50 Books Set In + About Italy

This is the first book Ferrante’s Neapolitan Quartet, and it’s one of my favorite books set in Italy! It’s about two girls named Lila and Elena, and they are frenemies of a sort. This first book follows them through their school years as they become close friends, but the whole series follows them through adults for decades. For fans of literary fiction.

This short book tells the story of a marriage in 1970s Italy. Vanda and Also have been together for years, but there are cracks in their relationships that are beginning to show. For fans of marriage stories and literary fiction.

This book of short stories is Lahiri’s first collection that she wrote in Italian (after learning the language) and then translated herself. They are stories about people in Rome who are often overlooked, immigrants and foreigners who are part of this multicultural city. Lahiri is one of my favorite writers, and while I didn’t love this as much as some of her other collections, I’m still so glad I read it. For fans of literary fiction and short story collections.

When Nives’s husband of 50 years dies, she brings a chicken inside her house for company. This is a great arrangement until the chicken is sick. She calls the town’s veterinarian , who she shares a past yet. And what starts as a call about a sick chicken turns into them revealing secrets. For fans of literary fiction.

On the Italian Riviera, two teenage boys begin to fall in love one summer. It’s a story about the early days of love and obsession, the reckless but intoxicating feeling, and what it means for them both. For fans of literary fiction, love stories, and queer stories.

Pietro and Bruno are two boys from different backgrounds who meet when Pietro’s family is vacationing in Northern Italy. They become fast friends, and over the course of many summers form a true bond. But what will happen to their friendship as their lives go in different directions? For fans of literary fiction and stories of friendship.

Lazzarini Boscarino is a small Italian village with a dwindling population and a struggling economy. But then a truffle hunter shows up and discovers an enormous truffle underground in the village. But will it help or hurt their fate? For fans of literary fiction, charming small town fiction, and humorous writing.

In a small town of Italy, Signor Speranza, the mayor, has a problem: the town needs to come up with 70,000 euros to save their pipes and therefore their water supply. So Signor Speranza comes up with a ploy to convince people a famous actor is coming to shoot a movie, hoping to give the town an economic boost. The only problem is that he needs to make it real. For fans of contemporary fiction and charming small town stories.

After Katy’s mother dies, she takes the trip they had planned together to Almafi Coast alone. But there she meets her mother, only 30 years younger, the version of her mother who had once spent a summer living in Positano, and she gets to know this younger version of her mom. For fans of contemporary fiction, women’s fiction, and a big of magical realism.

Ginny is a radio host and relationship expert, so she’s taken aback when she plans a trip to Italy for herself and her husband and instead of being excited, her husband asks for a divorce. So instead, Ginny invites four heartbroken listeners of her show to join her in Italy, and together they embark on a journey of healing. For fans of contemporary fiction and heartwarming stories.

Recovering from heartbreak, cookbook writer Paul Stuart travels to Tuscany to finish his latest project and hopefully heal his heart. When he gets into town though, his only mode of transportation turns out to be a bulldozer, but he takes it into town and hijinks ensure. I like that this sounds like a male version of the find-yourself-in-Italy novel that’s been done for women so many times. For fans of lighthearted, contemporary fiction.

Violet dreams of a career in fashion, so when she lands an internship in Rome she is determined to prove that she’s the best and win a job at a prestigious New York label. But when she has a run-in with a stranger and spills her coffee on his laptop, she’s distressed to learn that he is her professor’s son. They really don’t like each other, but they are faced with a summer of togetherness. For fans of rom-coms.

In 1940s Italy, Vincezo and Giovanna fall in love despite being from different social classes. When the war starts though, they choose different sides and their future together vanishes in heartbreak. Decades later, there’s a new couple, Cassandra and Luca, ready to get married. And when they bring their grandparents together, a deep family secret is revealed. For fans of historical fiction with dual timelines, and romance.

This historical novel that spans centuries begins with Orsola, whose father is a glassmaker on Murano. Because Orsola Rosso is a woman, she cannot become a glassmaker. But after her father dies, she teaches herself the craft to support her family. From Orsola, readers are swept through the centuries of women in the Rosso family and their glassmaking as they face losses and social change in Venice. For fans of historical fiction.

In 1900 Sardinia, a young seamstress from the working class quietly works on the garments of the wealthy—all while being privy to their secrets. There is love and death and secrets, and the seamstress hears it all while harboring her own ambitions. For fans of historical fiction.

In this historical novel, a young girl named Stella risks everything to be a courier for the resistance during WWII. She’s only 14-years-old and she keeps this secret from her family, who is consumed with worry for her brother. But then her brother dies, and any record of Stella becomes a dead end. Years later, Tori is retreating to Florence after life falls apart and when she begins to look into her family history, she connects some dots back to Stella. For fans of historical fiction.

In an Italian villa during WWII, a Canadian nurse cares of a mysterious patient (who is believed to be English, hence the title). Also at the villa are a thief named Caravaggio and an Indian bomb diffuser named Kip. They all have secrets, but at the center of the story is uncovering the true story of who the English patient is. For fans of historical fiction.

As her life is crumbling, Sara’s great-aunt Rosie also passes away. But she’s left Sara land in Italy, so Sara flies to Sicily. There she starts to question the story she’s also been told about how her great-grandmother died (illness), thinking she’d actually been murdered. But as she starts to look into the historical mystery, she realizes she might also be in danger. For fans of mysteries.

When Emily and Chess take a girls trip to an Italian villa, they start to dig into a infamous event that took place there: the death of a 1970s rock star. It seems like a basic case of another rock star having too good of a time, but they start to uncover clues that hint to something more. And they could be in danger. For fans of gothic suspense.

First published in 1952, this novel tells the story of a housewife who has purchased a diary for the first time and begins recording her thoughts, feelings, and secrets. She thought her life was fine, but as she begins writing, she realizes just how unhappy she actually is. For fans of modern classics, books of diaries, and feminist texts.

In post-WWI England, two women see an advertisement for a castle to rent in Italy for the month of Italy. They don’t know each other well, but decide they both need this holiday. Then they pull in two other women they don’t know well to join them and help pay the rent. When they get to Italy everything is spectacular, but can the landscape of the Mediterranean help them heal the things they are running from? I thought this was such a lovely little book and also so funny in unexpected places! For fans of modern classics.

Half set in Italy and half set in England, A Room with a View starts out with Lucy and her cousin visiting Italy and switching rooms with some nice gentlemen so they can have a better view. Throughout their trip, Lucy and George (one of the men) have several swoony encounters. But upon her return to England, Lucy is engaged to a kind of intolerable man named Cecil. I thought this was such a delightful read! For fans of modern classics.

First published in 1948, this novels is told from the perspective of Elisa, who is orphaned in Sicily. After her guardian dies, she knows that she has to face the reality of her life, but she does so with magical thinking and stories. For fans of modern classics and long books.

In this memoir, Doerr recounts his time living in Rome for one year, funded by the Rome Prize. He’s working on a book (what we would eventually come to know as All the Light We Cannot See), while also navigating the challenges of having small children in a foreign country. And that funeral of the subtitle? He’s there when Pope John Paul II passes away. For fans of ex-pat memoirs and a peek into the lives of writers.

This book has been beloved for decades now. Can you believe it was first published in 1997? Here, Mayes recounts her time moving to Italy and restoring an Italian farmhouse while falling in love with her new home. For fans of ex-pat memoirs.

When Locke and her husband, Saro, married, Saro’s Italian family didn’t approve of her. But when Saro dies from cancer, she spends time in Sicily with his family and starts to find some healing. For fans of memoirs.

Alizah Holstein has always loved Rome, despite the fact that she is not Italian. Here she recounts her own history with the city while also telling stories from the city’s history and its famous inhabitants of the past, wondering what it means to Roman. For fans of memoirs.

In this book, Severgnini dives deep into Italian culture and asks what is means to live life like an Italian. And from this examination, readers can learn some lessons about how to face some of life’s challenges. For fans of books about different cultures.

This is one of my favorite children’s books, let alone one of my favorite children’s books about Italy! When Strega Nona leaves town, she asks Big Anthony to watch over her magical pasta pot. But Big Anthony tries his hand at Strega Nona’s magic and ends up flooding the town with pasta. It’s so fun! Recommended ages: 2-7 years.

Join Olivia as she and her family travel to Venice for vacation. They explore the famous sites of the city while also having mishaps kids will find hilarious. Recommended ages: 2-6 years.

Tony is a baker who dreams of having his own bakery in Milano and being the most famous bakery in Northern Italy. And he has a daughter who dreams of marrying, but according to Tony no one is good enough for his daughter. Then a nobleman arrives who can help them both. Recommended ages: 4-8 years.

In this adorable book, Paolo is a dachshund dreaming of adventure but trapped in a hair salon in Rome. Then one day he escapes and gets to explore the city! Recommended ages: 4-8 years.

Sandro is a loyal dog who goes everywhere with his owner, gondolier Nicola. But then he ventures out on his own and explore Venice on a secret mission. Recommended ages: 4-8 years.

Gino Bartali was a famed cyclist who won all kinds of races, including the 1938 Tour de France. But when WWII started, it changed everything. But because Bartali was such a famed cyclist, he was able to use this cover to help the resistance and save hundreds of Jews. Recommended ages: 5 to 10 years.

Escaping the dreary cold of winter, the famous twelve little girls and Miss Clavel travel to Rome to enjoy Spring. But of course mischievous Madeline finds herself on an adventure. Recommended ages: 6-8 years.

In 16th-century Venice, a glassmaker has grumpy a daughter who will not smile. So he offers a prize to the first person who can make her smile, and people travel from all over the world. Recommended ages: 6-8 years.

If you plan to see David in Florence with your kids, read this book before you go! It’s a book about Michelangelo taking a giant piece of stone no one wanted to work with and turning it into a masterpiece. Plus, it also delves readers into Renaissance Italy. Recommended ages: 6-9 years.

This picture book explains this history of pizza, and a young Italian girl introduces readers to her town and her family. And of course her grandmother makes the best pizza! The text is in both English and Italian. Recommended ages: 6-9 years.

I love these children’s classics set in cities around the world! Here Sasek talks about the history of Rome and what Rome is like “today.” But keep in mind that the “today” of the book is 1960 when the book was published. It’s full of nostalgic illustrations that are still representative of Rome though (I mean, the ancient ruins are still there of course!). Recommended ages: 7 and up.

Just like the above book about Rome, here, Sasek takes young readers through the streets, well, the canals of Venice. This one was published in 1961, so it shows us a vintage Venice. But I think it’s still worth reading for today. Recommended ages: 7 and up.

The Magic Treehouse books are perfect (and super popular!) books for early readers. In this chapter book, Annie and Jack travel back in time to ancient Rome. They find themselves in Pompeii though and know that there is only a matter of time before the city is destroyed. Recommended ages: 6-9 years.

For those kids who love adventure books, here’s a story about a boy named Marcus who escapes from the destruction of the volcanic eruption in Pompeii. Recommended ages: 8-10 years.

In this novel, Federico (from Renaissance Rome) and Bree (from present-day New Jersey) become linked by a magical wardrobe and a mysterious sketch that looks an awful lot like Bree. Recommended ages: 8-12 years.

Kids love this series of books for learning about famous people and places throughout history! This one focuses on the Colosseum in Rome, giving some history of Rome, the gladiator battles of ancient Rome, and how the Colosseum is still famous today. Recommended ages: 8-12 years.

This chapter book is a short biography of famous Italian artist Michelangelo. This would be a perfect book for kids to read before a trip to Italy if you plan on visiting a lot of art museums! Recommended ages: 8-12 years.

When Beatrice moves to Rome after her father gets a teaching position there, she becomes entranced with a legend about the turtle fountain outside her window. Then one night she sees the turtle sculptures being stolen, and she tries to solve the mystery before more art is stolen. Recommended ages: 9-12 years.

In WWII Italy, Paolo and his sister Costanza are determined to do what they can to help the resistance. The only tool they have is a bicycle, but they can do amazing things with it to fight the German forces. Recommended ages: 10-13 years.

After her mother dies, Lina travels to Italy to get to know her father. Armed with her mother’s old journal from when she lived in Italy, she discovers more about her parents past and herself, and maybe a little romance. Recommended ages: 12 and up.

Right before her class trip to Italy, Jessa catches her boyfriend cheating. She expects to have a terrible time on the trip, but her best friend gives her instructions on what to do on her trip to help her broken heart. Recommended ages: 12 and up.