In "The Passion of Artemisia," Susan Vreeland weaves a tale of Renaissance Italy around the life story and the paintings of Artemesia Gentileschi, the first woman artist to be inducted into the Accademia dell'Arte in Florence. The author does a wonderful job describing the details of seventeenth century Italy. I particularly enjoyed the references to the food (one of the highlights of any trip to Italy!), the historical characters (Galileo, Cosimo de Medici, etc.), the cities (Rome, Florence, Genoa, and Naples) and of course the paintings. After reading the book, I had a historical context for the alleyways of Florence and an appreciation for the talent and passion that great artists command. It was an added bonus on our trip to see her "Angel" panel at the Casa Buonarotti as well as her paintings at the Pitti Palace, in Florence.  ~ A. Egan

The Dark Heart of Italy
North Point Press (2005)
$15.00

This is a freshly written description of contemporary Italy, from the point of view of a foreigner (a Brit) who immigrates there. He uses several themes (language, the justice system, soccer, Catholicism, cinema) to illustrate the fragmentation in Italian society. This fragmentation is due in part to the fact that Italy was only united as a country in the late 19th century; at that time each region had its own language and many had been at war for centuries. This book exposes you to a side of Italy that most visitors never see. Still, the author loves the country and that love and admiration shines through as he portrays some of the darker side of life.  ~ E. Howell

• Europe
• Dublin, Ireland
• Italy
• Italy, Florence
• Italy, Rome
• Italy, Tuscany
• Italy, Venice
• Paris, France