Bitchery reader Elizabeth writes:
I’m a literature major about to graduate. In my third year of college I A) discovered your website, and B) discovered I loved Italian history. I wanted to go to Italy after I got out of school, but with the economy gone to crap I don’t think I’ll be going for a while, so I was hoping the Bitchery could help me visit the country vicariously with some historical romance set in my favorite boot-shaped country—or to be more precise, a book that’s set in one of the many regions of Italy before unification.
I only managed to find one historical set in Italy (it was in Florence, I don’t remember the title) but it was disappointing, and everything else on the shelf was set in England or Scotland with a couple of France thrown in. Searching Amazon was daunting since I’m so new the the genre and don’t know how to pick the good stuff from the bad without the book right in front of me. I’m hoping for something well written and well researched. I don’t have a specific era in mind (just not modern) so any recommendations would be great!
Ciao bella!
I spent a few months in college studying in the city of Ravenna (hour south of Venice on the Adriatic coast), which was temporarily the capitol of the Byzantine Empire. I studied up on this awesome empress named Theodora. I’m not sure if you’ve ever heard of her—she was around 3 AD—but I always told myself that I would write a romance based on her life. She was ahead of her time because her husband Justinian I made her his equal and she supported abortion (she had one!), the rights of women to own property and made laws protecting prostitutes!
So guess what? You just HaBO, because you made me remember my idea. Thank you!
Here’s a link to the very unreliable wikipedia site:
http://www.orthodoxwiki.org/Theodora_(wife_of_Justinian)
I’ll add an amen to Patricia’s recommendation. I loved that Wiggs’ book. Really fantastic.
Iain Pears has a mystery series set in Italy, though it’s not romance, it has a male-female sort-of-romantically-involved crime solving duo. Art History Mysteries might be the series name.
Constace O’Banyon’s “Sword of Rome”; “The Remedy” and “The Floating Book” by Michelle Lovric. Michelle Styles might have some ancient Rome tales.
If you’re interested in films, “Enchanted April”, about a group of English ladies who vacation in Italy, is a great movie.
In nonfiction, Andrea Di Robillant’s (sp?) A Venetian Affair, a fascinating account of a real 18th-19th century love affair. In fiction, Frances Murray’s The Heroine’s Sister — fairly old but sweet, with a heroine six feet tall.
I have to second the recommendations for The Devil in Music by Kate Ross (absolutely wonderful and intriguing and heartbreaking and everything) and I have such fond memories of Laker’s The Venetian Mask. One of the first books that made me fall in love with Venice without ever having been there—later I went and haven’t fallen out of love yet. 😉
Also, Sarah Dunant, In the Company of the Courtesan, is wonderfully evocative. And there’s a historical novel I read ages ago that might be difficult to find nowadays, but is also very atmospheric and feels real to me, for what that’s worth—Duchess of Milan by Michael Ennis. I read it for the first time when I was in school and it jumpstarted my obsession with late C15 Italy.
It’s not romance, and is actually based on fact. Galileo’s Daughter, by Dava Sobel.
This is also a topic near and dear to my heart. I spent one tremendously happy summer living in Rome with a family as part of my studies for my Italian degree. Love the language, love the country, love the culture. There are many wonderful books set in Italy, of course, but I notice a few of my favorites did not make it onto the list.
May I first recommend Dascia Maraini. La Maraini is a contemporary writer and rather well known in Italy. You can find her books translated into English. The on historical I am thinking of is The Silent Duchess or La Lunga Vita di Marianna Ucria. It is so rich in historical detail and really an engaging story. It is not really a romance but I do recommend it.
Also, there is a book about Italy, one that I give to everyone I know going to visit, that I would be remiss in not mentioning: Italy Out of Hand by Barbara Hodgson.
For a little fantasy and a little romance (hot sexxoring with Micheal Angelo) I recommend The Stars Compel and The Stars Dispose by Michaela Roessner. These are out of print but usually findable via Amazon or your local used bookstore.
Finally, for whimsy, romance, and lovely lovely language, may I recommend Italo Calvino’s The Baron in the Trees or Il Barone Rampante. This is one of the books that made me really excited about learning the language, and really it is quite charming.
By the way, I wish you much luck in making it over to Italy one of these days. There are many wonderful adventures to be had around almost every courner.
If you don’t currently speak Italian, may I suggest picking up a little big. Not that you absolutely need Italian to get around and enjoy yourself, but it is amazing how much more you will discover, do, hear even if you can only say, “Ciao, mi chiamo… et non parlo molto Italiano.” There are groups all over the country meeting for free Italian conversation and some minor instruction so don’t think you have to stay in school to pick up that littlest bit of Italian.
In boca al lupo e buona fortuna!
And my apologies for the typos. How gauche!
Theodora has been done before a couple of times. One is by Guy Gavriel Kay in The Sarantine Mosaic books (not quite romances, but certainly novels with Romantic elements) in his not quite Byzantine Empire books.
Wow, thanks Bitches for all these recomendations! Looks like I have a busy night ahead of me, looking up summaries and chapter previews, I bet you all just provided me with a whole summer reading list! I havent read any paranormals or series romances before, but this looks like a great place to start. And thanks also for the non-romance recomendations, now I can have a summer of multi-genre Italy!
One Knight In Venice by Tori Philips
Elaine Coffman has The Fifth Daughter and The Italian, both of which are decent historicals. I like The Italian more.
If you can find a reasonably priced copy, you might want to try The Silver Devil by Teresa Denys
Paula Marshall wrote at least 3 novels set in Renaissance Italy (though set in invented rather than real city states). They’re The Falcon and the Dove, The Lost Princess and Rinaldi’s Revenge.
I second the recommendation for ‘Breathing Room’ and also add ‘The Sailor’s Bride’ by Miranda Jarrett. The latter is one of three shorter works appearing in ‘Christmas Wedding Bells’ (the other two are set in England).
‘The Sailor’s Bride’ is set in Naples in 1798, focusing on a British couple (he’s an army Lieutenant; she’s cataloging the ambassador’s collection of antiquities).
The other two stories in the book are also enjoyable (‘The Pirate’s Kiss by Nicola Cornick and ‘A Smuggler’s Tale’ by Margaret McPhee).
Dear fiveandfour,
You are definitely NOT alone; I am right there with you. Captives of the Night is my favorite Chase book.
On another topic, I believe that Jaffe’s The Water Nymph took place in England.
Kay
Fiveandfour—you’re absolutely not alone. Captives of the Night is one of my favorite books eva. It’s an awesome mystery, and I looove the Comte d’Esmond.
I also have to echo Juliana’s rec for Wings of the Falcon. That’s one of my favorite Peters books! She wrote it under the name Barbara Michaels, though, so you might want to keep that in mind if you’re searching for it in a bookstore. Another good book of hers set in Italy (mainly Rome) is Street of the Five Moons.
Also, you might want to check out classic novels like Room with a View if you haven’t already.
I second Cry to Heaven—incredible historical detail and atmosphere. Far from a standard romance, but certainly the best thing Rice ever wrote.
I know what you mean. I live in Europe and the dollar is looww! Ouch! But in the meantime, before you get to Italy, try Kate Ross’s “The Devil in Music”. It’s set in 1820s Northern Italy. Kate Ross only wtote four books before she died of cancer…
I think that Elaine Coffman has written just what fits your criterion: The Italian
I’ll send you to her site with the info. I’m a history instructor and I enjoyed this immensely. It’s about the struggle for Italian reunification
http://www.elainecoffman.com/booklist_pg1.htm#ITALIAN
Ha! So right, Kukulcan Girl! I’m not sure how I made that mistake. Street of the Five Moons is also much fun; I adore the Vicki Bliss series, and I’m very excited about the new one coming out on August 19th – The Laughter of Dead Kings, it’s called. Fabulous title!
Julianna,
There’s a new Vicky Bliss coming out? Oh, that it would be so- just loved that series!
Virginia
Did one of Barbara Samuel’s early (mid ‘90’s pub date) medievals for Harper Monogram take place in Italy?
I also highly recommend the Wind Dancer and the novels by Wiggs, Chase, and SEP that take place in Italy.
A few years ago I went to Italy for vacation and wanted to read some novels that took place there before I went. A room with a view was good. I also really enjoyed a biographical novel about Michelangelo – I believe it was called the agony and the ecstasy. No romance though.
I’d also recommend A Room with a View, both the book and the movie. Actually, I think i’ts the only movie that was based on a book that I like better than the original. I found the book was good for having more insight into the characters, but the movie had more… magic, I guess. And a beautiful soundtrack:
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=hEX_oDh_U2g
If I ever go to one of those Tuscan fields and there is no Puccini in the background, it’ll be so disappointing…
Yes! I totally forgot about that one. It’s called Night of Fire.
Julianna and Viginia—I’m sooooo excited about The Laughter of Dead Kings. It comes out in August. It’s been so long since she wrote anything except the Amelia Peabody books (which I never really got into) that it will be nice to read something different from her.
I thought about three more books you might want to try, Elizabeth: Charmed and Dangerous by Jane Ashford, which I vaguely recall being partially set in Italy; The Scarletti Curse and Lair of the Lion by Christine Feehan; and The Italian and Mysteries of Udolfo by Ann Radcliffe.
The ‘Sigismondo’ series of mysteries, set in Renaissance Italy, by Elizabeth Eyre:
Death of the Duchess ©1991
Curtains for the Cardinal ©1992
Poison for the Prince ©1993
Bravo for the Bride ©1994
Axe for an Abbot ©1995
Dirge for a Doge ©1996
Whoops. I vanished for a while, but I just wanted to come back and address the veered off-topic Captives of the Night issue. I’m pretty sure I’m the island and one of the few people who loathed it. Between the blond Muslim hero (what’s wrong with a swarthy Muslim, huh?) and the homophobia, I just couldn’t connect to the book.