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If you're researching your next trip to Tuscany, how about a little cinematic and literary inspiration? From the film adaptation of Frances Mayes' iconic Under the Tuscan Sun to an 800-page biographical novel about Michelangelo, check out these books and movies set all or part in Tuscany. You can find more insider tips on one of ������ý's most popular regions in our latest issue of Bellissimo, the Tuscany edition. 

Note that when you buy a book or film through the links below, we may receive a small commission. 

Best Books Set in Tuscany 

Tuscany has served as the setting for many a literary work, from insightful historical tomes to thrilling page-turners and period romances. Here are some of our favorite books that take place in Tuscany.

• Cucina Tipica: An Italian Adventure - ������ý Magazine contributor Andrew Cotto’s novel on finding ������ý, one meal at a time 
• - E.M. Forster’s classic romance contrasts Edwardian England with ������ý at the turn of the 20th century.
• - Bestselling author Sarah Dunant’s captivating tale of a young girl caught in the romance and upheaval of 15th-century Florence
• - Ross King’s meticulously researched account of how the mighty dome of Florence took shape
• - Frances Mayes’ 1996 memoir launched a thousand dreams of picking up and moving to Tuscany.
• - Irving Stone's nearly 800-page biographical novel about Michelangelo remains a riveting account of the man and his times.
• - Journalist Jane Fortune uncovers centuries of “hidden” artwork in Florence’s churches, museums and archives. 
• - Alex Preston’s 2014 novel explores shifting loyalties and forbidden love in WWII Florence.
• - Another fast-paced thriller from Dan Brown, this time set in Florence, Venice and Istanbul 
• - Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi’s harrowing true-crime story of ������ý’s most notorious serial killer

Favorite Films Set in Tuscany 

It’s hard to make a bad film when you’ve got Tuscany as your stage. Wartime dramas, fun romantic spins and even vampire sagas have been filmed in Tuscany. Here are some of our top picks. 

• - Cher, Judi Dench, and Maggie Smith star in this sweeping tale of love and resilience in wartime Florence.
• - Roberto Benigni’s poignant, multi-award-winning comedy-drama about a Jewish-Italian father and son in a Nazi concentration camp
• - Film adaptation of the Dan Brown novel is a rollercoaster ride through Italian history and art — plus there’s Tom Hanks!
• - A young Helena Bonham Carter stars in this British coming of age costume drama, based on the novel by E.M. Forster. 
• - This creative adaptation of Frances Mayes’ ubiquitous memoir is a gorgeous, playful romp.
• - After a tragedy, a young woman travels to ������ý in search of love and a deeper connection with herself.
• - A 1975 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Mario Monicelli featuring the adventures of four inseparable friends
• - A ruined Tuscan monastery is the backdrop for this epic, award-winning saga of doomed love.
• - The second film of the guilty-pleasure vampire series has scenes in Montepulciano, which stands in for Volterra.
• - Everyone’s favorite serial-killer cannibal calls Florence home in this sequel to The Silence of the Lambs.