At Home in Italy

The days at the end of August are among my most favorite of the calendar year as they are typically very warm (but not oppressively hot) with clear, blue skies, cool temperatures at night, and hints of the fall months to follow.  There is still plenty of summer left -- the first day of Autumn isn't until the 22nd of September -- and when I saw the cover of this book, At Home in Italy: Under the Summer Sun, I knew I had to get it!  It's just incredibly appealing, and reminds me that I want to make the most of my outdoor patio over the next month, including hosting a Rosh Hashanah dinner (if the weather holds). 

The book's cover photo was taken in an orange garden at Il Castelluccio, a baroque palace in a hamlet of the same name near Syracuse, Sicily.  In truth, the title of the book is somewhat misleading as there are far more photographs of interiors than outdoor living images.  But if you, like me, are crazy for this type of book, this detail is minor indeed, and you will love being inspired by these 21 Italian locales.

In her Introduction, Nicoletta del Buono (editior of Architectural Digest Italia), informs us of a book entitled Journey Through Italy that was written by writer and journalist Guido Piovene in 1957.  This work "documented the dawn of the economic miracle in post-war Italy," and it was so highly regarded that it was included in the reading requirements of secondary schools.  Del Buono says At Home in Italy is an attempt to resurrect the spirit of Piovene's book, though obviously with a different emphasis.  The gorgeous photos by Massimi Listri lead us "behind the scenes, inside people's homes, into places that reflect who they really are, and what they want out of life...these images speak volumes about Italy and its people."

Enjoy these end-of summer days with this book in your lap, preferably al fresco! 

At Home In Italy: Under the Summer Sun

Massimo Listri, text by Nicoletta del Buono

The Vendome Press, 2012