The best books to inspire a passion for Italy – and Italian

Book cover of The Decameron Book cover of Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World Book cover of Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love Book cover of Botticelli's Secret: The Lost Drawings and the Rediscovery of the Renaissance Book cover of The Divine Comedy

The best books about people telling each other stories

Book cover of The Decameron Book cover of Centering Anishinaabeg Studies: Understanding the World through Stories Book cover of Making Witches: Newfoundland Traditions of Spells and Counterspells Book cover of Burning Brightly: New Light on Old Tales Told Today Book cover of Folktales of the Canadian Sephardim

The best books of historical fiction and mysteries set in Italy

Book cover of The Lion of Venice Book cover of The Decameron Book cover of Earthly Remains Book cover of The Monster of Florence Book cover of Death at La Fenice

The best bloody and tasty books about the brilliance, cruelty, and especially the food, of the Italian Renaissance

Book cover of The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy Book cover of The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini Book cover of Aretino's Dialogues Book cover of De honesta voluptate Book cover of The Decameron

The best books on how the Plague changed history

Book cover of The Betrothed Book cover of The Plague of Athens Book cover of The Plague Book cover of A Journal of the Plague Year Book cover of The Decameron

The best books on disease and society

Book cover of The Decameron Book cover of A Journal of the Plague Year Book cover of The Plague Book cover of A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century Book cover of Natural History of Infectious Disease

The best books on historic accounts of plague outbreaks

Book cover of The Hot Zone Book cover of Rats, Lice and History Book cover of A Journal of the Plague Year Book cover of The Decameron Book cover of The Peloponnesian War

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Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 75 books like The Decameron.

Book cover of A Journal of the Plague Year Book cover of Rats, Lice and History Book cover of The Hot Zone Book cover of Natural History of Infectious Disease Book cover of A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century Book cover of The Plague

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5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in plagues, Europe, and storytelling?

Plagues 59 books
Europe 986 books
Storytelling 137 books