Ciao! These best fiction books set in Florence, Italy, will transport your mind to Tuscany instantly.
Fun fact: I actually first created this list nearly four years ago, when I was planning my Italian honeymoon and wanted to read books set in Italy exactly where we were visiting. I loved planning my reading and real life to intertwine this way so much that, when I returned home from Italy, I created my blog The Literary Lifestyle.
Best Fiction Books Set in Florence, Italy
First, because this is a book blog and I love to pair travel with related books, below are the best fiction books set in Florence with details to help you decide which one is best for you.
From Scratch by Tembi Locke
My top pick
The memoir From Scratch is a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick and New York Times bestseller about a Black American actress, who meets an Italian chef while studying abroad in Florence. After he dies at a young age, she returns to Italy to mend strained relationships with his disapproving family.
It’s so beautifully written, memorable, and hard to put down. Because food is such a big part of the story it also really transports you to Florence and other parts of Italy. It’s easily one of my favorite books about Florence.
Inferno by Dan Brown
Inferno is a #1 worldwide bestseller and one of the best mystery books set in Florence. When Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon awakens in a Florence hospital, he cannot recall the events of the past day, let alone the origin of the mysterious object hidden in his belongings.
He and his doctor must quickly flee after narrowly escaping a female assassin, embarking on a fast-paced journey through Florence in order to unravel a series of codes left by a scientist obsessed with the end of the world and one of the most influential masterpieces ever written, Dante Alighieri’s The Inferno.
This popular book satisfyingly combines suspense with classical Italian culture.
Fun fact: This specific hotel I recommend below (where we stayed) is where the main character in this book stayed!
Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
Love and Gelato is a New York Times bestseller and one of the best Young Adult books on Florence. A teenage girl goes on a Summer adventure to Florence, and the trip is filled with romance, mystery, and a cute Italian boy.
Pursuing her mother’s dying wish, she tries to find her father and, upon discovering her mother’s journal, learns a life-changing secret. It’s a lovely read!
A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
A Room with a View is a classic on the Rory Gilmore book list and The Office’s Finer Things Club book list.
A naive young woman travels to Florence and, after exploring its culture and fainting in the arms of a young man there, she then returns to England and must decide between a life of convention versus a life of passion.
It’s both memorable and makes a statement about the time period in which it’s set.
That Month in Tuscany by Inglath Cooper
That Month in Tuscany is the charming story of a mom feeling lost in her marriage. She travels to Florence alone and befriends a famous musician with whom she can make Italian memories over the course of a month.
When a crisis strikes back at home, though, she is left to look back at the significance of that month in framing the course of her future.
It’s a quick and light escape read that’s great for an Italian beach read.
Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
The memoir Under the Tuscan Sun is one of the most popular contemporary novels set in Florence. It’s the #1 New York Times bestseller about a travel writer who moves to the land surrounding Florence to restore an abandoned villa.
In the process, she takes chances and explores the tastes and culture of the Florentine region, which forever changes her.
It’s one of the most popular novels set in Florence for a reason, as it’s sure to warm your heart. I love to revisit this one.
Those are the best fiction books set in Florence, Italy.
