Packing for Italy should feel exciting, not overwhelming. And yet, if you are anything like me on my early solo trips, you will stand over your suitcase with far too many dresses, not enough practical layers and absolutely no idea whether you need that extra pair of sandals. (Spoiler, you do not…)

There’s something magical about reading a book set in Italy, especially when you’re already in love with the cobbled lanes, wild hillsides, and quiet little towns that make this country feel like home.

Some books don’t just tell a story… they evoke a whole landscape….