Magnificent Italian Villas and Palaces

Italy's stunning villas and palaces get a noble treatment by Cunaccia, an architect and journalist specializing in the history of European architecture, and Listri, a Florence-based photographer. Each brings an appropriate mix of expertise and approachability; Cunaccia's prose is understandable for non-specialists but specific enough to delight aficionados, and Listri's photographs vary between sweeping panoramas that show opulent sitting rooms in all their chandeliered glory to detailed close-ups of statues and building facades. The book showcases 25 of Italy's most impressive residences, spanning the country from Venice to Rome to Sicily, and encompassing renowned landmarks like Tuscany's Medici Villas and The Doge's Palace in Venice, as well as lesser-known gems, such as Sicily's Palazzo Biscari and Lombardy's Villa Bettoni Cazzago. The authors put each palace into historical context and discuss its artistic influences, whether neoclassical, baroque or mannerism. 400 color and b&w photos.