The Bookings For You choice of the best books about living in Italy
We love a trip to Italy and it’s certainly a very lovely perk of the job here at Bookings For You. However, when we’re trudging through the British winter, we love nothing more than stepping back into our favourite country by getting stuck into a book about living in Italy. All of these authors have taken the plunge and made Italy their new home – something we’re sure we’ve all dreamed of! Allow yourself to be whisked away to your favourite region with our favourite books about living in Italy.
A Rosie Life in Italy by Rosie Meleady
As one of the most addictive series we’ve read in a long time, this has quickly become one of our favourite books about life in Italy. Join Rosie and her family as they muddle through life in Ireland and then make the bold move to leave it all behind and head across Europe in their camper van. Follow their journey as their hearts keep bringing them back to Italy, where they decide to make their new home.
Rosie’s books about living in Italy are a wonderfully honest account of balancing life’s practicalities with the brave passion to make their new life in Umbria a success. Along the way they face the challenges of losing loved ones and a pandemic – all whilst trying to navigate the tangle of Italian bureaucracy! Meleady manages to tell these tales with a wonderful touch of humour which left us desperate to read the next chapter in their lives. Luckily, there are currently five instalments of the Rosie Life in Italy series (and another on the way) so there’s plenty to keep you entertained.
Discover our stunning collection of villas and apartments in Umbria here.
Head Over Heel by Chris Harrison
It’s love that brings Chris Harrison to Puglia. After a chance meeting in a Dublin bar, Chris falls head over heels for Daniella – a beautiful Italian girl from Puglia. Follow their story as he adjusts to life in the tiny village of Andrano and gets to know the locals. It’s a wonderful read as he navigates life in this enchanting corner of Italy where time seems to have stood still.
As a journalist, Harrison has a real skill with words which makes these books (there are two) a joyous reading experience. He has an unrivalled ability to capture the unique charm of life in Puglia in his writing. Yet these books are also entertaining – peppered with humour and humility which left us longing to explore this region again and get just a taste of his experience.
Discover our beautiful villas and apartments in Puglia here
Extra Virgin by Annie Hawes
After spending a summer working in Liguria, Annie and her sister stumble upon the opportunity to buy a crumbling house and its ancient olive groves. For sale for less than a month’s rent in London, they seize the moment and embark on an inspiring Italian adventure. And, much to the despair of the learned local population of San Pietro, the pair become perhaps the most unlikely olive farmers in the village.
Soon they realise the magnitude of the challenge they’ve taken on in buying a dilapidated house on an inaccessible plot – in need of endless renovation. And that’s before we even begin to think about the olives! Thankfully, they make friends quickly and their quirky neighbours make for a fabulous cast in this book which is the first of three charting their lives in Italy. There are two books charting the first days of their adventure and a follow up set a few years later. All three are wonderfully entertaining and enjoyable books about living in Italy.
Il Bel Centro by Michelle Domani
After years of dreaming about moving to Italy, the Domani family make the move to have a year abroad and immerse themselves in everything Italian. With three children and a cat in tow – it was never going to be completely plain sailing! However, Michelle and family settle into life in Spello remarkably well – learning the language and getting to know the locals as they go.
This is a honest book about living in Italy, which shows the highs and lows of taking on such a challenge. Michelle’s account of their year abroad expertly recounts the resilience required to attempt to integrate into another culture, while also trying to raise a family. Not only will Il Bel Centro make you long to be brave enough to do the same, it will also make you fall in love with Spello and the magical Umbrian countryside.
Discover our stunning collection of villas and apartments in Umbria here.
Italian Ways by Tim Parks
This is a slightly different book about living in Italy. Having moved to to Italy in 1981, Tim is quite accustomed to Italian life. However, unlike our other recommendations, this is an account of his experience of the Italian rail network. But, this is much more than just a book about trains! It is not the usual tale of struggling with language and getting to grips with Italian ways but more of a tribute to Italy’s wonderful rail network along with some brief expressions of frustration!
After introducing us to his often eventful daily 2 hour commute from Verona to Milan, Parks take us on a journey south, from Milan to Palermo. Along the way we join him in meeting some wonderfully entertaining characters and also alight at some of Italy’s most beautiful towns and cities. If you love exploring by train, then this is a book that will let you indulge in a beautiful journey through Italy and can also be inspiration for your next trip.
Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr
As if the challenge of having new born baby twins wasn’t enough, Anthony Doerr decided that moving them to Rome for a year would be a brilliant idea! After winning the ‘Rome Prize’ which allowed him to live for a year in Rome, Anthony, his wife and their new born twins arrive in Italy’s capital for an eventful year. Not only is this a book about living in Italy but also a wonderful memoir of their first year as parents raising their babies in a foreign land.
Known for his internationally acclaimed works of fiction, it’s no surprise that this book is exquisitely written. Doerr’s description of Rome’s iconic architecture and their magical experiences, left us feeling like we were there with them on this wonderful adventure. We were hooked following their adventure as snow falls in Rome (not an every year occurrence!) and the city comes to a standstill after the death of Pope John Paul II. Of course it’s not all plain sailing, however their tenacity to get to grips with local customs as they immerse themselves in Italian culture is a real pleasure to read.
Thinking of visiting Italy? Explore of stunning collection of villas and apartments in Italy here.
