What to Read Before You Visit Florence: Novels, History & Famous Florentines

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Florence isn’t just a destination — it’s a living story. Every cobbled street and frescoed chapel feels like the page of a novel. The city that gave us Dante, da Vinci, and the Medici has inspired countless writers to capture its beauty, secrets, and history in words.

Whether you’re planning your first trip or returning for another dose of Renaissance magic, these books set in Florence will help you see the city through the eyes of poets, artists, and dreamers. From classic fiction to true stories rooted in Florentine history, this curated reading list will bring the City of Lilies to life long before your plane touches down.

Fiction Set in Florence

Historical Fiction

Still Life by Sarah Winman

Genre: Historical Fiction / Literary Fiction

A lush, multigenerational story set partly in post-war Florence. Art, love, and friendship intertwine against the backdrop of a city healing from war. Winman’s Florence is sensual, generous, and deeply human.

 

The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant

Genre: Historical Fiction / Renaissance Drama

A tale of forbidden love, art, and religion set in 15th-century Florence during the rise of Savonarola. Dunant’s rich detail immerses you in the tension between beauty and faith that defined Renaissance life.

 

The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie

Genre: Magical Realism / Historical Fiction

A dazzling blend of history, magic, and myth linking Renaissance Florence to Mughal India. Rushdie’s lush prose turns the city into a place of imagination and illusion — much like the art it birthed.

 

Mystery / Thriller

Inferno by Dan Brown

Genre: Thriller / Mystery

A modern thriller that races through the streets, galleries, and secrets of Florence. Follow symbologist Robert Langdon as he deciphers Dantean clues hidden among the city’s masterpieces. Perfect for readers who like their Renaissance with a twist of conspiracy.

 

City of Vengeance by D.V. Bishop

Genre: Historical Mystery / Crime Fiction

A gripping historical mystery set in 16th-century Florence. When a wealthy merchant is found murdered, constable Cesare Aldo must navigate the dangerous politics of Medici-ruled Florence. Vivid, fast-paced, and full of period detail.

 

Hannibal–by Thomas Harris

Genre: Psychological Thriller / Crime

Part of the chilling thriller unfolds in Florence, where Dr. Hannibal Lecter lives incognito among the art and opera. Dark, disturbing, yet strangely elegant — Florence’s opulent beauty makes the horror even more haunting.

 

A Florentine Revenge by Christobel Kent

Genre: Contemporary Mystery / Suspense

A sharp, atmospheric crime novel exploring betrayal and justice against the timeless backdrop of Florence’s narrow streets and Renaissance façades.

 

The Sign of the Weeping Virgin by Alana White

Genre: Historical Mystery / Renaissance Suspense

In 1480s Florence, lawyer Guid’Antonio Vespucci investigates a painting that seems to predict tragedy. This atmospheric mystery captures the intrigue and superstition of the Renaissance.

 

My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier

Genre: Gothic Fiction / Psychological Drama

Though not entirely set in Florence, this haunting story of obsession and ambiguity begins in Italy’s romantic landscape — a prelude to du Maurier’s trademark suspense.

 

Literary Classics / Romance

The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri

Genre: Epic Poetry / Classic Literature

No reading list about Florence could start anywhere else. Dante’s epic poem may journey through Heaven and Hell, but its heart is Florentine — shaped by the politics, faith, and passions of medieval Italy. Walk through the narrow alleys near Dante’s house and imagine the poet’s Florence unfolding around you.

 

A Room With a View by E.M. Forster

Genre: Classic Romance / Coming-of-Age

An Edwardian classic that begins in a Florentine pensione, where Lucy Honeychurch finds both love and liberation. Forster’s witty social satire celebrates the transformative power of travel — and few novels capture the magic of seeing Florence for the first time as vividly as this one.

 

Florence: A Delicate Case by David Leavitt

Genre: Literary Nonfiction / Cultural Essay

Leavitt’s portrait of 20th-century expatriate Florence blends memoir and social history, exploring how outsiders have shaped — and been shaped by — the city. Insightful and elegantly written.

 

Innocence by Penelope Fitzgerald

Genre: Literary Fiction / Romantic Comedy of Manners

Set in the 1950s, this charming and bittersweet novel follows a young Florentine woman caught between tradition and modern love. Fitzgerald’s subtle humor makes this a hidden gem among Florence novels.

 

Rooted in Real Events

Medieval & Renaissance

The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio

Genre: Classic Literature / Short Story Collection

Written during the Black Plague, this 14th-century masterpiece follows ten Florentines who flee the city to tell each other stories. It’s bawdy, human, and surprisingly modern — a reminder that storytelling is part of Florence’s DNA.

 

Romola by George Eliot

Genre: Historical Fiction / Political Drama

Set in 15th-century Florence, Eliot’s historical novel explores politics, philosophy, and personal duty through the eyes of a strong-minded young woman. A fascinating window into Renaissance ideals and upheaval.

 

Secrecy by Rupert Thomson

Genre: Historical Mystery / Gothic Fiction

A haunting mystery set in the artistic underworld of Renaissance Florence. Alchemy, scandal, and secrecy weave through this dark, atmospheric novel.

 

Portrait of a Conspiracy by Donna Russo Morin

Genre: Historical Thriller / Renaissance Fiction

A fast-paced historical thriller set during the infamous Pazzi Conspiracy against the Medici. Perfect for readers fascinated by Renaissance politics and Da Vinci’s Florence.

 

The Pope’s Conspiracy by Lewis M. Weinstein

Genre: Historical Thriller / Religious Intrigue

Set in the Renaissance, this novel dives into plots and power struggles between popes, painters, and politicians. Ideal for readers drawn to the high-stakes drama behind Florence’s sacred art.

 

The Stones of Florence by Mary McCarthy

Genre: Nonfiction / Cultural History

McCarthy’s witty, intelligent portrait of Florence examines its art, architecture, and contradictions. More than a guidebook, it’s a timeless love letter to the city’s soul — perfect reading before wandering the Uffizi or the Duomo.

 

Modern Florence (20th Century / WWII)

The Flood by David Hewson

Genre: Historical Thriller / Contemporary Fiction

Based on the devastating 1966 flood that nearly destroyed Florence’s art treasures, this gripping novel tells the story of courage, loss, and resilience in a city fighting for its soul.

 

Death in Florence by Marco Vichi

Genre: Mystery / Crime Fiction

Set in 1960s Florence, this atmospheric detective novel follows Inspector Bordelli as he investigates a young boy’s murder amid the city’s shifting social and moral landscape. Vichi captures postwar Florence with gritty realism and compassion, offering a vivid sense of place that pairs perfectly with a walk through the city’s less touristy streets.

 

The Way Back to Florence by Glenn Haybittle

Genre: Historical Fiction / World War II

During WWII, artists and lovers risk everything in Nazi-occupied Florence. This moving novel reveals how beauty and humanity endure even in the darkest times.

 

True Crime

The Monster of Florence by Magdalen Nabb

Genre: True Crime / Detective Fiction

Based on a chilling real-life case, this gripping story follows police investigations into a series of murders that haunted Florence for decades. A fascinating look at the city’s darker modern history.

 

Based on Famous Florentines

Artists & Architects

The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone

Genre: Biographical Novel / Historical Fiction

A sweeping biographical novel about Michelangelo’s life, genius, and struggles. From chiseling marble in Carrara to painting the Sistine Chapel, Stone brings the artist — and Florence — vividly to life.

 

Oil and Marble by Stephanie Storey

Genre: Historical Fiction / Artist Rivalry

A lively retelling of the rivalry between Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as they compete for artistic glory. Ideal for anyone planning to visit the Uffizi or the Accademia.

 

Brunelleschi’s Dome by Ross King

Genre: Nonfiction / Architectural History

An engaging nonfiction look at how Filippo Brunelleschi built the Duomo — one of the most astonishing feats of architecture in history. After reading, you’ll never climb that dome the same way again.

 

The Feud That Sparked the Renaissance by Paul Robert Walker

Genre: Nonfiction / Art History

The rivalry between Brunelleschi and Ghiberti over the Baptistery doors ignited a new era in art. A concise, fascinating read for those exploring Florence’s artistic origins.

 

Medici Family

Magnifico: The Brilliant Life and Violent Times of Lorenzo de’ Medici by Miles J. Unger

Genre: Biography / Renaissance History

A definitive biography of Lorenzo the Magnificent, whose patronage powered Florence’s golden age. Unger captures the politics, art, and brilliance of the Medici court.

 

The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici by Christopher Hibbert

Genre: Nonfiction / Political History

Accessible and entertaining, Hibbert’s classic history traces the Medici family’s climb from bankers to rulers. Essential reading for anyone exploring Florence’s palaces and chapels.

 

Murder of a Medici Princess by Caroline P. Murphy

Genre: Biography / True History

A gripping, scholarly narrative about Isabella de’ Medici — a woman of power and passion whose shocking death exposed the dark politics of Renaissance nobility.

 

Musicians / Writers / Cultural Figures

The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence by Alyssa Palombo

Genre: Historical Fiction / Romance

Inspired by Botticelli’s muse, Simonetta Vespucci, this lush novel reveals how beauty, art, and love intertwined during Florence’s most radiant century.

 

I, Mona Lisa by Jeanne Kalogridis

Genre: Historical Fiction / Renaissance Drama

Told through the eyes of Lisa Gherardini — the real woman behind Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece — this richly imagined novel brings to life the private world behind Florence’s most famous smile.

 

Which of these books will you be reading before your trip to Florence? Do you know of any others that should be here too? Let me know in the comments below this post!

 

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