I love Italian details.

A cat sleeping on a stone wall.

A jewel-toned spritz with a view of rolling hills.

Streetlights framing layered stone alleys.

Ornate signs announcing prosciutto within.

Flower petals scattered across ancient cobblestones.

And of course, Madonnas tucked into niches.

Because I love these Italian flourishes, I started “Italian Cats and Hidden Madonnas”, a Facebook group for people to share photos (and stories!) of uniquely Italian details. Please join us to get a breath of beauty in your Facebook feed!

Join "Italian Cats and Hidden Madonnas" Facebook Group

Michelle Damiani

Website for Michelle Damiani, author of Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center, the funny and heartfelt memoir of an American family living in Spello, as well as Santa Lucia, a page-turner set on the Umbria border.

Rumors. Romance. And more than a little espresso.

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Then our last day dawned. After a final stunning breakfast with cheeses and meats and a chocolate-hazelnut spread that Max insists is better than Nutella—and could be, I would have liked three more pots to decide—we piled into the van for

I’m now in Brisbane, but have to tell you about Portofino.

On our first day in Sestri Levante, @max_brunelli of @ciaoandiamo pointed out how the cradle of the Ligurian Sea stretches to Portofino. Visiting Genova, Camogli, Recco, Sestri Levante

Sestri Levante.

Oh, this town now holds my heart. No wonder @max_brunelli of @ciaoandiamo made sure we passed a few days here.

Sherbet colored buildings, a welcoming beach (especially as the storm subsided and the water regained its blueness), and

The rain caused flooding and damage all over Italy (see yesterdays reel for dramatic visuals). Wave after wave of storms. We had to scrap our boat trip to the island convent because rivers had poured so much debris into the Mediterranean, the sea had

**Festival participant, speaking about “Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center”**

Featured speaker on panel discussing Romance for “Santa Lucia”