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Ed Anderson via Gourmet Traveller no. 1017.
Aperols at aperitivo, splashing about the deep blue and halcyon days spent under the Tuscan sun – these may be some of your imagined or lived vignettes of la dolce vita, baby.
Though, the sweet air of an Italian summer can somehow still be smelt from another life and hemisphere – you need not to be sailing off Capri or sipping vino in a Sicilian vineyard to feel its warmth.
Sometimes, a taste of travel and awe can be found right within the crisp pages of a hardcover coffee table book.
So that you can get a whiff of that languorous Mediterranean spirit at home, we’ve curated an edit of some of the best Italy coffee table books that capture the essence of la dolce vita.
The best coffee table books about Italy
La Dolce Vita by Slim Aarons, $82.75 (usually $120), Abrams
La Dolce Vita documents the adoration the iconic photographer felt for Italy over multiple decades and trips. The fourth volume of the Slim Aarons collection includes an introduction by Christopher Sweet, and features bucolic scenes from the Sicilian countryside to striking villas to portraits of society’s ‘it’ people.
Sicily: Wines and Wine Routes by Samuele Mazza, $92.75 (usually $140), Rizzoli International
Organised by wine-growing areas, this book offers a wholesome guide to Sicilian wine tasting – from farmhouses to traditional estates across the culturally and environmentally diverse island.
Florence: The Paintings and Frescoes by Ross King and Anja Grebe, $68.90 (RRP $89.99), Little Brown
Featuring the works from the likes of Renaissance greats such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli and Rembrandt, Florence is an A to Z of Firenze’s paintings and frescoes found in museums and churches. An art history buff must-have.
A House Party in Tuscany by Amber Guinness, $48.80 (usually $65), Thames and Hudson Australia
Featuring seasonal menus as well as recipes for classic dishes, cocktails and feasts, A House Party in Tuscany celebrates the simplicity of traditional Italian home cooking within the Tuscan countryside.
The Monocle Book of Italy by Tyler Brûlé et al., $70.90 (usually $100), Thames and Hudson
As a follow up to The Monocle Book of Japan, this Italian volume highlights the enigmatic charm of the nation’s design, architecture, food, fashion and culture – oozing nothing but passion and sweetness.
