The Best Books about Venice

All the Donna Leon books are just a click away.

Which are the best books about Venice Italy?

I am often asked this question and so put together this list of those books that really capture that special quality that makes Venice so unique.

Whether it be about the food, history or simply a good travel guide these are superb books.

To add variety I include a few recommended by site visitors. You too can suggest a book or two. Simply click here to begin.

The Brunetti Mysteries by Donna Leon

There are a lot of books in this series and every single one of them is a joy to read. They bring the real Venice to life; as the mysteries themselves unfold so too do the mysteries of Venice. Donna Leon's descriptions are so vivid you can almost hear the canal water lapping again centuries old walls, you can smell the wonderful aromas of the bar as Commissario Brunetti enters. Reading one of these books is the next best thing to actually being in Venice.

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Venezia - Food and Dreams

This is a scrumptious book from Tessa Kiros, whose first book Twelve - on seasonal food and life in Tuscany - lured me into the spells she weaves. She writes dreamily and evocatively, and has an original and individual view on her subject. I yearn to be there, and to be the watcher and observer that she is.

Beautifully illustrated and written, the book captures the sad but triumphant spirit of this very special place, with its food in the foreground and very much alive. Review by Gwenda Canty

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Authentic Flavours of Venice

I have a fair number of our favorite cookbooks featured on the Piedmont site but I recently discovered this great book. The chef is apparently well known but I hadn’t heard of him. However the book (Francesco's Kitchen: Authentic Flavours of Venice ) is a great way to discover the superb cuisine of Venice and the text and beautifully illustrated photos are a celebration of this enchanting city. Definitely one of the best books about Venice.

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Francesco's Venice

Discovering the secrets of Venice and what it is that makes this city so incredible is one of the main reasons we started this site. To really understand Venice though you need to discover its past and no book makes this journey more enjoyable than this. Francesco and his family have been a part of Venice's history for centuries and he weaves together the past and present quite magically. If you love Venice then this well written and magnificently illustrated book is a must.

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Need a hotel in Venice? Try these!

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Read Other Visitors Book Reviews

Click below to see reviews from other visitors to this page...

Venice, an Odyssey, hope, anger and the future of cities by Neal E. Robbins (La Toletta edition 2021) 
I write to bring to your attention a book that I think would be of interest, given the recent attention to Venice. As you will know, the go-to book …

A Thousand Days In Venice 
A Thousand Days in Venice. is a beautiful memoir, of a particular period in this American author's life, when she falls in love with a native Venetian. …

Understanding Venice Not rated yet
Despite the cryptic title this is a book about....well, Venice. Unless you are seeking accommodation or eating places, I suggest this as THE guide to everything …

Great books about Venice Not rated yet
Miss Garnet's Angel is a lovely story (I've read it twice!) about a spinster teacher who inherits some money and decides to go to Venice for a while. …

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