Italy is one of the best places to visit during holidays because of its Italian countryside, incredible history, delicious wines, magnificent cities, unique culture, mouth-watering Sicilian cuisine, and spectacular coastline.
All the remarkable places in Italy are why many authors choose it as the destination for their stories; it also adds beauty to their characters and writing. The books set listed in this article are set in popular places in Italy like Northern Italy, Venice & Florence.
If you want to travel to Italian cities from the comfort of your home, this book set in Italy will do that perfectly. It doesn’t matter if you prefer comedy, romance, historical fiction, literary fiction, art history, or thrillers; we’ve got a book just for you.
There are numerous books set in Italy, from memoirs to romance novels to young adult books, classic Italian fiction & non-fiction, contemporary fiction books set, and other mysterious books.
Best Books Set In Italy
1. Eat, Pray, Love By Elizabeth Gilbert.
- Audible Audiobook
- Elizabeth Gilbert (Author) – Elizabeth Gilbert (Narrator)
- English (Publication Language)
- 01/01/2006 (Publication Date) – Penguin Audio (Publisher)
The theme of this book is romance and self-discovery. This beautifully written book takes you through Rome, Venice, and Florence.
This book centers on the author and her travel around the world and what she discovers about herself after her bitter divorce.
She travels to India, Bali, and Italy, where she finds spirituality, learns to fall in love again, Eat unique and delicious meals, and stabilizes commitment and pleasure.
This is a perfect description of a woman who is on a mission to find healing. Through her writing, you’ll fall in love with Italy repeatedly.
She vividly brings to life the smells, sights, and tastes of every city she visits; besides, everyone wants to read about individuals traveling around the globe to discover their true selves.
It is a beautiful story of one woman’s search for true happiness, where a toothless medicine man shows her the pathway to inner peace.
2. The Poison Keeper By Deborah Swift.
- Audible Audiobook
- Deborah Swift (Author) – Diana Croft (Narrator)
- English (Publication Language)
- 01/19/2022 (Publication Date) – Quire Books (Publisher)
This renowned book is based on the life of an Italian woman, Giulia Tofana. It is a story of secrets and how love & courage can overcome revenge.
In this book, Giula, a natural beauty, seeks to be more involved in her mother’s apothecary business, but her dear mother refuses to tell her the secret behind the success of her business.
Giula uncovers the darker side of her mother’s business when her mother is arrested for poisoning the great Duke de Verdi. To save her own life, she escapes to Naples to stay with her aunts.
Soon after that time, she learns of how the duke cruelly executes her mother. Giula has sworn to get revenge for her mother.
3. The Chef’s Secret By Crystal King.
- Audible Audiobook
- Crystal King (Author) – Jacques Roy (Narrator)
- English (Publication Language)
- 02/12/2019 (Publication Date) – Simon & Schuster Audio (Publisher)
If you love fiction and Italian cuisine, this book is perfect. Bartolomeo Scappi, in the 1500s, was a private chef to two popes and cardinals. He balances his forbidden love for a woman of noble birth and his duties at the Vatican.
All the food described in this book is mouth-watering; some are popular with us, while some may seem new. The real-life Bartolomeo Scappi has his cookbook called – L’opera di M by Bartolomeo Scappi; this book is one of the most detailed Italian Renaissance cookbooks.
4. The Patron Saint Of Second Chances By Christine Simon.
- Audible Audiobook
- Christine Simon (Author) – Tim Frances (Narrator)
- English (Publication Language)
- 04/12/2022 (Publication Date) – Simon & Schuster Audio (Publisher)
This novel is set in Calabria and follows Signor Speranza, known as ‘Mister Hope.’ He is a vacuum cleaner who self-appoints himself as the mayor of his small town.
Mister Hope wishes to boost tourism in his hometown and starts a rumor that a famous Italian actor will be shooting his next movie in their small town.
The issue with this rumor is that there’s no film or actor. The word spreads like wildfire, and the town is ready to receive the famous actor.
Whether he eventually shows up with his crew is an afterthought. This light-hearted book emphasizes the power that lies in community.
5. A Girl Returned By Donatella Di Pietrantonio.
- Di Pietrantonio, Donatella (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 160 Pages – 07/02/2019 (Publication Date) – Europa Editions (Publisher)
The main character in this story is an unnamed 13-year-old girl sent away from the home she thinks is hers without any reason or forewarning. She is sent to live with her birth family, a wild set of people she has never met.
The protagonist begins a new life of conflict, struggle, and tension, especially between her and her mother, but she develops a new relationship with her new siblings, Vincenzo and Adrianna.
Slowly, she begins to discover the strength to start over again while building a new sense of self.
This compelling story concerns responsibility, the bond between daughters & mothers, caregiving, love, and siblings.
6. In Other Words By Jhumpa Lahiri.
- Audible Audiobook
- Jhumpa Lahiri (Author) – Jhumpa Lahiri (Narrator)
- English (Publication Language)
- 02/09/2016 (Publication Date) – Random House Audio (Publisher)
Have you ever thought about what it’s like to visit another country and learn their language? This book will give you some insight. This book is the true story of the author, Jhumpa Lahiri, who moves to Rome with her family in 2012 to learn a language she has always loved.
The author unveils how she devotes her time and self to learning Italian. She stopped speaking English, stopped reading books in her native English, and eventually stopped writing in English.
Jhumpa Lahiri unveils her struggles while mastering the Italian language, especially as she tries to find her unique voice. At the end of everything, she succeeds in writing this book in Italian.
This book is one of the numerous culture books in Italy where she pens down the alienation and challenges many immigrants like her experiences.
7. That Month On Tuscany By Inglath Cooper.
- Audible Audiobook
- Inglath Cooper (Author) – Lauren Ezzo, Eric G. Dove, Adam Verner (Narrators)
- English (Publication Language)
- 03/06/2018 (Publication Date) – Brilliance Audio (Publisher)
This page-turner fiction story follows a woman, Lizzie, whose husband didn’t attend their anniversary trip. She meets a famous musician, Ren, but he has a secret.
Lizzie and Ren end up together by chance, and though it seems incompatible, they happily explore Tuscany and Florence together by helping each other heal.
8. The Divine Comedy By Dante Alighieri.
- Dante Alighieri, . (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 530 Pages – 06/12/2009 (Publication Date) – Cornell University Library (Publisher)
This book is for lovers of poetry and literature. It is an epic poem by the Italian poet Dante. It tells the author’s journey through the circles of purgatory, heaven, and hell. In his journey, he meets diverse characters and various emotions like sadness, happiness, and anger.
This well-written book is a must-read for all lovers of literature.
9. A Room With A View By E.M. Forster.
- Audible Audiobook
- E. M. Forster (Author) – Kara Shallenberg (Narrator)
- English (Publication Language)
- 12/29/2021 (Publication Date) – Sheba Blake Publishing Corp. (Publisher)
This romantic and hilarious story is set in England & Italy and is about a young woman and her sister who travel to Italy. Before the arrival date, she is promised a room with a view of the beautiful River Arno by the Italian hotel. Upon checking their room, she discovers it’s facing a courtyard.
This exciting story begins with Mr. Emerson and George, his son, who offer their room with a stunning view to the sisters. This fantastic book set in Italy gives you an insight into Italy and its beautiful rivers.
10. Summer At The Lake By Tricia James.
- Audible Audiobook
- Erica James (Author) – Antonia Beamish (Narrator)
- English (Publication Language)
- 02/27/2014 (Publication Date) – W. F. Howes Ltd (Publisher)
The Enchanting Lake Como is a beautiful & romantic place to visit with different meanings to various people. For example, Lake Como is the distraction Adam needs after his longtime girlfriend ended their relationship.
For Floriana, Lake Como is where she has been invited to watch the love of her life get married to the love of his life, while for Esme, who is over 60 years old, it is a beautiful destination where she falls in love for the first time. This wonderful book is a must-read for all.
On A Final Note;
These well-written books set in Italy will transport you to the beautiful country of Italy from the comfort of your home; they will leave you wanting more.
We advise you to start with the first book listed here and work yourself down. We hope you enjoy reading all the books.
