First published 2002
David Leavitt examines Florence's magnetic pull on foreign residents, particularly the English and American expatriates who made the Italian city their home. He traces the foreign colony's development from the mid-nineteenth century through its end under Mussolini's rule. The book investigates why Florence attracted over thirty thousand Anglo-American residents at the century's turn and why the city became a haven for those escaping sex scandals. Leavitt weaves together stories of famous figures like Tchaikovsky, E.M. Forster, Ronald Firbank, and Mary McCarthy with lesser-known historical moments, including the relocation of Michelangelo's David and black American soldiers building temporary bridges after World War II. He contrasts this rich expatriate history with contemporary Florence's tourist-dominated landscape of pizza parlors and commercial attractions. The narrative moves between past and present, examining both real and fictional characters while analyzing how novels and films like A Room with a View, The Portrait of a Lady, and Tea with Mussolini have shaped perceptions of the city.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, historical-fiction, travel, 20th-century, biography-memoir, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, historical-figures
Setting: Florence, Italy
Period: 19th-Century, 20th-Century, World War II
176 pages · Hardcover · Bloomsbury