links the fantasy of the Italian Riviera with how the rich and famous behave—and behave badly. All that to say, Jess Walter’s Beautiful Ruins is a sweeping and swooning book that brilliantly dissects the power plays and petty dramas of our contemporary demigods (Hollywood stars), as well as the Italian seaside villages that everyone can access, even if it means swimming to get there.

The mood it’s giving: That one series of unbelievably glamorous photos of Paul Newman at the Venice Film Festival in 1963

The book’s first sentence: “The dying actress arrived in his village the only way one could come directly—in a boat that motored into the cove, lurched past the rock jetty, and bumped against the end of the pier.”

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

What it’s about: Fancy a visit to a marmalade kitchen in Sicily? To bergamot groves in Calabria? To lemon houses by the banks of Lago di Garda? You’ll get all that and more in this sumptuous and sensual history of citrus throughout the Italian peninsula. Helena Attlee blends her deep knowledge of the country with insightful gastronomical observations—and recipes!—to make an immensely readable and giftable volume that’s as fragrant as a helping of delizia al limone on a terrace in Amalfi.

The mood it’s giving: As sharp and sparkling, tart and satisfying as a limoncello spritz

The book’s first line: “At dawn, I lifted a corner of the curtain in the stuffy couchette and realized we had already crossed the border. We were somewhere near Ventimiglia on the Italian Riviera, and there were lemons growing beside the station platform, their dark leaves and bright fruit set against a backdrop of nothing but sea.”

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

What it’s about: We can’t talk about la dolce vita without bringing up The Talented Mr. Ripley , the novel wherein young Tom Ripley goes to Italy and falls in love with the indulgent, carefree lifestyle of Dickie Greenleaf (and, in some readings, Greenleaf himself)—so much so that he kills the young heir and assumes his identity. The 1999 film adaptation is better known for depicting the sunny sprezzatura of a Mediterranean holiday, but in all formats, the story is always rife with tension and monied decadence.

The mood it’s giving: Chic knit polos and swim trunks wet with saltwater that may or may not be stained with blood

The book’s first line: “Tom glanced behind him and saw the man coming out of the Green Cage, heading his way. Tom walked faster. There was no doubt the man was after him.”

Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy by Frances Mayes

What it’s about: Yet another go-to-Italy-and-change-your-life classic, Frances Mayes’s memoir truly changed the game. I wouldn’t be surprised if this book—and the 2003 film adaptation —are responsible for a sizable chunk of Italy’s GDP. But yes, this story has surely inspired many non-Italians to visit the cypress-studded Tuscan countryside, hoping to come upon a rundown villa in need of restoration and love, just as Mayes does in this travel writing classic.

The mood it’s giving: A leisurely walk through a Tuscan farmer’s market, where you come upon the most sweet-tart tomato you’ve ever had, its sun-bright juice coating your lips

The book’s first line: “‘What are you growing here?’ The upholsterer lugs an armchair up the walkway to the house but his quick eyes are on the land.”

From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Hom e by Tembi Locke

What it’s about: If Under the Tuscan Sun is an easy-going drive through the Italian heartland, then From Scratch is a journey of highs and lows along the hilly and rugged terrain of Sicily. Actor and writer Tembi Locke’s memoir tells her personal history of falling in love with her Italian husband, building a life together in Los Angeles, grieving him after his death due to cancer, and rebuilding her life with their daughter in Sicily. The book is heartfelt and Locke’s language is generous and graceful. If you’d rather binge the story on your screen, there’s a 2022 Netflix adaptation too. Either way, both will leave you weeping into your tub of gelato.

The mood it’s giving: Making eye contact with the love of your life, being reminded that life is bittersweet—so beautiful and so short

The book’s first line: “In Sicily, every story begins with a marriage or a death. In my case, it’s both.”

The Truffle Underground: A Tale of Mystery, Mayhem, and Manipulation in the Shadowy Market of the World's Most Expensive Fungus by Ryan Jacobs

What it’s about: Have you ever tasted a truffle? I mean, a true truffle that bursts with the flavor of Italian terroir? If you have, then you’ll relate to the author Ryan Jacobs when he describes tasting a white truffle: He felt transported, “momentarily, into an alternate universe, a place where flavor mattered more than truth and virtue.” And it’s true that pursuit of flavor stomps out virtue, as Jacobs reports it in this deep investigative dive into the industry and sub-world of truffles—where rival truffle hunters poison each other’s truffle-hunting dogs, where hunters carrying rifles protect their hunting grounds from spies, where counterfeits dupe even the most well-trained experts. Read this book, and you’ll understand why your dinner of tagliatelle al tartufo costs 50 euros.

The mood it’s giving: A crime documentary, but about truffles! I really can’t sell this book any better than the facts can

The book’s first line: “Threads of fungus swirl through the heat and dark of the rocky soil. They spend years twisting, extending, contorting, in perpetual search of nutrients to bring back to their host tree.”

The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante

What it’s about: Ask anyone about good books and Italian culture, and the name Elena Ferrante is bound to come up. The pseudonymous writer’s four novels—known as the Neapolitan Quartet, beginning with the epidemic My Brilliant Friend —seemed to be everywhere in the last decade in the English-speaking world, due in no small part to the genius translation work of Ann Goldstein from the original Italian. Their collaboration shines once again in The Lying Life of Adults , a novel set in Naples (where else?) that depicts “Naples of the heights, which wears a mask of refinement, and Naples of the depths, a place of excess and vulgarity,” as narrated by a 14-year-old girl named Giovanna.

The mood it’s giving: The most observant and clear-eyed diary entries of an insightful young girl in Napoli

The book’s first sentence: “Two years before leaving home my father said to my mother that I was very ugly. The sentence was uttered under his breath, in the apartment that my parents, newly married, had bought at the top of Via San Giacomo dei Capri, in Rione Alto.”

In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri

What it’s about: On its surface, Jhumpa Lahiri’s In Other Words is a series of short essays and reflections about the task of learning Italian. But once you crack open this elegant volume, you’ll see it’s so much more: Lahiri first wrote the book in Italian (to all the better master the language), and the English translation was provided by Ann Goldstein (yes, who translates Ferrante as well); more unusual, both the Italian and the English stand side by side in the book, on opposite pages. Reading how Lahiri’s fluency and confidence with Italian flourishes alongside the evolving English translation is enough inspiration for anyone to at least pick up a tourist phrasebook for Italian. Dov’è la libreria?

The mood it’s giving: Drinking in the mystique and genius of your most brilliant friend from your first year of college whom you met in that Italian 101 class

The book’s first sentence: “Voglio attraversare un piccolo lago. È veramente piccolo, eppure l’altra sponda mi sembra troppo distante, oltre le mie capacità. | I want to cross a small lake. It really is small, and yet the other shore seems too far away, beyond my abilities.”

Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman

What it’s about: It’s now a tale as old as time: An eloquent and cerebral narrator recalls the time how he, as a young man in the 1980s, stayed at his family’s home in Northern Italy and was drawn to the graduate student his parents took under their wing for the summer—and how their mutual attraction led to a profound exploration of desire, intimacy, and what it means to lose it all. Of course, the 2017 film adaptation is better known for its atmospheric cinematography (think sun-baked peaches, glimmering Lombardian lakes, the worn-in grandeur of Villa Albergoni in Moscazzano) but the source material is better at conveying the intense limerence of young romance, the kind that a scenic Italian backdrop renders all the more heady and bittersweet.

The mood it’s giving: Summer, somewhere in Northern Italy, cascading melodies on the piano floating out from the villa’s windows and out onto the pomegranate orchard

The book’s first sentence: “‘ Later! ’ The word, the voice, the attitude. I’d never heard anyone use ‘later’ to say goodbye before. It sounded harsh, curt, and dismissive, spoken with the veiled indifference of people who may not care to see or hear from you again.”

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13 Best Italy Travel Guide Books

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• 13 Best Italy Travel Guide…

Italy has so much history, art, and culture that naturally attract travelers. The enchanting peninsula isn’t the largest European country. But, it offers diverse and rich things to see and do. Each city and region have something different to offer. From preserved treasures, ancient towns like Pompeii, to its beautiful coastline and beaches. For the best authentic experiences, we cannot recommend you enough to plan first. And travel books about Italy are your best option for travel preparation. Guidebooks help you get the best insight into destinations you want to visit. Plus, you’ll get plenty of information for planning.

How To Choose The Best Travel Books about Italy

When you decide to visit Italy, you first need to read travel guides to learn more about the country. However, it can be difficult to find the best travel guides for Italy since there are so many options available. Before you purchase one, here are a few things to help you choose your own.

Check the published date

When buying the best travel books for Italy or any other country, you need to make sure you get new and updated information about the country. So, it’s important to check the published date. If you buy the old version of guidebooks, the information may be outdated.

Guidebook format

Many publishers offer travel books about Italy in two versions: printed and digital. Consider buying both printed and e-book for your next trip. You can take notes on the printed version – plus, it makes a great coffee table book – while the e-book can be used on the go.

Check the author bio

To have the best experience while traveling, only equip yourself with first-hand information. We recommend choosing local-based and experienced authors and writers. For example, if you want to visit villages in Italy , it’s best to buy a travel book from someone who came from that village or at least has spent a significant local living there as a local.

What is the best way to tour Italy for the first time?

You should mix relaxation and sightseeing in your itinerary for the best experience. Generally, you can combine the sights of Rome and while staying at hotels in Florence with a more relaxed ambiance. Tuscany or Venice are also great choices. Get a travel guide for Venice Italy to get an unforgettable experience in Venice.

How many days is enough for Italy?

Generally, you would need about ten days to explore Italy. Though you’ll need much more time to discover and enjoy a complete Italy experience. But, you still be able to cover many of the top sights.

How do I organize my trip to Italy?

If you only have 3-5 days, choose only one destination. It could be a city or region. For 10 days trip, you can cover 1-3 places, either the north, central, or south of Italy. You can set aside two weeks? If so, you could explore 3-4 places in the south and north.

Italy Travel Guide Essential Tips For First-timers in Italy

Planning on traveling to Italy for the first time can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to start. Italy Travel Guide Essential Tips For First-timers in Italy is what you need. Find out how to enjoy Italy’s beauty to the fullest with this guidebook. The book has 11 chapters, which 5 of them cover the cities and regions. They include Rome, Florence and Tuscany, Venice, Milan and Lombardy, and Sicily. Unlike other best travel books for Italy, the author even devoted a chapter to the best Italian beaches. Not to forget some of the less-traveled ones.

The chapter starts with the History of Italy. Here, you can get brief information about the Roman Empire. Another chapter covers how to plan a trip to Italy. There is so much information you can get, like the best time to visit which place. Get the most of your visit by learning some Italian phrases to help you get around.

We think The Cultural Tips: Not To Do in Italy and Travel Tips sections are the best sections. If you plan to eat and drink in Italy, you’ll find some helpful sections. These include How to Order Coffee, How to Choose a Restaurants, and Drinking Wine in Italy. Also, there’s a chapter on What to Do When Things Go Wrong and Airport Tricks that you’ll find very supportive and useful. All these trips and tricks will complete your arsenal to explore Italy.

Foodie, beach-goers, first-time travelers, backpacker, family, and group travelers

Michelin Green Guide Italy

Create your memorable journey to Italy with Michelin Green Guide Italy . It’s one of the travel guides for Italy that will give you depth descriptions of the locations and sites, whether you’re visiting Italy’s must-see cities or outdoor activities.

Do you prefer wine regions and gourmet destinations? Historic cathedrals, castles, and Roman ruins? Wandering around the sunny Sicilian villages? Or, hunting postcard-perfect photos in Lakes Region? This book gives travelers the most reliable recommendation on where to go, where to eat, and where to stay. There’s also a section about activities for kids. You’ll also get information on how to get there and what to see and do.

Get some practical A to Z information that will help your trip, from embassies, pharmacies, and public holidays. It also provides maps and pictures. Getting to know more about Italy will make the best of your trips. You can get some insights from the book about Italian history. Besides, there’s brief information about Italy today, nature, plus art and culture.

Family travelers, photographers, backpackers, adventurers

The Rough Guide to Italy

The Rough Gu i de to Italy gives everything you need to know when planning a trip to Italy. The book includes extensive lists of must-see sights, practical advice, even an off-the-beaten-track. Plus, it provides insights on what to see and do, how to get around, and things not to miss. Besides, there’s an itinerary section that helps tailor your own schedule. With excellent reviews, you’ll discover the recommended restaurants, shops, and hotels. The full-color maps and photos will inspire your places to visit.

The book has four main chapters in the table of contents. They include Introduction, Basics, The Guide, and Contexts. The Introduction provides information all travelers would need. You’ll find itineraries, where to go, when to go, and author picks. Meanwhile, the Basics cover practical information and pre-departure tips. Getting there, getting around, festivals and travel essentials are among the topics.

Next, The Guide Chapter is divided into 17 cities and regions. It covers Rome and Lazio, Umbria, Sicily, Lombardi and the Lakes, Tuscany, Sardinia, and more. Also, you’ll find highlights, brief history, maps, and more information on each city and region. Contexts give you information about the history, Italian art, and useful language. Plus, recommended books and films. Make the most of your time in Italy! Whether you plan to experience the Piazza San Marco in Venice, enjoy the spectacular Amalfi Coast, or explore the collections of art in Florence. Did you know that there are great gay-friendly hotels in Florence ?

You’ll get an e-book for every paperback purchase. All these make this book one of the best travel books for Italy as well as a travel guide for Venice Italy.

All type of travelers, such as adventurers, city slickers travelers, solo travelers

Italy The Best Places to See by Rail

If you’re interested in exploring Italy via Rail, Italy The Best Places to See by Rail is your best choice. The book is perfect for solo or group travelers who don’t want to join the fixed scheduled tours through travel agencies. Or, travelers who don’t want to drive in a foreign country. If you want or spend as much as time you want on each sight, this book helps planning your own itinerary.

This entertaining travel guide includes five major itineraries. They are Venice, Rome, the Lake District (Como, Maggiore, and Lugano). Besides, it also covers Sicily, the Amalfi Coast, and over the Alps on the world-famous Bernina Express. The author also provides a chapter about hotels near the stations. So, you only need to walk less than 15 minutes to your hotel. There’s also a guide on how to choose each hotel along the way based on your budget.

You’ll also find websites on how to obtain your rail and attraction tickets on this easy-to-read guide book. It helps save your time and money on the internet. Other information, such as recommended restaurants and places of interest are provided. Including tables and maps. This book really helps travelers to have a stress-free trip around Italy on its superb rail system. Making it also the best travel guide for Venice Italy and travel books about Italy.

Independent travelers, adventurers, group or family travelers

Rick Steves Venice, 16th Edition

Make the most of your vacation in Venice with Rick Steves Venice . It’s the perfect choice for a travel guide for Venice Italy. This updated version provides new restaurant reviews and city walks. Either you’re exploring the great city for a week or more, the book offers comprehensive coverage. Find top sights and hidden gems, such as the Rialto Bridge, the charming city of Padua, or St. Mark’s Basilica. Also, don’t miss exploring the canals and wandering down the cobblestone alleys as you soak up the culture, art, and history of Venice.

The book also includes the best places to eat and sleep. Besides, you can use the self-guided walking tours of museums and Grand Canal Cruise tours. Traveling with your best friends? You’ll also find some useful info about the best nightlife and places to relax in Venice.

The Italian survival phrases help you connect with local people and get to know their culture. The book also provides a historical overview and recommended reading. You’ll like the useful packing list given in the book. What’s more, the detailed maps and fold-out city map will help you get the most of your time. Get this guide in paperback or digital version.

Party-goers, family or group travelers, and backpackers

Lonely Planet Italy’s Best Trips

Lonely Planet Italy’s Best Trips is one of the most useful travel guides for Italy, especially, if you’re planning for a road trip to Italy whether to explore somewhere new or places you’ve been before. The book features 40 amazing road trips in Northern Italy, Central Italy, and Southern Italy. These road trips include Grand Tours and World Heritage Wonders. Plus, you’ll have up-to-date expert advice on the destinations you’ll visit along the way.

Embrace the majesty of the Dolomites or enjoy the Tuscan landscape and stop by on the dazzling Amalfi Coast. Jump in the car, turn on the music or one of the best audiobooks , and hit the road with your trusted travel companion! The book includes insider tips to get around like a local. Other information is included, like places to eat, sleep, sightseeing with honest reviews. To start your road trip, there’s a section on Road Trip Essentials. It provides plenty of information, from how to hire a car, insurance, road conditions, to fuel and parking.

While you’re on the road, you can always use the features like Stretch Your Legs and Detours. The gorgeous color photos throughout the book help pick your interests and needs. On top of that, it has easy-to-read and full-color route maps, which is important for your road trip. It provides detailed directions for exploring Italy accessible by car.

Family or group travelers, adventurers, photographers, frequent wanderers

DK Eyewitness Venice & the Veneto

With so much to see and experience in Venice, you’ll need the best travel guide for Venice Italy. Planning to wander around the magical maze of Venice canals? Or, exploring through majestic mountains and sampling delicious cuisine? Experience all Venice has to offer with DK Eyewitness Venice & the Veneto . Not only does it offer a watery oasis, but the book also includes more places you should visit. The alpine forests and verdant hills in the Dolomites, the third-largest Roman Arena, and the beautiful scenery of Lake Garda are among the others.

This book is divided into three major sections; Discover, Experience, and Need to Know. There’s everything you need to know about the Vento region. It includes excellent walking tour suggested itineraries. So, you can create your own itinerary that suits your likes. If you have limited time, take the suggested itineraries given. Learn more about the history of the region in its section Brief History.

Each section of the city in the Experience chapter is completely updated with places to see and things to do. Besides, it covers the opening times and website. Plus, you’ll find recommendations for hotels and places to eat. The Venice map is very helpful for exploring Venice and Veneto. Besides, it provides bus and water taxi maps. Other information includes bus and train services. Useful telephone numbers and a street map of Venice and Murano are included. Also, you’ll have the DK Eyewitness special, the virtual 3D map! You can get this guide in paperback and digital versions on Kindle.

Couples, group or family travelers, photographers, foodies

Kids’ Travel Guide Italy

Are you traveling with your family to Italy? Or, moving to live in the country temporarily? Kids’ Travel Guide Italy is not only interesting but also a fun way of learning. Specially designed for children, they may not realize they’re learning while reading at the same time. Also, the book helps to keep your children occupied while traveling. There are plenty of fun activities for kids to do. With this book, even children get to prepare what to bring before traveling.

The table of contents makes finding anything about Italy easier and faster. The book includes a section about places you should visit and why they’re famous. It guides your children to walk through the famous Grand Canal Venice and the magnificent piazzas and basilicas. And your children will love discussing pizza, gelato, and spaghetti!

Furthermore, the book provides history, flags and symbols, culture, plus geography. It also provides some popular Italian words and phrases. It will help you and your children interact with local people. One of the best travel books about Italy for children, it’s available in Kindle edition. The e-book is perfect if you’re flying with luggage restrictions. But, if you prefer a more interactive experience, you can get the paperback edition.

Family travelers, long-term travelers, temporary residences

Fodor’s Essential Italy 2020

Fodor’s Essential Italy 2020 is recognized as one of the best travel books for Italy. It’s something you need to create the perfect adventure and experience the country. This guidebook provides information and explanations about culture and history. It also helps enrich your travel. Find which cities or regions you’re looking for with the color-coded category icons and two-column text. This book covers Venice, Lake Como, Pisa, Tuscany, Vatican City, Rome, and more.

This book also includes customizable itineraries for various trip lengths. And it provides info for the best walking tours. Known for accuracy and attention to detail, you’ll find top recommendations and exclusive tips from the locals. Its section of ‘best of lists’ provides the best things to do and see. Plus, there are expert recommendations on hotels and restaurants. What’s more, you’ll find some practical tools and tips for getting around as well as basic Italian phrases, a calendar of events, and festivals.

There’s even a section to guide you on what to read and watch before your trip! We love the beautiful color photos and features throughout. It includes features on hiking the Cinque Terre and Sistine Chapel. With more than 70 detailed maps and a free pull-out map, it’s definitely one of the best travel guides for Italy.

Adventurers, photographers, and backpackers

Frommer’s Italy 2020

Whether you’re planning for a family trip or special food and wine trip, Frommer’s Italy 2020 is one of the best travel books for Italy you can have. Its chapter of suggested itineraries gives you the most helpful day-by-day info to plan something that suits your interests and schedules. You’ll get helpful advice from Frommer’s authors themselves. Do you prefer walking among the ancient ruins of Pompeii? Or, exploring off-the-beaten-path Puglia? What about floating along the canals of Venice? Whichever you prefer, this one of the travel guides for Italy is brilliant to help planning your trip.

You’ll find up-to-date guide Italy destinations. These include honest recommendations on where to eat, where to stay, and what to do in each place. Besides, the book also provides cultural information. So, you’ll understand the history, traditions, and cuisine of Italy better. What’s more, there’s some helpful accurate information of websites, transportation, and telephone numbers.

The book divides cities and regions into each section. You’ll find Bologna & Emilia-Romana, Genoa & Cinque Terre, Venice, Tuscany, and more. Milan and Rome, Italy’s fashion capitals are also covered. On top of that, it provides one chapter about the maps and a handy pull-out map. Get the travel books about Italy both in paperback and e-book on Kindle for your Italy’s best authentic experience!

Any type of travelers, including business travelers and fashionistas

Rick Steves Italy 2020

Are you planning your first trip to Italy? Rick Steves Italy 2020 should be your top choice of travel guides for Italy. It gives references and guides for those unfamiliar with the country. The book provides updated information on some best places. It covers Milan, Florence, Tuscany, Naples, Pompeii, and Venice, making it also the best choice for your travel guide for Venice Italy. Experience Italy, from the Colosseum, the Mediterranean to the Alps, or discover the relaxed rhythms of sunny Cinque Terre.

Even before you leave, you’ll find so many useful things in the book. What to pack, currency to use, city history, and customs are examples. Plan your trip to the max with everything you need to know about Italy in this book. These include places to stay and see, how to book and use transportation, and how to avoid tourist traps. We love that the book helps travelers figuring out the transportation system. Plus, it has a chapter with a planned three-week trip from Milan to Rome using public transportation.

Make your trip easier and connect with the locals by learning some Italian common phrases. The book also provides information on the opening times and days closed for major sites. Plus, there’s a section on historical overview. Detailed maps, including a fold-out map, are very helpful. You can rip it out and fold it in your pocket for handy reference.

Backpackers, family, or group travelers

DK Eyewitness Italy 2020

You’ll find this guide to be useful in making your trip across Italy easy. Whether you want to explore the ancient ruins of Pompeii, cruise down Venice’s Grand Canal, soak in the sunny Capri, it’s one of the best travel books about Italy that has everything covered. Finding the best gelato or enjoying the lavish foodie culture? You’ll find the book is organized into three major sections: Discover, Experience, and Need to Know.

Discover provides brief introductions to the history and architecture of the country. Experience is divided into three main sections of twenty different towns and regions. First, Central Italy (like Rome, Lazio, and Florence). Second, Northern Italy (including Milan and Venice). And third is Southern Italy (Sicily, Sardinia, Naples, and more). Each region, city, or town comes with a brief history and some highlights. There is information like places to see, insider tips, suggested places to eat. Plus, many sections have detailed maps. The last one, Need to Know, gives you expert advice and practical information about getting around and a few Italian phrases.

You’ll also find a selection of itineraries to help planning your trip, so you can enjoy the best of Italy. Whether you’re staying for a few days or few weeks, this travel guide makes sure you experience all Italy has to offer. What’s more, DK Eyewitness Italy 2020 provides lots of color photos. Also, maps and illustrations. It’s perfect for those who want to get places and sights visually. And it includes plenty of those 3D photos of cathedrals and historic buildings that you’ll love.

Good planner travelers, backpacker, photographers, and foodie travelers

Lonely Planet Italy

Lonely Planet Italy is one of the must-have travel books about Italy for independent travelers, who long for the best way to discover this country. It’s also perfect for those planning a trip to Italy, but unsure where to go. You’ll get everything you need. Enjoy the adventures and hidden gems from the information and recommendation in this book.

The book gives you up-to-date info on what to see and skip. Sample the varieties of olive and wine in Tuscany, toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain in Rome, or wander through streets in Pompeii. Anywhere you want to go, such as Rome, Naples, Sicily, Sardinia, and the Dolomites, this book covers them.

Get the best place for you to sleep, eat, sightsee, and more from honest reviews that meet all budgets. The book includes itineraries to help you set up your trip to your personal interests. Or finding cultural insights, like art, history, and customs? We also love the photos throughout the book. Plus, the pull-out Rome map and hundreds of other colored maps that really helpful. This is why Lonely Planet Italy sits on top of our list of the best travel books for Italy.

Backpackers, adventurers, solo travelers

Author:  Julie Wharton

As a solo traveler, I have discovered the freedom and adventure that comes from exploring the world on your own terms. With a backpack on my back and a thirst for new experiences, I have journeyed to some of the most remote and fascinating destinations on the planet. As a travel blogger, I share my stories and insights with fellow solo travelers who are looking to break free from the constraints of group tours and package deals. Whether you're a seasoned backpacker or a first-time adventurer, my blog is dedicated to helping you plan your solo travels with confidence and ease. From tips on finding the best hostels to recommendations for off-the-beaten-path destinations, I provide a wealth of information that will help you make the most of your solo journey. And with a passion for photography and storytelling, I bring each destination to life through vivid imagery and captivating narratives. So if you're ready to embark on an adventure of a lifetime, join me on my journey and let's discover the world together.

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Uncovering the Best Travel Books for Italy [2024]

This article may contain compensated links. See our full disclosure here

Looking for an Italy travel guide book to help you plan your trip? There are many options to choose from so we rounded up those that delivered the best information for planning, insight into the destinations you want to visit and those that added a little something extra.

Guidebooks are an important resource to help you plan your travels to Italy. Usually thoroughly researched and detailed, they offer a great starting point as you begin your initial trip planning. As you begin to firm up your itinerary you can also check back for tips on logistics and general information prior to arrival.

Fortunately, there’s a host of high-quality Italy travel books out there, and we’re here to tell you which are best, including guides for specific cities and regions. All of these books are available in print or digital formats depending on your preference.

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3 Best Italian Travel Guides

Rick steves italy, lonely planet italy, dk eyewitness travel guide italy.

Rick Steves is the go-to guy for many Americans when it comes to travel in Europe.

For almost half a century he has spent ⅓ of every year traveling around the continent, and he’s made it his mission to make travel in Europe accessible to Americans.

Rick Steves’ guide to Italy is easy to read and full of useful information, from travel tips and recommendations to history and cultural insights.

It covers popular attractions as well as off-the-beaten-track gems, and is perhaps the best travel book for Italy.

As a general rule, Rick Steves is selective about the places he includes. His guides may not cover every destination in Italy, but the places that are included are well worth visiting. This book delves deep into Rome , Milan , Tuscany, Naples, Venice, and Sorrento, amongst others.

It is, however, missing information on several key areas of Italy, such as Sicily, Puglia, Basilicata, Sardinia, Piedmont, and Matera. As such, it may not be ideal if you’re planning a trip around the whole of Italy or any of the aforementioned destinations.

That being said, his philosophy is to include places based on their worthiness rather than popularity or fame. So if you don’t have an Itinerary for your Italian adventure, following Rick’s guide certainly won’t leave you disappointed!

This guide is best suited to first-time travelers and has a focus on making the entire experience less intimidating. Rick’s writing is soaked with passion and enthusiasm.  This is a guy who lives for travel, and his love for it certainly shines through!

Lonely Planet is the gold standard when it comes to travel guide publishers, and they’ve been crafting world-class guides for decades.

Lonely Planet’s Italy guide is amazing when it comes to day-to-day travel tips and advice, such as where to stay, what to eat, and how to get around.

You’ll also find plenty of interesting information on Italy’s history and culture and insider tips that will help you save money and time.

It contains detailed itineraries and allows you to tailor your trip to suit your interests, making it a strong contender for the best Italy guide book. 

Lonely Planet’s guide is broader than the Rick Steves alternative, covering more of the country. As a result, the guides on specific cities and towns are more condensed, and so offer a bit less detail. This guide isn’t especially visual, but it does feature a good amount of color images and plenty of maps throughout!

While this guide is great for those traveling on any kind of budget, it is particularly well-suited for low-budget and mid-range travel. Backpackers and independent travelers will love it most, but it’s a great resource for any kind of traveler. Use the code UNTOLD10 to get 10% off on Lonely Planet .

DK Eyewitness travel guides give you the best picture coverage of any guide book. Through its compelling images, this travel guide transports you to your destination before you’ve even left, giving you a tantalizing taste of what’s to come!

DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Italy includes all of the basics and is undoubtedly one of the best travel guidebooks for Italy. 

It includes fully planned out Itineraries and detailed histories to helpful tips, suggestions, and information.

DK Eyewitness books have a keen focus on culture, art, and architecture, and this one is particularly visual, featuring amazing photographs and hand-drawn color pictures. DK’s guides tend to concentrate more on ‘ see’ rather than ‘ do’ .

DK Eyewitness has a less personal feel than Rick Steves and is more focused on facts and histories than personalized suggestions. It mostly covers major tourist attractions, but covers them well and in detail. 

You’ll find maps, birds-eye images, and beautiful illustrations of famous landmarks’ interiors. This travel guide is amazing if you’re a dreamer who enjoys visualizing your trip and finding inspiration before you leave. 

Top Guides for Rome

Rick steves pocket rome, dk eyewitness travel guide rome, glam italia 101 fabulous things to do in rome, blue guide rome.

Rick Steves Pocket Rome is packed with everything you need to know about the Eternal city. You’ll find fascinating histories and cultural information alongside recommendations, helpful tips, useful information, and on-the-ground travel insights.

Rick offers his advice on how you should prioritize your time in Rome during a visit of any length, whether it be a day or a week.

As the title suggests, this guide is small enough to easily carry around as you explore, and can be tucked away in a pocket when not in use.

The book also includes promo codes for tours; if you take a couple of them, you could easily save more than the cost of the book, making this an extremely cost-effective purchase. 

As with all of Rick’s guides, Pocket Rome’s writing style has a personal touch. It contains insights that could only be curated by such a seasoned traveler.

The DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Rome  is a great tool for planning a trip to Rome. It offers itineraries for different length stays and includes sections for different kinds of travelers, such as art lovers, foodies, families, and architectural admirers.

This can help tailor your experience to suit your interests. It also contains a healthy amount of history and cultural information, alongside some helpful tips and suggestions.

It is an exceptionally visual book, with beautiful color images dominating pretty much every page. This, again, allows your mind to wander through Rome before you’ve left home, and is a great source of inspiration when planning your trip!

This guide is best suited to those who wish to see the main, popular sights of Rome and anyone who has a keen eye for aesthetics.

This guidebook was written by Corinna Cooke who runs small group tours in Italy and has been traveling to Rome for several decades. She is exceptionally well experienced and knowledgeable, and pours it all out onto Glam Italia! Rome ’s 394 pages.

The book has a distinct focus on avoiding the tourist crowds and absorbing a side of Rome that is less traveled. Corinna details the best sights, markets, and experiences, sharing insightful travel tips along the way. Amongst the tips and suggestions, you’ll find quirky illustrations, fun stories, interesting facts, and history.

This guide will give you a truly unique and enjoyable experience of Rome and is best suited to those who want to explore off the beaten track. We think it’s one of the best travel books for Italy.

Blue Guide Rome is almost encyclopedic, overflowing with information on just about every corner of Rome. Co-authored by an art historian, it truly contains a wealth of information on the city’s history, art, culture, and architecture, with an unparalleled level of detail. 

The book’s writing style conveys intelligence and deep knowledgeable understanding, and is the perfect guide for travelers who like to dig deep into culture and history!

It is, however, a little light on visuals as well as practical tips and suggestions, and so may not be ideal for first-time travelers.

Top Guides for Florence and Tuscany 

Dk eyewitness travel guide florence and tuscany, tuscany, italy: small-town itineraries for the foodie traveler.

• Glam Italia! 101 Fabulous Things To Do In Florence: Insider Secrets To The Renaissance City

DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Florence and Tuscany is an easy-to-use travel tool that, just like other DK Eyewitness Guides, is strongly visual. It offers useful travel tips and practical information alongside cultural and historical context.

The color-coded chapters make navigating the guide a breeze, and the book is packed with plenty of user-friendly maps. There’s even a large pullout map of Florence tucked inside.

Expect exploded illustrations of key sights as well as gorgeous images that will whet your travel appetite like no other guidebook. Perfect for lovers of all things visual, this book offers an inspiring taste of Florence and the rest of Tuscany.

This travel guide for Tuscany takes you on a journey to discover the highly-celebrated Tuscan cuisine, exploring the region’s gorgeous historic sights, natural beauty, and vibrant culture along the way.

It provides travel tips and information, making recommendations for places to stay and visit beyond culinary establishments. But if you’re a foodie traveler, this is without a doubt one of the best Italy travel guides for you!

Glam Italia! 101 Fabulous Things To Do In Florence

This guidebook was written by Corinna Cooke, who runs small-group boutique tours to Italy and is a best-selling author. She travels to Florence regularly and is well-experienced and knowledgeable on the ins and outs of the city. She shares all the tips and tricks she has learned in Glam Italia! Florence .

The book guides you to avoid the tourist crowds and get off the beaten track in Florence. Corinna shares the best sights, eateries, and experiences, as well as many other insightful travel tips and suggestions for a stress-free visit. 

This guide is full of interesting facts and history, as well as hilarious anecdotes and is best suited to those who like to get off the beaten track and explore a unique and sometimes quirky side to the city.

Top Guides for Venice

Rick steves pocket venice.

• Glam Italia! 101 Fabulous Things To Do In Venice: Fantastic Finds In The most Unique City On Earth

Rick’s Steves Pocket Venice is a fantastic, compact guide to Venice , that comprehensively breaks down the city in order to help you get the most out of your trip. You’ll find the usual travel tips, recommendations, and information, including some history and cultural insights.

It’s more visual than his Italy guide, with color images scattered throughout. There’s also a large pullout map of the city, which comes in particularly handy when exploring the maze that is Venice. 

It contains some great walking tours through the city, as well as some downloadable audio tours. Rick’s passion for European travel is once again conveyed through the book’s personal writing style. 

Pocket Venice is a great option for anyone who wants to avoid Venice’s tourist traps and travel the city with insider information.

Glam Italia! 101 Fabulous Things To Do In Venice

Another excellent guide from best-selling author Corinna Cooke, who has been traveling to Venice half her life and knows the city inside out. She shares her insider knowledge and tips in  Glam Italia! Venice .

With Venice being a notoriously busy tourist hotspot, this book tells you when and where to get you away from the crowded center. The guide is full of places to get off the beaten track in Venice and will help you find this lagoon city’s hidden gems. 

Best Regional Travel Guides for Italy

• Rick Steves Snapshot Naples & the Amalfi Coast

Lonely Planet Sicily

Rick steves snapshot naples & the amalfi coast: including pompeii.

This Rick Steves guide is the perfect companion for those planning a trip to Naples and the Amalfi Coast . With detailed suggestions on where to go and what to see, as well as first-hand advice on accommodation, food, and nightlife.

The guide covers the main sights and destinations, including Vesuvius, Pompeii, Amalfi Town, and Positano. You’ll find detailed maps as well as some black and white images. Featuring Rick’s usual writing style, this book helps you travel like a local, and provides a good amount of historical context.

This is a great option for those who want the advice of an experienced traveler to heighten their explorations of Naples and the Amalfi Coast.

As with all Lonely Planet guides, Lonely Planet Sicily is packed full of helpful on-the-ground travel tips.

This book allows you to get to the heart of the region and helps you to get around the island like a local. It’s great for exploring the main sights and attractions, as well as for discovering hidden gems.

Amongst several other destinations, it covers the Aeolian Islands, Western and Central Sicily, Palmero, and much of the region’s extensive coastline.

The writing is practical and useful, and the guide is well-suited to adventurous travelers who want to dive into Sicily , head first.

Choosing the best Italy Travel Book for your trip

When selecting the best Italy travel guide for your preferences and interests, there are several important considerations you should take into account. 

Some guidebooks are more focused on pragmatic hands-on information, often in the form of tips and advice. Some favor a more informational approach with a focus on providing historical and cultural context to the sights and destinations. 

You’ll find that some guidebooks tend to be more visual, with plenty of images and diagrams and less written content, while others are text-heavy and rich in information. Others include handy extras such as maps. 

It’s important that you check the publication date of the Italy travel book you’re considering. We live in a world of constant change; more recent guidebooks will have more current information and are more likely to be useful.

Also, be sure to check the table of contents so that you can compare the areas covered in the guide to the list of areas you would like to visit.

Italy trip planning

We hope this guide to the best Italy guidebooks has given you some useful insights and helped you make an informed decision. We’ve curated this list with every traveler in mind, and we’re sure that you’ll find something that suits you and your itinerary !

Choosing the right guidebook can really make a visit to Italy special, and, no matter which book you choose, we hope you have a wonderful adventure.

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20 Travel Books about Italy to Read Before You Go

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These captivating books on Italy are a must-read before your trip. Non-fiction Italian travel books include the classic Rick Steeves travel guide alongside books about the Italian language and food you’ll encounter during your vacation as well.

Planning a trip to Italy? Or perhaps you just want to explore Italy from home as part of a homeschool geography, history, or cultural study.

These non-fiction books on Italy cover a broad range of fascinating topics that bring the Italian vistas right to your front door.

When I’m reading up before a big trip, I always start with a few classic travel guides to get a better sense of the area I’ll be visiting and the landmarks I want to add to my itinerary.

But then I like to dig a little deeper with books about the language, history, food, and culture so that I’m better prepared for the people I’ll meet and the experiences I’ll encounter.

Though you might be able to find locals who can speak a bit of English, if it is your first International trip , the right thing to do is to pick up a few Italian phrases before you go.

Familiarizing yourself with an Italian phrase book and reading a little about all the amazing food you’ll find in the pasta and pizza restaurants will help you to order more easily and be sure you get what you love.

I’ve also included a few Italian travelogues if you prefer a first-hand account of Tuscany vs. a more detailed guide book or history book.

If you’ll be traveling as a family, you’ll definitely want to check out this list of books about Italy for kids . They are perfect for using in a homeschool curriculum or simply to prepare your children before a family vacation.

But if non-fiction books aren’t your thing, don’t miss this list of fiction books about Italy that would fun to take on the plane!

20 Travel Books About Italy to Read Before You Go

Planning a trip to Italy? Be sure to pick up a few of these fantastic travel books about Italy so you can have the best trip ever.

Rick Steves Italy

Now more than ever, you can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know when traveling through Italy. From the Mediterranean to the Alps, from fine art to fine pasta, experience it all with Rick Steves! 

DK Eyewitness Italy

From erupting volcanoes to magnificent coastal scenery, this breathtaking country is rich in natural beauty. And with more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than anywhere else on Earth, there is no better place to experience the glories of European art and architecture.

Of course, Italy is not only a sumptuous feast for the eyes; famous for some of the world’s finest food and wine, the country’s vibrant gastronomic traditions differ from one town to the next.

Our newly updated guide brings Italy to life, transporting you there like no other travel guide does with expert-led insights, trusted travel advice, detailed breakdowns of all the must-see sights, photographs on practically every page, and our hand-drawn illustrations which place you inside the country’s iconic buildings and neighborhoods. 

Frommer's Italy

With helpful advice and honest recommendations from Frommer’s expert authors, you’ll walk among the ancient ruins of Pompeii, float along the canals of Venice, appreciate Renaissance masterworks in Florence, explore off-the-beaten-path Puglia and live la dolce vita in Rome―as well as discover timeless wonders such as the vineyards of Tuscany and cliff-top towns perched along the Amalfi Coast.

Easy Italian Phrase Book

We at Lingo Mastery have developed Easy Italian Phrase Book: Over 1500 Common Phrases for Everyday Use and Travel for you, our favorite language-learner, so that you may find the best expressions for common usage in Italy and communicate with your Italian friends, colleagues and client without any issue!

Italian Neighbors

In this deliciously seductive account of an Italian neighborhood with a statue of the Virgin at one end of the street, a derelict bottle factory at the other, and a wealth of exotic flora and fauna in between, acclaimed novelist Tim Parks celebrates ten years of living with his wife, Rita, in Verona, Italy.

Via Colombre, the main street in a village just outside Verona, offers an exemplary hodgepodge of all that is new and old in the bel paese, a point of collision between invading suburbia and diehard peasant tradition in a sometimes madcap, sometimes romantic always mixed-up world of creeping vines, stuccoed walls, shotguns, security cameras, hypochondria, and expensive sports cars.

Tim Parks is anything but a gentleman in Verona. With an Italian-born wife, an Italian made family, and a whole Italian condominium bubbling around him, he collects a gallery full of splendid characters who initiate us into all the foibles and delights of life in provincial Italy.

More than a travel book, Italian Neighbors is a sparkling, witty, beautifully observed tale of how the most curious people and places gradually assume the familiarity of home. Italian Neighbors is a rare work that manages to be both a portrait and an invitation for everyone who has ever dreamed about Italy.

Italian Ways: On and Off the Rails from Milan to Palermo

Parks begins as any traveler might: "A train is a train is a train, isn’t it?" But soon he turns his novelist’s eye to the details, and as he journeys through majestic Milano Centrale station or on the newest high-speed rail line, he delivers a uniquely insightful portrait of Italy.

Through memorable encounters with ordinary Italians―conductors and ticket collectors, priests and prostitutes, scholars and lovers, gypsies and immigrants―Parks captures what makes Italian life distinctive: an obsession with speed but an acceptance of slower, older ways; a blind eye toward brutal architecture amid grand monuments; and an undying love of a good argument and the perfect cappuccino.

Italian Ways also explores how trains helped build Italy and how their development reflects Italians’ sense of themselves from Garibaldi to Mussolini to Berlusconi and beyond. Most of all, Italian Ways is an entertaining attempt to capture the essence of modern Italy. As Parks writes, "To see the country by train is to consider the crux of the essential Italian dilemma: Is Italy part of the modern world, or not?"

La Bella Figura: A Field Guide to the Italian Mind

You won’t need luggage for this hypothetical and hilarious trip into the hearts and minds of Beppe Severgnini’s fellow Italians.

In fact, Beppe would prefer if you left behind the baggage his crafty and elegant countrymen have smuggled into your subconscious.

To get to his Italia, you’ll need to forget about your idealized notions of Italy.

Although La Bella Figura will take you to legendary cities and scenic regions, your real destinations are the places where Italians are at their best, worst, and most authentic.

Cocktail Italiano: The Definitive Guide to Aperitivo

“Aperitivo” or “Apero” is an integral part of Italian lifestyle—it is the daily ritual of meeting late afternoon or early evening for a cocktail and a few nibbles. As a renowned expert on food styling and entertaining, and currently restoring a castle in Tuscany, Annette Joseph is an experienced, authentic guide to la dolce vita of Italy.

With chapters on twelve major cities along the Italian Riviera (including San Remo, Genova, Portofino, and Santa Margarita), each will feature unique cocktail recipes as well as regional appetizers traditionally served with cocktails, often as a beachside ritual.

You’ll also find sidebars offering detailed info about local distilleries, celebrity barmen, cultural idiosyncrasies of bar life, famous hotels, and much more.

How to Be Italian

What does it mean to be Italian?

Is it pausing to enjoy an aperitivo or gelato? A passeggiata down a laneway steeped in history? An August spent tanning at the beach?

This book is a celebration of the Italian lifestyle – an education in drinking to savour the moment, travelling indulgently, and cherishing food and culture.

A lesson in the dolce far niente: the sweetness of doing nothing. We may not all live in the bel paese, but anyone can learn from the rich tapestry of life on the boot.

Let's Eat Italy!

From the same team that created Let’s Eat France! comes this celebration of Italian food in the form of an oversized, obsessively complete, visual feast of a book.

With a mix of gastronomy, food science, history, cultural references, legend, lore, charts, graphs, photos, and illustrations, every one of the 400 pages in Let’s Eat Italy! is an alluring and amusing journey into Italian food.

Italian Street Food

This is not just another Italian cookbook filled with pizza and pasta recipes.

Italian Street Food takes you behind the piazzas, down the back streets and into the tiny bars and cafes to bring you traditional, local recipes that are rarely seen outside of Italy. Delve inside to discover the secret dishes from Italy’s hidden laneways and learn about the little-known recipes of this world cuisine.

Learn how to make authentic polpettine, arancini, piadine, cannoli, and crostoli, and perfect your gelato-making skills with authentic Italian flavours such as lemon ricotta, peach and basil, and panettone flavour. With beautiful stories and photography throughout, Italian Street Food brings an old and much-loved cuisine into a whole new light.

Made in Italy

Richly painted maiolica ceramics from Tuscany. Supple Florentine leather. The cameos of Naples and the Amalfi Coast. Parmigiano-Reggiano, the king of cheeses. Jaw-dropping glass from the island of Murano.

MADE IN ITALY takes you on a complete tour of the dazzling artisanal legacy of Italy, uncovering off-the-beaten-path destinations and one-of-a-kind, hidden workshops where everything from leather bags to gilded frames are turned out completely by hand, piece by piece.

100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go

Susan is your fun-loving, savvy-traveler girlfriend whispering in your ear, inspiring you to make your Italian dream vacation come true. Go along with her as she leads you up and down the boot to discover this extraordinary country where Venus (Vixen Goddess of Love and Beauty) and The Madonna (Nurturing Mother of Compassion) reign side-by-side. These pages, curated with passion, humor, and expert female tips, are guaranteed to lift you out of the flood of online information and make your travel planning easy and pleasurable.

Discover masterpieces of art that glorify womanly curves, join a cooking class taught by revered grandmas, shop for artisan treasures, ski the Dolomites, or paint a Tuscan landscape. Make your trip a string of Golden Days by pairing your experience with the very best restaurant nearby, so sensual delights harmonize and you simply bask in the glow of bell’Italia.

The Agony and the Ecstasy: A Biographical Novel of Michelangelo

His time—the turbulent Renaissance, the years of poisoning princes, warring Popes, and the all-powerful de'Medici family…

His loves—the frail and lovely daughter of Lorenzo de'Medici, the ardent mistress of Marco Aldovrandi, and his last love, his greatest love—the beautiful, unhappy Vittoria Colonna...

His genius—a God-driven fury from which he wrested brilliant work that made a grasp for heaven unmatched in half a millennium...His name—Michelangelo Buonarroti.

Creator of the David, painter of the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, architect of the dome of St. Peter's, Michelangelo lives once more in the tempestuous, powerful pages of Irving Stone's towering triumph.

A masterpiece in its own right, this biographical novel offers a compelling portrait of one of the greatest artists the world has ever known.

Brunelleschi's Dome

On August 19, 1418, a competition concerning Florence's magnificent new cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore was announced:

"Whoever desires to make any model or design for the vaulting of the main Dome....shall do so before the end of the month of September."

The proposed dome was regarded far and wide as all but impossible to build: not only would it be enormous, but its original and sacrosanct design shunned the flying buttresses that supported cathedrals all over Europe. The dome would literally need to be erected over thin air.

Of the many plans submitted, one stood out--a daring and unorthodox solution to vaulting what is still the largest dome in the world. It was offered not by a master mason or carpenter, but by a goldsmith and clockmaker named Filippo Brunelleschi, then forty-one, who would dedicate the next twenty-eight years to solving the puzzles of the dome's construction. In the process, he reinvented the field of architecture.

Eat Pray Love

In her early thirties, Elizabeth Gilbert had everything a modern American woman was supposed to want—husband, country home, successful career—but instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she was consumed by panic and confusion.

This wise and rapturous book is the story of how she left behind all these outward marks of success, and set out to explore three different aspects of her nature, against the backdrop of three different cultures: pleasure in Italy, devotion in India, and on the Indonesian island of Bali, a balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence.

Italian Glamour

The essence of Italian style through fashion and costume in the 20th century in a handsome volume that captures the evolution of Italian fashion’s biggest brands.

The fashion archive of Enrico Quinto and Paolo Tinarelli has been painstakingly assembled over the last twenty years and traces the international evolution of costume from the mid-19th century to the present day.

Gray Malin: Italy

Gray Malin turns his unique photographic eye to the coasts, beaches, and landscapes of Italy. From the sparkling blue waters of the Amalfi Coast to the dramatic coastal scenery of Cinque Terre, Gray Malin: Italy captures and celebrates in photographs many of the country’s most famous and beloved destinations.

Frances Mayes Always Italy

The world's favorite expert on la dolce vita, Under the Tuscan Sun author Frances Mayes guides readers through Italy's iconic regions, in a book replete with lavish National Geographic images.

This lush guide, featuring more than 350 glorious photographs from National Geographic, showcases the best Italy has to offer from the perspective of two women who have spent their lives reveling in its unique joys. 

Glam Italia! How To Travel Italy

Discover stress-free, cost-saving secrets for planning the ultimate Italian getaway.Is a trip to Italy on your bucket list but out of your budget? Does preparing for international travel leave you feeling anxious? Do you worry about falling into a tourist trap? Italian travel guide and blogger Corinna Cooke has years of experience creating private vacations throughout every corner of the country. And now she’s here to share her insider tips so you can make the most of your time abroad.

Travel Tips

If you’re planning your trip to Italy, don’t miss taking a Naples to Pompeii day trip !

And definitely consider these hidden gems in Puglia . Finding things off the beaten path ensures a wonderful time.

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26 Wonderful Books About Italy To Take You There

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Travel across Europe with the best books about Italy, including books about Italian history, culture, travel, and language.

Spark that Italian wanderlust to Sicily, Tuscany, Naples, Florence, and Rome with the best novels about Italy, Italian and ex-pat memoirs, books set in Italy, and nonfiction Italy culture books.

It’s also no secret that Italy runs in our blood. Both of our families are from Sicily and parts of southern and eastern Italy. Whenever we land in this gorgeous country, we feel as though we are home.

If you have ever read Frances Mayes’ Italy travel books, especially about Tuscany, she evokes all of the feels and chills that reverberate in our bones.

We covet visits to Marsala, Menfi, Noto, the Amalfi Coast, Chianti, Venice, Palermo, and San Gimignano. Bike riding along the fortress walls of Lucca is one of our all-time favorite memories.

So, whether you are traveling to Italy or are hoping to spark your wanderlust, what are the best books about Italy to read right now?

Below, find fiction and nonfiction Italy books for adults and teens across famous cities and regions. Explore translated literature and a few classics too.

We update our book lists frequently, so please don’t hesitate to comment with your favorites too. Let’s get started!

If you love these Italy books, don’t miss the best Italian films to take you there .

Grab your top Italy books here:

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Table of Contents

Best Nonfiction Books About Italy

By Jeremy Paterson with additions from Christine

Gomorrah by Roberto Saviano

Translated into English by Virginia Jewiss

The Camorra is one of the oldest and most far-reaching criminal organizations in Italy.

Through their powers of intimidation and their frequent use of extreme violence, they manage to spread their influence into the worlds of drugs, high fashion, construction, and toxic waste disposal.

Their negative impact can be felt all along the Neapolitan coast, especially in the city of Naples, the hometown of author Roberto Saviano.

With this internationally celebrated literary achievement and one of the best books on Italian history according to many, Saviano recounts the decline of Naples under the “control” of the Camorra.

Saviano witnesses his first murder victim as a teenager, and the Camorra severely beats his father for attempting to assist a man they had left in the street to die.

More than just a memoir and one of the many books about Italian history, Gomorrah utilizes a mixture of prose and news-reporting style.

His work is hailed as part of the literary wave of the “New Italian Epic.”

Read Gomorrah : Amazon | Goodreads

Italian Ways: On and Off the Rails from Milan to Palermo by Tim Parks

Author Tim Parks’ Italian travelog did not begin intentionally. As with some of the best Italy travel books, it started off as notes taken while writing another book.

But from these observations, Parks finds that he has begun a commentary on something both important and essential to Italian culture: the trains.

Through his interactions with people – while taking trains from Verona to Milan and Rome to Palermo – Parks deepens his understanding of just how the country works, even with some glaring contradictions.

Some train routes are announced with an impressive list of destinations, though they will more often than not be canceled.

An automated system will advise everyone to spread out in order to make boarding easier, though there will be just one passenger on the platform.

As Italy is a commuting culture, Parks argues that it is easy to see the Italian train system as symbolic of the country itself; and he asks, is Italy part of the modern world, or not?

This is one of the more darkly amusing books about Italy on this list.

If trains fascinate you, check out our books set on trains reading list too.

Read Italian Ways : Amazon | Goodreads

In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri

Translated into English by Ann Goldstein

If you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to dive right into another culture and learn a new language through total immersion, reading In Other Words will give you some insight.

Because this is exactly what Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri does, moving with her family in 2012 to Rome in order to better connect with a language she has been in love with since just after college.

Lahiri decides to devote herself to Italian; she stops reading books in her native English, stops writing in English, and eventually gives up speaking in English.

She lays bare her struggles mastering the language in this autobiographical work, especially as her inner artist attempts to literally find a new voice.

Some would say Lahiri succeeds – she writes the book in Italian, after all.

In Other Words is one of the more relatable Italian culture books. Lahiri’s alienation and the obstacles she faces represent many of the trials that emigrants experience.

Read In Other Words : Amazon | Goodreads

La Bella Figura: A Field Guide to the Italian Mind by Beppe Severgnini

Translated into English by Giles Watson

Everyone has an idea of what Italy and Italians are like: often suave, romantic, either dashing or beautiful, and full of passion with a quick retort for anyone looking for an argument.

This image often comes as part of the package of what non-Italians think Italy is like.

Author Beppe Severgnini’s humorous examination of the Italian psyche is one of the best books about Italy with which to take a journey into finding out how much of it is true.

The answer, from Severgnini’s point of view, appears to be that sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t. However, no matter which way you swing, it will be intense.

From interpretations of what a red light at a junction really means (not “stop,” surely), to how much beauty can distract you from a bad deal, to where you can find the best coffee and pizza, you’ll be swept up in the vibrancy of the locations.

Read La Bella Figura : Amazon | Goodreads

More Nonfiction Italy Books From Christine

Midnight In Sicily: On Art, Food, History, Travel and la Cosa Nostra by Peter Robb

Having lived in southern Italy for over 14 years, Peter Robb contrasts the island’s stunning beauty against its corrupt politics.

Specifically, Robb address Cosa Nostra, the Mafia, and their relation with the government and religious institutions.

Always in the backdrop – and sometimes the forefront – this violent network permeates every aspect of Sicilian life.

If you think the Mafia is just another “business” or have watched The Sopranos and The Godfather , Robb’s account will discuss the true nature of the Mafia’s crimes, eliminating that Hollywood glamour.

For books about Italian history and politics, specifically of Sicily post-war, Midnight In Sicily is a solid start. Read Midnight In Sicily: Amazon | Goodreads

Trieste And The Meaning Of Nowhere by Jan Morris

Find a gorgeous meditation and homage to the Italian city of Trieste in Jan Morris’s Trieste And The Meaning Of Nowhere.

The tiny port and the seaside city remain unknown to many. However, to travel writer and Welsh historian Jan Morris, it’s one of her favorite places – and she had traveled all over the world.

Encounter a lyrical and captivating travelogue about Trieste. Learn about its role in history – especially during the Cold War – and then over time, its dwindling glory.

For short and solemn but deeply touching and atmospheric books about Italy, Trieste And The Meaning Of Nowhere won’t disappoint.

Read Trieste And The Meaning Of Nowhere: Amazon | Goodreads

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Eat, Pray, Love is one of the most cliché recommendations for books set in Italy, and people either love it or loathe it.

After going through a divorce, Gilbert needs to escape and start over. She decides to jet set off to Italy, India, and Indonesia to literally eat, pray, and love.

Only one-third of the book takes place in Italy when Gilbert heads out to taste test her way through Rome and Naples.

Throughout her travels, Gilbert learns how to be still, meditate, find and love herself, and love romantically – once again.

A thought-provoking travel memoir , a small portion of Gilbert lives within many of us. For Italy books, Eat, Pray, Love is more about finding yourself amongst a beautiful landscape and new culture.

After heading to Rome with Gilbert, explore these Indonesian books and books set in India to travel there next. Read Eat, Pray, Love: Amazon | Goodreads | More Information

Under The Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes

One of our other favorite nonfiction ex-pat books about Italy, Frances Mayes’ Under The Tuscan Sun will remind you a lot of Gilbert taking an extended Italian holiday.

A beautiful memoir and Italian travel guide, Mayes paints a vivid picture of Tuscan life as an ex-pat and part-time Italian resident.

On a whim, Mayes decides to restore an old villa, Bramasole, in the Tuscan countryside of Cortona.

She evokes the true ambiance of Italy through her poetic writing about food, friends, and community.

Perfect for armchair travelers, watch as Mayes also moves on from divorce and throws her talents into writing, renovation, and love.

Mayes writes some of the best Italy travel books from an American perspective. The movie is fantastic too.

If you wish to read more about eating and drinking across Italy, don’t miss these wine novels and memoirs . Read Under The Tuscan Sun: Amazon | Goodreads

More Books About Italian Culture & Food From Frances Mayes

Best Novels About Italy

Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman

Reminiscing about his times as a teenager in the early 1980s, narrator Elio recalls one particular summer when American doctoral student Oliver comes to stay with him and his parents in their house in Italy.

At first unsure of how to interact with Oliver, Elio finds him standoffish. However, the two gradually realize that a romance is blossoming between them.

Over the weeks, they spend more time in each other’s company, gradually becoming more vulnerable with each other.

As Elio is on the cusp of a new period of his life, this experience will change him and his perceptions of love and intimacy forever.

Call Me By Your Name is one of the most well-known queer novels about Italy.

Anyone who has felt the adrenaline and thrill of a new and previously unseen or unconsidered romantic attachment will have much to relate to and enjoy here.

Read Call Me By Your Name : Amazon | Goodreads

Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio by Amara Lakhous

In one residential building in Rome, the status quo is about to be destroyed; someone has been murdered.

The body turns out to be one of the tenants – an unpopular character known as The Gladiator – found dead in the building’s elevator.

Naturally, the police need to interview the other inhabitants of the building, and so we are introduced to the eclectic and colorful community of immigrants who live there.

Each one takes their turn answering police questions, some with extremely vibrant language.

The author presents the reader with a kaleidoscopic snapshot of the diversity of the average Italian mini-community.

As has been consistent throughout the history of Italy, books like this comedic satire highlight just how diverse this melting pot country can be (just as the pleasingly elaborate title suggests).

If you’re looking for books about Italy where the characters feel developed and nuanced, this is the novel for you.

Explore more contemporary and Ancient Rome books . Read Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio : Amazon | Goodreads

The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri

Translated into English by Stephen Sartarelli

For anyone who likes to be introduced to a culture through its crime novels, Andrea Camilleri writes some of the best crime books about Italy.

The Shape of Water is the first in his Inspector Montalbano series, which is set predominantly in Sicily.

Inspector Salvo Montalbano is a streetwise detective with no time for liars or criminals but who will do whatever it takes to right a wrong.

In his first book, he shows up on the scene after an engineer’s death is ruled to be from natural causes. But Montalbano isn’t so sure that’s the case.

As he investigates the man’s death, we are drawn into the corruption and underbelly of Sicily and Italian politics.

The Inspector Montalbano series will not only transport you to Italy, but they are also some of the best fiction books about Italian culture and politics – especially Sicily.

Read The Shape of Water : Amazon | Goodreads

More novels about Italy from Christine

Trieste by Daša Drndić

Translated into English by Ellen Elias-Bursać

In Northeastern Italy, Haya Tedeschi hasn’t seen her son in over 62 years. As she awaits their reunion, Haya reflects on her Catholicized Jewish family’s experiences.

An SS officer is the father of her son, and the German authorities took him as part of Himmler’s Lebensborn project.

Throughout the novel, readers learn more about the concentration camps of Trieste and the massacre of Italian Jews.

For historical fiction novels about Italy during WW2, Trieste is a moving and well-researched account of the atrocities of war.

Through every photograph, document, and piece of testimony Haya retrieves, readers gain powerful insight into the Nazi occupation of northern Italy.

Daša Drndić was a Croatian and award-winning writer. Uncover even more WWII historical fiction .

Find Belladonna by Daša Drndić on our Croatian reading list .

Read Trieste: Amazon | Goodreads

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

One of the most popular books set in Italy, My Brilliant Friend is also an HBO TV show , and Italian author Elena Ferrante’s first book in the Neapolitan Novels series.

Armchair travelers head to Naples in the 1950s where Lila’s and Elena’s friendship and lives evolve in a story that spans over 60 years.

We meet the two women in elementary school, at 10 years old, and watch them transform into wives, mothers, figureheads, and friends.

In a slow-burn yet captivating story, readers learn more about working-class Naples and one feisty and complicated friendship.

For books about Italian culture and life, Ferrante is famous her relentless and hypnotic stories.

Explore even more fascinating books about best friends and friendship . Read My Brilliant Friend: Amazon | Goodreads

Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri

For transcendent and intuitive translated Italian literature, Whereabouts by one of our favorite authors, Jhumpa Lahiri, is a must.

Thought-provoking and meditative , book clubs and deep thinkers will appreciate this one. Plus, you can read Whereabouts in a few hours.

The novel takes place in an unnamed, small town that is most likely set somewhere in Italy.

Through the everyday vignettes and “whereabouts” of an average yet depressed and sullen woman, Lahiri shares our universal insecurities, feelings of isolation, and faults that make us deeply human.

How can such a seemingly ordinary book be so extraordinary?

If you love Italy books with gripping plots, though, you might want to pass here.

Personally, we will live more fully, love more deeply, and pay closer attention to the happiness and sorrow around us having read Whereabouts .

Read Whereabouts: Amazon | Goodreads | Read More

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The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman

One of the best books set in Italy that is also perfect for book club, travel to Ravello, Venice, and Trespiano in The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany .

Italy oozes off of the pages, and you’ll wish you had a sage and eccentric Aunt Poppy in your life. We couldn’t possibly love this inspiring and beautiful novel more.

Beginning in Brooklyn, New York , Emilia lives a safe life working in the family bakery with her cat Jaws.

Yet something is off, and it’s not just the family curse that says second-born daughters are destined to never have lasting love.

Her grandmother – who has raised her – treats Emilia with disdain, and her sister uses her as a doormat.

When their estranged Aunt Poppy invites Emilia and cousin Lucy – another second daughter – to travel across Italy for her birthday, they jump on the opportunity, especially since Poppy promises she can break the curse.

However, Poppy is dying from cancer and has another agenda: reunite with the love of her life that she was separated from with the construction of the Berlin Wall.

Can they break the curse, and will family secrets destroy these already shaky relationships? There are secrets and pain they all must overcome.

The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany is also a story perfect for romance lovers and those wishing to step out of their comfort zone.

Novels about Italy and Italian life don’t get any more devour-worthy than this.

Read The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany: Amazon | Goodreads

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan

A 2020 book release by the author of Crazy Rich Asians , Kwan entrances readers with the beautiful and wealthy island of Capri. We just eat up island books .

One of the most fun books set in Italy and NYC, you’ll head to the shores of the Amalfi Coast for a steamy romance and one compromising situation.

Sex and Vanity is a modern-day A Room With A View.

Lucie meets George Zao during a fancy wedding weekend. George is Chinese-born and raised in Australia while Lucie is a Churchill, making them an unlikely and ‘socially’ unacceptable match.

At first, Lucie cannot tolerate George until she finds herself in his warm embrace.

Years later and back in NYC, Lucie is engaged to Cecil, a pompous and new money douche bag.

When George moves to New York for work, though, Lucie must decide who she really loves, including herself. Read Sex and Vanity: Amazon | Goodreads | Book Information

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

A novel set along the Italian coast, Beautiful Ruins is another one of those Italy books that people either love or don’t.

In 1962, a young innkeeper experiences love at first sight as he spies an American actress coming into land via boat.

The caveat is that she is dying.

Over the course of 50 years, readers watch as the story begins with an older Italian man in search of the mysterious actress. Read Beautiful Ruins: Amazon | Goodreads

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

Beginning at CERN in Switzerland, Robert Langdon examines a symbol seared into one of their dead physicists, proof of the existence of the Illuminati. Why have they returned?

To take revenge on the Catholic Church, of course. And where better than the Vatican?

The Illuminati have set a bomb hidden deep within Vatican City that Langdon must find and disable before all of history is lost.

Angels & Demons is the first in the Robert Langdon series and is one of the most thrilling and fast-paced books about Italy on this list.

In the fourth book in the series, Inferno – a novel set in Florence, Italy – Robert Langdon wakes up in an Italian hospital with an assassin trailing him.

If CERN intrigues you, travel further into Switzerland with these books . Read Angels & Demons: Amazon | Goodreads

Under A Dancing Star by Laura Wood

For YA novels about Italy and summer vacations, travel to the Italian countryside with Bea.

It’s England in the 1930s, and while Bea’s parents worry about her marriage potential, she’d rather be studying natural history.

Bea’s entire worldview becomes much larger as she heads off to Italy where unbeknownst to her parents, she’s about to join a bohemian artist retreat with her uncle and his fiancé.

When Bea meets Ben, she must decide if she wants a casual summer fling. He’s arrogant but also cute. The catch, of course, is that this romance cannot lead to falling in love.

Inspired by Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing , Under A Dancing Star is a fluffier romance with occasional political context. Read Under A Dancing Star: Amazon | Goodreads

The Glassblower Of Murano by Marina Fiorato

If you crave historical books about Italy and European history, head to Venice in Fiorato’s The Glassblower Of Murano .

It’s 1681 where glassblowing and Venetian mirrors are everything.

In an effort to protect his daughter, the most renowned glassblower, Corradino Manin, discloses his trade secrets to Louis XIV of France.

Flash forward to the present day where Leonora Manin runs off to Italy, linking herself to one deceptive past. Read The Glassblower Of Murano: Amazon | Goodreads

Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Another one of the best light and fluffy books set in Italy, don’t skip Love and Gelato .

For YA armchair travelers, especially, Jenna Evans Welch creates the sweetest stories abroad.

Lina is spending her summer in Tuscany.

She’s trying to better understand her estranged father – her mother’s dying wish. Lina is, of course, not happy with this forced vacation until she starts reading her mother’s Italian journal.

Lina learns more about her family than she ever could have imagined while discovering some Italian romance of her own.

Find even more of Jenna Evan Welch’s books on our books set in Greece and Ireland books reading lists. Read Love and Gelato: Amazon | Goodreads

The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper

One of the lesser-known YA books about Italy, The Juliet Club promises to transport readers to Verona, Italy.

Kate Sanderson is studying Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in Verona as well as volunteering for the Juliet Club, answering love letters sent from around the world.

Attending a seminar with other Americans and Italians, Kate finds herself drawn into the romance of her setting. Read The Juliet Club: Amazon | Goodreads

Classic Italy Books

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

One of the most famous classic novels about Italy, everyone knows the tragic story of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet .

Set in Verona and Mantua, the Montagues and the Capulets are feuding enemies. Yet, their children fall in love.

Juliet is arranged to marry another man; so, she and Romeo plan to wed in secret. When Romeo kills Juliet’s cousin in a street fight, he is banished from the kingdom, ruining their plans.

As Romeo tries to make it back before it’s too late, Juliet hatches an ill-thought-out scheme of her own. Unfortunately, everything goes terribly wrong. Read Romeo and Juliet: Amazon | Goodreads

A Room With A View by E.M. Forster

If you are looking for books set in Florence, Italy, try the classic A Room With A View .

First published in 1908, uptight Lucy visits her cousin Charlotte in Florence.

Lucy is a product of Edwardian England, which is infamous for its structure and rigidity. Florence opens Lucy’s eyes and heart to the world, but when George kisses her, she is dragged back home.

Now with a stuffy fiancé, Cecil Vyse, Lucy has to determine who and what she really wants. Read A Room With A View: Amazon | Goodreads

A Farewell To Arms by Ernest Hemingway

A Farewell To Arms  is one of the many historical fiction books about Italy that portrays war.

In 1918, as an ambulance corps volunteer, Hemingway chronicles wartime along with its effects on friendship and love.

Adapted into a play, film, and mini-series, this is a well-known World War I love story. Read A Farewell To Arms: Amazon | Goodreads

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Set on an island off of Italy, Pianosa during World War 2, bombardier Yossarian cannot believe that people he doesn’t even know wish to kill him.

And even more so, he is terrified that his own army is going to kill him before the enemy does. They just keep increasing his missions. 

Hence, Yossarian wants to leave the military, which feels impossible.

Finding himself in a Catch-22, Yossarian can’t claim he’s mentally unwell to quit the army because doing so proves exactly the opposite. Only a sane person would think of a way out.

Catch-22 is one of those classic books about Italy and war that most American high schoolers or college students have read.

Explore the all-time best books about World War 2 . Read Catch-22: Amazon | Goodreads

Save These Books About Italian History, Culture, & Life For Later:

Grab your favorite Italy books to take you there here:

Thank you to TUL contributor, Jeremy Paterson

Jeremy (pronouns: any) is an autistic writer, hobbyist, and movie buff, as long as that movie is Labyrinth . Since leaving the corporate world behind in 2018, he has read more books than he thought possible. True to his British upbringing, his first instinct in any given situation is to put the kettle on.

What books set in Italy do you love? How about books about Italian culture?

Have you been to Italy, and if so, what areas do you love?

Who are your favorite travel writers, and what Italy travel books are musts?

And, what are your absolute favorite novels about Italy? Which nonfiction books about Italy have enhanced your trip and taught you more? Let us know in the comments.

Travel With These European Book Lists:

Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia Icelandic Books France-Based Novels To Devour Norway Spain Sweden

Christine Frascarelli

19 Comments

I’m trying to find the title and author of a novel I read a few years ago set in Perugia. A man, American I think, visits Perugia and becomes entranced by a painting (I think it might be the artist Perugino but I may have mis remembered) and stays in Perugia for best part of a year. Does anyone know this book I’m seeking?

Hi Penny, I’m not sure which book this is, but maybe one of our readers will recognize it.

Hello, wondering why no one recommends Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan… world war 2, set in Milan, follows a bit of the life ( 14-mid 20s) of a young man. It has it all, suspense, romance, treachery, civil upheaval. It is based on a real person, and it’s hard to believe a person could could survive what these people did during the war!! A book that truly leaves you wrung out, and thinking about it long after you are done. Can’t wait to read some of your recommendations! Thank you!

Thanks so much for sharing!

@Cel Erickson, That’s an excellent book.

Happy to share some titles that I loved, since I can’t seem to get enough of books set in Italy ! NIVES by Sacha Naspini….a widow in a small Tuscan town learns intriguing things about herself. Seems she enjoys the company of her hen with a crippled foot more than that of her late husband ! MEETING IN POSITANO by Goliarda Sapienza….because I’ll read just about anything set in Positano ! WOMEN IN SUNLIGHT by Frances Mayes….this one spoke to me since it’s the story of ladies of “a certain age” who find adventure and romance in Tuscany. THE CITY OF FALLING ANGELS by John Berendt….mainly the story of the 1996 fire that destroyed the historic Fenice Opera House in Venice. Berendt is the author of MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL. I learned so much about interesting people who lived in Venice at one time, especially Percy Bysche Shelley, Ezra Pound, and Cole Porter. The book is like a love poem to Venice.

Not about Italy, but…..be sure to read IN THE SANCTUARY OF OUTCASTS by Neil White. No hints here…just trust me on this one !!!!!! Curious ?? Good !!

Thanks so, so much for sharing this great list with mini-summaries! We appreciate it, and I am sure that our readers do too!

The enchanted april is great, and old novel from the 50s but paints a beautiful picture of italy, and Miss Garnets Angel, set in Venice, a quiet start leads to the most engaging and beautiful story, it made me book a trip to Venice

We’ll have to check these out. Thank you so much for the Italy book recommendations. We appreciate it!

I would add The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim to the classics section!

Yes, I’ve heard that’s a good one, too! Thank you so much for the Italy book recommendation.

UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN!!!! I, too, have only watched the movie, and I’ve watched it A MILLION TIMES. My best friend and I have watched that so much, we can recite parts of it from memory. I really need to read the actual book one of these days — maybe I’m afraid I won’t love it nearly as much as the movie?? The movie is a bit of inspiration for my newest novel, so I suppose I should read the book at some point, haha.

Great list of books!! I need to get back to Italy. I visited after college with some friends, staying in Florence and traveling around to Pisa and Padua (which I only went to because seeing the Scrovegni Chapel was on my bucket list). I loved Italy, but I didn’t get to explore it all as much as I would have liked. Mr Tart and I are planning to go there sometime in the next decade, haha. We both have Italian ancestry, so we’d love to see where our families are from.

The book for Under The Tuscan Sun wasn’t quite as engaging as the movie. But, the movie also added a ‘movie-ish’ plot, which I totally understand. I cannot wait to hear about your newest novel. Is it the rom-com you’ve been working on?

We are dying to go back to Italy, too. I took a genealogy course for grad school, which was so neat and eye-opening (and addicting). I’d love to visit the places my family is from, too.

We loved Florence and exploring its nearby towns. We didn’t do the tourist things, like the Uffizi, which I sorta regret — the lines were 4-hours long and we didn’t plan ahead. I don’t regret making the choice not to go (I’d rather bike ride Lucca’s walls vs waiting in line all day), but I will definitely plan better in the future. We dipped into Pisa just to see the tower, but I am sure that there is so much more to see.

I have to read Sex and Vanity but when I do, I need to be able to go on a literary date in Italy and NYC!? I love the sound of the book. Enemies to lover theme kind of? I also always go for love triangle themes. I never tire of that! Maybe I secretly want 2 guys after me? No, reality is I’ll take just one guy after me. Please. That’s all I ask for.? I loooved Under the Tuscan Sun. So beautiful! Okay, confession, I didn’t actually read it. I loved the movie! There’s something about Diane Lane. She’s perfection. I read Beautiful Ruins years ago and loved that one. Totally captivated and hooked by that one. Maybe it dragged a bit towards the end? I can’t remember anymore but I know I loved it. Love and Gelato sounds so cute. We did nothing but eat TONS of gelato while in Italy. I can’t wait to go back again one day. My high school English teacher totally tainted Romeo and Juliet for me. I liked it but he harped on how unbelievable it was how no adults who knew of their plan tried to knock some sense into them. Suspend your disbelief, Mr. Friedman! Therefore, I’m more of a Midsummer Night’s Dream and Twelfth Night fan. But The Juliet Club sounds awesome! Such a great list. I need to read more books set in Italy. It’s such a great backdrop for a captivating story.

Yesss! Literary date to Capri! That would be grand! Sex and Vanity is sort of enemies to lovers expect that the guy always liked her. Sex and Vanity is also a retelling of A Room With A View.

I both read Under the Tuscan and watched the movie. I kinda liked the movie better? I have another one of Frances Mayes’s books on my shelf that I need to read.

Yessss, I read Beautiful Ruins SO LONG AGO, and I thought it dragged too? People LOVED IT. Maybe one day, when I have time, I will re-read it.

Love & Gelato is super sweet, and she has a new book coming out this fall set in Santorini. I have a copy, and I cannot wait!

AHAHA, I love skeptics of Romeo and Juliet. That would have made it more fun for me.

Thanks so, so much for checking out TUL Italy reading list. Let’s go!

I really enjoyed A Farewell to Arms when I read it back in high school!! It was one of my first introductions to Hemingway, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I see quite a few classics here that I have on my TBR as well, like Catch-22 and A Room with a View. Love and Gelato has always sounded intriguing to me as well; it’s probably about time that I pick it up. I love the sound of Under a Dancing Star as well!! This is such a great roundup of reads, Christine xx

I had a feeling that you’d enjoy A Farewell to Arms! . Catch-22 is such a classic — I haven’t read it in a while, but I read it a few times for HS and college. Love & Gelato is super sweet and a quick YA read. She has a new one coming out this fall set in Santorini. I already have a copy, and I cannot wait! Thanks so much, Macey!

Thank you for sharing this list! I’m reading Love & Gelato now, can’t wait to finish it!

Love & Gelato is such a sweet book! I hope you are enjoying it!

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7 Best Travel Books About Italy

“The name of Italy has magic in its very syllables.”

According to Wisevoter, Italy is the fourth-most visited country in the world by tourists. 38.4 Million tourists visit Italy every year, and it’s clear to see why. With some of the most breathtaking scenery in Europe and a cultural and historical legacy that few other destinations can come close to matching, Italy is a country that has enticed travellers and captured our wanderlust for thousands of years now. Whether it be the food, art, architecture, landscapes, culture or the people, check out the best Italy travel books here at What We Reading ! 

DK Eyewitness Italy – DK Eyewitness Travel

Italy is a stunning collection of regions and experiences that are able to entice travellers of all kinds. Eyewitness Travel to Italy aims to capture all of the stunning array of destinations available to explore across the country.

Packed full of stunning photographs, illustrations and maps, all shades of the country are covered in this comprehensive travel guide. From where to eat, shop or just unwind after a day of doing either of the two, Eyewitness Travel’s Italy guide is updated annually and takes readers across every region across the country. 

Italy Travel Guide – Francesco Umbria

For thousands of years, Italy has enticed travellers to its shores. And in his Italy Travel Guide , Francesco Umbria explores what makes this country so magical, and how visitors can see it in its fullest during their stay.

One of the best Italy travel books specifically designed for first-timers in the country, Umbria takes readers from the heart of Rome , through Milan, Lombardy, Venice, Florence and Tuscany and the picturesque stretches of Sicily. A combination of all the must-see sights as well as some of the lesser-known jewels hidden inside the country, it is an invaluable guide for those looking to make their first journey across Italy a magical one. 

Glam Italia! How to Travel Italy: Secrets To Glamorous Travel – Corinna Cooke

Italy is one of the most stylish countries in the world. Whether it be the food, fashion or people, Italy is a destination where travellers constantly feel like they are living a life of glitz and glamour. In Glam Italia! How to Travel Italy: Secrets To Glamorous Travel , Corinna Cooke whisks readers through the best low-cost, stress-free strategies to make any trip across the country as fabulous as possible.

Cooke is an expert in taking the anxiety away from travel, providing walkthroughs on planning your trip, tips for booking flights and activities to save hundreds of dollars, as well as some useful guides around staying safe and happy throughout your journey! 

Four Seasons In Rome – Anthony Doerr

Anthony Doerr is the bestselling author of The Shell Collector, All The Light We Cannot See and About Grace, and offers a breathtaking memoir in the heart of Italy’s capital city in Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World .

An evocative and emotional story follows Doerr and his family as they navigate the day-to-day wonders that come with living and working in Rome. For capturing how daily life functions in the Eternal City, Four Seasons In Rome is one of the best Italy travel books. 

Italy Travel Guide – Alex Pitt 

Contemplating a trip to Italy? Alex Pitt’s The Ultimate Traveler’s Italy guidebook, history, tour book and everything Italian is everything you need to make your travels as magical as possible. From activities, food, and sightseeing to wine, Pitt guides readers through the histories, cuisines and cultures of all of Italy’s regions.

The added context behind some of the country’s most sought-after destinations, coupled with Pitt’s cleverly put-together guides, is sure to help any reader get the most out of their visit to this Southern European nation. From what to see to when and where you need to be, Italy Travel Guide has you covered! 

Gray Malin: Italy

New York Times bestselling author Gray Malin turns his lens onto the beaches, coastlines and landscapes that make up the nation of Italy. From the crystal clear waters of the Amalfi Coast to the coastline of the centuries-old Cinque Terre , Gray Malin: Italy is a stunning array of dreamy high-quality imagery that captures the wanderlust feelings Italy encompasses. Through his acclaimed photographic skills, Malin captures the breathtaking beauty of Italy, whilst also celebrating its heritage and history.

Featuring never-before-seen imagery taken by Malin himself, it is the ultimate guide for fuelling wanderlust and inspiring your next great trip. 

Always Italy – Frances Mayes

Frances Mayes’ Always Italy takes readers through the heartlands of Italy’s most famous regions. The New York Times travel writer and beloved author of Under the Tuscan Sun utilises National Geographic imagery alongside her vivid descriptions to guide readers through everything from the cobbled streets of Rome, and the quiet ports of the Aeolian Islands to the Renaissance architecture of Florence.

With over 350 high-quality photographs, Mayes’ Italy travel book is the perfect tour guide through all the art galleries, restaurants, spas, and hiking trails needed to fasten together a trip that will last a lifetime. 

Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).

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30 of The Best Travel Books For Italy

Are you planning a trip to Italy? Looking for the best travel books for Italy?

Perfect!  If you have read any of my Italy posts you will know I am a huge fan of Rick Steve's books. It is the best guidebook for Italy out there. However, I am not going to be biased in this post.  There are so many other great Italy travel books we are going to explore.

One reason why I highly recommend getting an Italy travel guidebook is that it will help you know what the highlights of each area are and specific tips and tricks to help you navigate the area.  I also love that there are food recommendations.

In this post, I am going to list the best Italy travel books for the most popular places to visit in Italy.  I will also give a recommendation for the overall best Italy travel guide if you are visiting lots of locations.  

These travel books for Italy will make your vacation so much better, I promise! 

Let's explore your options for the best travel books for Italy and get you planning for your trip!

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This post may contain affiliate links that will give me a commission at no additional charge to you.

Best Travel Books for Italy (The Entire Country)

If you are planning on visiting more than one city in Italy, I recommend getting an Italy guidebook that will cover the entire country. 

On our last trip to Italy, we went to the following cities:

• Amalfi Coast and Pompeii

Rick Steves – Travel Books for Italy

We wanted a book that would guide us throughout our trip.  We decided to go with Rick Steve's Italy book and thought it was amazing. 

One thing I liked about this book is that there are insider tips to help you skip long lines.  There are also amazing food recommendations. 

We tried to pick out food on our own and it was terrible.  When we opened our book and took Rick Steve's advice we were blown away with his recommendations.  Overall, this is the best travel book for Italy. 

Fodor's Travel Guide

The Fodor's Guide is full of pictures and maps.  If you are a visual person this book may be a better option. 

However, this guide is not as in-depth as Rick Steve's book.  It does highlight some sights, restaurants, and hotels but it is more of an overview of each area .

If you want a very visual Italy travel book this is for you. 

Best Italy Travel Books for Venice

If you are planning on visiting a specific city and then journeying somewhere else in Europe an individual travel book for Italy that specializes in a certain area is a better option for you. 

Venice Italy Travel Guidebooks

Venice is an amazing place!  From the singing Gondoliers to the narrow alleyways, Venice is an amazing adventure.  What I love about guidebooks is that a detailed explanation is given so that you know exactly what to expect.  

If exploring the top sites in Venice is a priority make sure to do your homework and plan ahead.  I recommend reading your travel book for Italy before you actually go on vacation. You will also want to consider a day trip to Burano  and Murano.

Below are the best Italian travel books for Venice. These Venice Italy guidebooks are great options! 

Best Italy Travel Books for Milan

Milan, the capital of fashion, is located very close to the lake country.  Lake Como is one of the most popular spots to visit.  An Italy travel guide for Milian is very helpful because you will most likely venture out of the city for day trips from Milian. 

Plan Ahead with Italian Travel Books

Milan has many beautiful buildings and sites to see but did you know that you need to get tickets to the “Last Supper” months in advance?  

These Italy guidebooks help you navigate and plan ahead for some of the top attractions in the city. If Milan is your destination these Italy travel books will be your go-to!

Best Italy Travel Books for Cinque Terre

There are five towns included in the area known as Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre is a rugged coastline on the Italian Riviera and consists of five beautiful hillside towns: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore.

An Italy travel guide for this region is helpful to plan out where you want to spend most of your time as you explore the area. 

Best Italy Travel Guide to Plan Cinque Terre

As you plan your trip to this area of Italy, knowing exactly what each town is known for and how long you should plan to spend at each stop is essential.  These Italy guidebooks will help you plan your adventure with ease.

Best Italy Travel Books for Florence

Florence and Tuscany offer a variety of art, food and wine, and history.  If you are looking for broad experience, getting a general Italy guidebook for “ Things to do in Florence ” is a good option.  

These travel books for Italy will help you navigate Florence with ease! 

Florence Italy Guidebook

If you have studied art, Florence provides the opportunity for a deeper experience, and you may want a Florence, Italy guidebook on specific art that you will find in the area.  

For more general questions about where to stay and what to eat, a traditional Italy tour book is a great idea.  

Best Italy Travel Books for Rome

Rome is probably the most visited city in Italy.  There is history, religion, and architecture.   Getting the best Italy travel book is very helpful in Rome! It is absolutely a huge city! The maps alone in these Italian travel books are super beneficial! 

Best Travel Books for Italy with Audio Tours

One advantage to the Rick Steve books is that audio tours come with them.  You can put in your headset and listen to tours that are included with your book purchase.  

This is very helpful in Rome as there are ruins such as the Colosseum and Roman Forum.  Having a guide is essential in knowing what exactly you are seeing. 

My vote for the best guidebook for Italy in Rome is Rick Steves because of the audio tours. 

These are the best guidebooks for Rome! 

Best Italy Travel Books for Naples, Amalfi Coast, and Southern Italy

I am not an author of a Italian guidebook but one thing I know is that you do not want to drive along the Amalfi Coast unless you are a “living on the edge” type of person or have a death wish! J/K  The Amalfi Italy guidebooks will help you know what transportation is best and how to book it! 

Know Before You Go

This area of Italy is one of the most beautiful parts.  You will not be disappointed.  Reading up on this area you will find that there are ruins such as Pompeii and Herculaneum.  As well as beaches in Positano.  Knowing where to go and how to get there is extremely helpful in this area because the roads tend to be a little more dangerous.

There are also many day trips from Naples that are amazing. Capri and Ischia are some of the best! There are many travel books for Italy for this part of the country. 

There are parts of Naples that are dangerous as well.  I don't think your Italy guidebooks are going to tell you that. Be careful and aware of your surroundings! 

Best Italy Travel Books for Sicily

If you are planning on visiting Sicily, I would recommend getting a book specifically for this area.  Sicily is a little different than other areas of Italy. 

Italian Guidebook

As I read my Italy guidebook, it says that petty crime is more prevalent.  If I hadn't read that I would have never known.  I highly recommend a Sicily Italy travel guidebook so you can stay safe and enjoy the beautiful areas of this part of Italy. 

Italian Language Phrase Books

Are you nervous about not speaking the language?  Getting a phrasebook can be very helpful.  Even if it is only to read certain street signs or say a friendly hello.

Italian Travel Books

If you have time before your trip, I recommend going to the library and getting some audio-Italian language lessons.  

Phrasebooks come in handy when you need to catch an Uber or order food.

Best Italy Travel Books for Transportation

There are a few ways to get around Italy.  We decided to do a combination of train travel as well as renting a car and completing a road trip.  This allowed us to see more of Italy than train travel alone. 

Cruise 

A Mediterranean cruise would allow for lots of coastal stops but also allow you to see the major cities such as Venice and Rome.

Italy Road Trip

We drove from Northern Italy down to Southern Italy but did not want to take the time to drive back so we flew from Naples to Venice.  This was a great way for us to be able to see and do more with our time in Italy!  

Planning out your transportation is a great idea! Here are a few Italy travel book recommendations for transportation.  

Are you Ready to Get a Italy Travel Book for Your Trip?

If you are a planner like me you will love reading and doing all the research. These are the best Italy travel books on the market.  I know you will love exploring all the pages!

Make an Itinerary 

Make an itinerary for what cities interest you most.  This is your next step.  If you want a little help I have a free complete Italy guide with itineraries for nine cities, hotel recommendations , food recommendations, and some helpful travel tips. As helpful as my guide is I still recommend getting an additional guidebook! 

Plan Your Trip

Plan Plan Plan!  Now that you have some solid recommendations go purchase one of the best Italy travel books and start reading!  This will help you narrow down what interests you most.  You will not be disappointed with Italy! Have so much fun!

Is Planning Overwhelming?

If this is all overwhelming, I recently partnered with a Tour Guide Company called TravelStride that will plan your entire trip for you! If that sounds nice you can look through all of the tours they offer.

If you do not want your entire trip planned for you but would still like to do tours in each area Viator has some amazing options! 

Travel Italy

If you have   one week in Italy   it is possible to visit lots of cities.  We started in  Venice one of the most romantic Italian cities . A   Romantic Venice   getaway was perfect.  Then headed to   Florence ,  Pisa and Lucca , and   Siena .  After visiting Tuscany we headed to   Gaeta , Naples ,   Capri , the   Amalfi Coast , and   Pompeii .

If you are looking for another   reason to visit Italy   or some great  Safety Travel Tips for Italy,  be sure to check out my other posts.

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74 Comments

Such great info! I’d love to go to Italy. It’s always been in the back of my mind, but I started thinking about it even more when I had an exchange student from Italy on my speech team last year. Hopefully, I’ll get there someday!

I love reading books about the areas that we will betraveling too. It is great to learn about local customs.

I agree! I don’t want to do something wrong!

I’m mostly a Rick Steves travel guide person when it comes to Europe but I also have delved into Lonely Planet on occasion. I personally just love reading about and traveling to Italy.

I am huge Rick Steves. I love detail!

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What a great idea. I used to love going to Barnes and Noble before a trip and browsing the travel books. Love it!

I love Barnes and Noble too!

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Our family loves the Lonely Planet books as they have some great ones for children too. I’ll be saving this post to come back to when we visit Italy someday. Thanks for the recommendations!

Oh good. I need to get a few lonely planet books.

These are some great books. Personally, I am a Rick Steves fan. I love following his FB page too.

I am a huge fan! His books and tours are so helpful!

I enjoy Rick Steve’s books too. Before our trip to Italy my grandson and I bought a book of common phrases in Italian and downloaded a language app. It was fun to learn a bit of Italian.

That is awesome. We did that when we went to Germany.

Great list of books! Italy has been on my bucket list for a long time! I’m excited to buy a few of these! Thank you!

Oh good! I hope to be really prepared the next time I go!

I get so excited when it’s time to buy a travel book and start planning a trip! I usually scan a variety of books at the local bookstore, but then usually go with Rick Steves when going to Europe. We often use Lonely Planet for travel to Central and South America. They are great for identifying smaller not-to-miss places, like the best place for ice cream, best place for music, etc.

That is awesome! Finding the hidden gems!

This is an awesome resource! Hoping to get to Italy sometime in the next few years. I love books by Rick Steves and think he makes great recommendations!

His food recommendations are amazing!

Thanks for sharing! I love reading books about places I want to visit before going.

It makes it so much better for me to know what there is to do in each place.

So many great travel book suggestions. I’ve yet to visit there but definitely on my list.

It is a great country. I plan to go back few more times!

What a great post! Such useful information and I agree, Rick’s books are great!

They are great! Thanks!

What a comprehensive list! Let the planning and dreaming begin!

Exactly, a great place to start when planning trip to Italy.

Great list of books! I will know everything there is to know about Italy!

I think my favorite part from Rick Steves is food recommendations. Amazing!

Great ideas! My son and daughter-in-law are planning to go to Italy in May. I will share this with them. I love the photos! Thanks for the great book reviews!

May is a perfect time to go to Italy! We went a few years ago! So beautiful!

Venice is my favorite city in Italy. I want to spend a month there when I retire.

I know I want to spend a month in Italy too!

These trip planning books seem like they’d make planning a trip to Italy a lot less overwhelming. Thanks for sharing!

It makes the trip so much easier!

I would love to go to Northern Italy. I love how these books are broken down into smaller regions!

If I was visiting just one city, I think it would be better to just get that book.

Thank you for the suggestions. I would love to travel to Italy, and when I do, I will surely get one of these books. Thanks for the recommendations.

They are super helpful!

I have never heard of Rick Steves books… but I definitly have a small collection of Lonely Planet books for various locations! I love travel books and may have a small addiction LOL. We are hoping to go back to Italy someday, as the kids have only been to Hubby’s hometown, and need to see some of the larger cities.

Rick Steves is master of Europe. He gives great advice.

These are really excellent sources of information!

What a great list of resources. A jam packed post for sure. Thanks for the information.

Good place to start planning a trip,

Good to know what travel books are worth it!

What a great, comprehensive list of travel books for Italy! I would love to page through all of them! 🙂

Me too! I am the ultimate planner!

Thanks for this great list of resources for traveling to Italy! I’m bookmarking this post so I can refer back when I finally get to book that dream trip of mine!

oh good! yes I hope you get to go soon!

I am a consummate planner when we travel. Have never thought about guidebooks. I may just have to add them to my repertoire.

It was very useful in Europe!

I’ve spent quite a bit of time over the distancing reading and researching Italy – cannot wait to travel there in the future!

I love how you include transportation. I have no plans to travel right now. Thank you for the information.

A transportation plan is important!

These are great books to use when I finally get to travel to Italy someday! Thanks for putting this together!

Hopefully, it helps!

What great tips! I can’t wait to be able to get to Europe again!

I know me too! I am planning an epic trip!

This is such a good idea – if you can’t actually travel yet, it makes sense to read about the places you plan to go!

Exactly, to me that is the fun part!

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So many great gift ideas. My daughter is dying to get to Italy, so I need to mark some of these as Christmas and/or gifts before we plan a trip.

Italy is wonderful. I am excited to go back.

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14 Must-Read Books Before Your Next Trip to Italy

Posted: December 20, 2023 | Last updated: December 20, 2023

A selection of titles to tide you over until your next Italian trip

Photo by Catarina Belova/Shutterstock

Italy and its wonders have been the stuff of legend since before the poet Virgil wrote the Aeneid more than 2,000 years ago . Although we suspect you don’t need much additional inspiration to get you dreaming of everyone’s favorite boot-shaped country, here are 14 books, including a few classics, just in case.

“Italian Ways: On and Off the Rails From Milan to Palermo” by Tim Parks (2013)

• Buy now : bookshop.org

Parks, a British novelist, has long lived in and written about Italy. In this travelogue by train, he makes pungent and entertaining observations from the perspective of someone who is not a native but loves his adopted home. It is partly a casual guide to using the Trenitalia national rail system, part personal memoir of a keen observer.

“Tuscany: Simple Meals & Fabulous Feasts From Italy” by Katie & Giancarlo Caldesi (2018)

“tuscany: simple meals & fabulous feasts from italy” by katie & giancarlo caldesi (2018).

• Buy now: amazon.com

Married couple Giancarlo (an Italian restaurateur) and Katie Caldesi (a British artist) bring Tuscan cooking to life in this collaboration. Master the fundamentals, like how to make a great soffritto or tomato sauce, or get more complex by attempting your own filled ravioli. The colorful pages and tasty recipes, culled from the pair’s years of expertise honed in their own restaurants and cooking schools, are as enticing as a panna cotta on a summer day in Pisa.

“Beautiful Ruins” by Jess Walter (2012)

This novel is set in a fictional town—Porto Vergogna—near the famed Cinque Terre, in the early 1960s. Porto Vergogna hopes to expand the Cinque Terre from five to six; alas, it only has proximity going for it. Walters is a novelist always worth reading, but this is his only novel set in Italy. OK, partly set in Italy. It jumps back and forth in time and place with “recent” Los Angeles and a few other places. However, once you encounter the aspirational Hotel Adequate View and its Italian owner in the first chapter, you will want to read it all.

“The Eight Mountains” by Paolo Cognetti (2017)

The 2017 winner of Italy’s esteemed Strega Prize for fiction gets an English translation here. The first-person novel revolves around Pietro, a boy from Milan , and the friendship he develops with Bruno, a boy whom he meets while trekking in the Dolomites with his family. But it’s also a coming-of-age narrative that grapples with Pietro’s relationship with his father and the mountains they both love.

“Renaissance Woman: The Life of Vittoria Colonna” by Ramie Targoff (2018)

In this biography of Italian poet and noblewoman Vittoria Colonna, Dr. Ramie Targoff, professor of English at Brandeis University, peers into the life of one of the most remarkable women from the Renaissance. Targoff draws readers into the world of 16th-century Italy, exploring how Colonna became a sonneteer and befriended popes and artists alike (her most notable friendship was with Michelangelo himself).

“Everyone in Their Place” by Maurizio de Giovanni (2013)

This is the third of the “four seasons” series of mysteries featuring Commissario Ricciardi. The setting is early 1930s Naples. An impending visit by Benito Mussolini adds urgency to solving the murder of a duchess linked to the local social and fascist elite. The author, a native of Naples, uses his knowledge of the city to bring it to life.

“Bella Figura: How to Live, Love, and Eat the Italian Way” by Kamin Mohammadi (2018)

Ten years ago, Kamin Mohammadi was laid off her job as an editor in London . A friend offered her use of an apartment in Florence, and so she went to Tuscany. Bella Figura takes readers along for that first year of Italian living, in which Mohammadi learns the value in living life at a slower pace. The story is intimate, with stories about falling in love with the place but also heartbreak. Chapters are divided by month and begin with a nice little inventory: In January, the scent of the city is woodsmoke; her new Italian word of the month is salve . At the end of each chapter are recipes.

“Eating My Way Through Italy: Heading Off the Main Roads to Discover the Hidden Treasures of the Italian Table” by Elizabeth Minchilli (2018)

A resident of Italy for 30 years, Elizabeth Minchilli has become an expert on the country’s cuisine. In Eating My Way Through Italy , she provides the tools for readers to get off the beaten path, as the book’s subtitle suggests. Divided geographically, written conversationally, and even including tips for where to stay, Minchilli’s book reminds readers how distinct—and delicious—Italy’s regional cuisines are.

“Memoirs of Hadrian” by Marguerite Yourcenar (1951)

This absorbing historical novel is an “autobiographical letter” written by Emperor Hadrian to his successor, Marcus Aurelius, as Hadrian recalls his life and his love for handsome young Antinous. If all you know about this emperor of ancient Rome is Hadrian’s Wall (begun in 122 C.E. after Hadrian visited Britain), you will want to learn more about him and his era.

“Venice Stories” edited by Jonathan Keates (2018)

Short stories and excerpts from longer works about Venice make up this addition to the Everyman’s Library Pocket Classic Series. From the 18th-century writings of the one-and-only Casanova to a vignette set in Venice during the Napoleonic era, written by Lambda Literary Award–winner Jeanette Winterson, the collection crafts a masterful portrait of the floating city. Another plus: the spooky “Don’t Look Now” story by Daphne du Maurier, which inspired the atmospheric 1973 movie of the same name.

“SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome” by Mary Beard (2015)

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One of the most acclaimed works by popular British historian Mary Beard, SPQR takes its title from an abbreviation for Senatus Populusque Romanus , meaning the senate and people of Rome. Beard covers more than 900 years of Roman history, which could be a trudge in the hands of a lesser writer. While noted figures like Augustus and Caligula appear, her focus is more on the lives of Rome’s ordinary residents. Prefer to focus on the rulers? See her latest book, Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient Roman World (2023), or read her illustrated art history Twelve Caesars: Images of Power From the Ancient World to the Modern (2021). This former Cambridge classics professor has a talent for making ancient history accessible and engaging for general readers.

“Sicilian Splendors: Discovering the Secret Places That Speak to the Heart” by John Keahey (2018)

Consummate traveler John Keahey, who has roamed Italy for decades and penned books about Tuscany and Venice, turns his inquisitive eye to Sicily . In a travelogue that’s both personal and historical, even a quest for procuring new shoelaces in a small town teaches about local legend and hospitality. Keahey encounters enthusiastic and welcoming characters everywhere, and readers get a glimpse of Tyrrhenian coasts they may have never seen before. He also contextualizes the island’s rich and complex history and sees beyond Sicily’s mafia-laden stereotypes to reveal its warm heart.

“Abandoned Italy” by Robin Brinaert (2018)

For eight years, Robin Brinaert has traveled Italy seeking abandoned places, the skeletons of buildings much more modern than the Colosseum. This photo book showcases the results of this quest, revealing places throughout Italy—a duchess’s hunting lodge, an old Pinocchio film set, a former asylum—and uncovering backstories that allow readers to see Italian ruins through a different lens.

“The Stones of Florence” by Mary McCarthy (1959)

This singular history is not a new book, but its subject is timeless. And you may well wish you had visited the city some 60 years ago before it became overrun by tourists. Not that Florence has ever lacked for admiring visitors. Try to get a hold of the illustrated edition published later. Stones of Florence began as a long essay in The New Yorker ; it has gone on to become a classic of insight about its famous city.

This article was originally published in 2018 and most recently updated on December 19, 2023, with current information.

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I've lived in Italy for a decade. Here are the hidden-gem locations you've been missing

• As a child, I traveled around Italy on family vacations and now live in the northern Veneto region.
• Over the years, I've made a conscious effort to explore the less-crowded areas of the country.
• Some of my favorite hidden gems include places like Lake Iseo, Urbino, and Alba.

In recent years, over-tourism has forced Venice to introduce a daytripper fee to combat congestion on some of the city's busiest days, and Sardinia has introduced a reservation system for some of its most popular beaches.

That said, there's never been a better time to scratch off the obvious destinations from your Italy itinerary and take a chance on a place that isn't in the guidebooks.

I've been traveling the country since childhood, initially with my parents on family vacations , and then as a resident of the northern Veneto region as a journalist.

Over the past few years, I've made a conscious effort to go where the crowds don't. Here are my recommendations if you're looking to experience Italy's culture, nature, and food without the hassle of large crowds.

The Basilicata region is filled with unique treasures.

Occupying the arch of Italy's boot, Basilicata has never been a region of prosperity or fame. However, one place you may have seen on standard tourist itineraries is Matera.

Matera is filled with caves where inhabitants lived in poverty until the 1950s . Now, however, visitors can duck into rock-hewn churches and sleep in five-star cave hotels. You may have even spotted the city in the James Bond movie "No Time to Die."

The rest of the Basilicata region shouldn't be overlooked either. It's peppered with treasures from the village of Castelmezzano — which clings to jagged rock face — to the Maratea coastline with black beaches and summery villages.

Although it's known as the region that "doesn't exist," Molise has a lot to offer.

Ironically, Molise is best known as the region that " doesn't exist " — an phrase stemming from the fact that even Italians struggle to pinpoint it on a map or name more than one of its cities.

The region lies on Italy's eastern coastline just north of Puglia. Its capital, Campobasso, is crowned by the mountaintop Monforte Castle.

My favorite city in the region, however, is coastal Termoli, with pastel-painted houses inside ancient walls, a honey-hued cathedral, and a Belvedere Tower with pretty views of the harbor.

Don't miss out on the restaurants serving the famed brodetto alla termolese, a rich tomato and pepper-based seafood soup that originated in Termoli .

Skip crowded Lake Como and check out Lake Iseo instead.

With flashy Lake Como to one side and sun-drenched Lake Garda to the other, it's not surprising that Lake Iseo gets overlooked. However, the over 15-mile-long body of water has its fair share of elegant, flower-adorned villages and waterside promenades.

I recommend taking a ferry to car-free Monte Isola, which is known as the biggest lake island in Europe .

Once there, visitors can rent bikes and peddle around the nature-rich perimeter of the island, or hike up the path to the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Ceriola on the island's mountain summit.

Urbino was a center for art and learning in the Renaissance Era.

Urbino is a walled city in the central Marche region of Italy. The city was a hotbed of learning and art during the Renaissance Era under the rule of Federico da Montefeltro.

A highlight of Urbino is the monumental 15th-century building called Palazzo Ducale, which is now known as the National Gallery of the Marche.

Travelers can visit the complex and wander the cavernous rooms displaying paintings by artists like Raphael, who was born in the city.

Alba is known for great food, wine, and shopping.

Alba is the elegant, upscale capital of Piedmont's Le Langhe , a hilly zone draped with vineyards and wineries.

Before slipping into a post-lunch food coma at one of the many restaurants, wander the pristine city, and window shop at its high-end stores.

Then, head to stylish bars that offer a range of stellar local wines, including potent reds like Barolo and Barbaresco.

Alba is also known for producing the white truffle , which is hunted by experts and their sharp-nosed dogs. Each year, Alba's International White Truffle Fair showcases and celebrates the prized tuber.

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Glam Italia! How To Travel Italy: Secrets To Glamorous Travel (On A Not So Glamorous Budget) Paperback – July 16, 2018

Purchase options and add-ons

Does your dream vacation seem out of reach.

Glam Italia! How to Travel Italy is your all-in-one guide for crafting your personalized dream vacation. You’ll create an itinerary that’s custom-fit to your interests: from world-renowned art to mouthwatering cuisine and from breathtaking landscapes to trendsetting fashion. Whether you plan to travel in style or on a shoestring budget, you’ll discover hidden gems and little-known advice for touring Italy’s most famous attractions.

With Cooke’s hassle-free guide, you’ll finally learn to sit back and savor your authentic Italian experience like a local. In How To Travel Italy, you'll discover:

• * Step-by-step methods for planning your entire trip, regardless of time or budget
• Lists of cuisines, and wines by region to satisfy any appetite
• Optimum lengths of time to visit each attraction so you can get the best bang for your buck
• Simple tips for booking flights that will save hundreds of dollars from your bottom line

How To Travel Italy is your go-to portable travel guide to this charming Mediterranean destination. If you like practical tips, trusted advice from a local expert, and stress-free planning, then you’ll love Corinna Cooke’s handbook for your dream vacation.

Buy How To Travel Italy to pack your bags for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure today!

• Book 1 of 3 Glam Italia! How To Travel Italy
• Print length 265 pages
• Language English
• Publication date July 16, 2018
• Dimensions 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches
• ISBN-10 1732379912
• ISBN-13 978-1732379916
• See all details

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About the author, product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Glam World Publishing LLC (July 16, 2018)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 265 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1732379912
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1732379916
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches
• #16 in Rome Travel Guides
• #16 in Florence Travel Guides
• #63 in general Italy Travel Guides

About the author

Corinna cooke.

Do you twirl spaghetti around your fork or cut it?

My name is Corinna and I am an inveterate spaghetti twirler. My favorite place to twirl spaghetti? Italy!

I have been traveling to Italy for decades, both as a vacation traveler and as a private tour guide. I have criss-crossed the country, have been lost and have been found, may have eaten my own weight in pasta (Well, maybe not my entire weight…) have tried wines from every region I've been to, have made lifelong friends there, and have found absolute joy exploring every town, village, city and Autogrill along the way.

I am an international makeup artist, I blog at Corinna B’s World, and I am the beauty director for a national magazine. I love all things beauty and glamour, high heels, oversized sunglasses and pasta!

My book Glam Italia! How To Travel Italy teaches you how to create your own very fabulous and very affordable Italian vacations. That trip that seemed unattainable is actually well within your reach! I not only want you to visit Italy but want to show you how to do it with a little flair and without breaking the bank. I take the stress out of planning your trip and then give you loads of help on the ground once you are in Italy. From how to order coffee to how to use the trains, how to choose a restaurant and not end up in an overpriced tourist trap, to important things to know about renting cars. I even teach you how to get your sales tax back. (At 22% that money adds up!) I also show you what to do if things go wrong or if you get sick while you are away. This book is full of incredibly helpful advice for any traveler.

Glam Italia! 101 Fabulous Things To Do In Rome takes you away from the crowds and introduces you to completely amazing places hiding in plain sight, right under your nose in the heart of the Eternal City. These are places the tour buses DON'T go to, so although you are just down the street from the tourist masses there will be few other people if any, where we are going! Rome is a city rich in stories so every place I bring you to I tell you the story behind, not only giving you context but adding to the magic of an already magical city. This book is designed to make you fall in love with Rome, the way I have.

Glam Italia! 101 Fabulous Things To Do In Florence tackles another spectacular but heavily touristed city. As with Rome, tourists in Florence tend to stick to the same handful of attractions. This means the most well known spots are crowded and you can have a long wait to see anything. Meanwhile 95% of the wonderful things to see in Florence get very few visitors.

This book does take you through the big sites, tells you the stories behind the places you are visiting, gives you specific items to look for and strategies to escape the crowds - Florence is too little not to see them and it would be crime to miss them. Then I take you through my secret Florence to discover places the crowds don't see. Everything is within a 20 minute walk from the Duomo, and most places are within a block or two of where you will be anyway. You will be amazed when you walk 500 meters from the most crowded place in Florence and find yourself in the most beautiful Renaissance piazza, full of history and art, ghost stories and miracles, and few other visitors!

All of my books guide you to which wines to order in that region, which local foods you must try, restaurants, aperitivo bars, places to take in the most beautiful sunsets, shopping, markets to visit and much, much more. These books are designed to give you a better, more fulfilling travel experience in Italy and enjoy places the tour bus crowds don't know about.

Find me on Instagram @CorinnaTravels and on Facebook Corinna Cooke Author. Join my newsletter at www.CorinnaCooke.com to learn about more secret places in Italy to add to your itinerary, and foods and festivals you won't want to miss out on!

See you in the piazza,

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