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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Capturing the essence of Italian Liberation in every note 🇮🇹🎶 April 25th holds a special resonance, as it’s Italian Liberation Day, commemorating the end of a dark chapter in our shared history. As “Bella Ciao” fills the air, I&r

Do you want to learn Italian?

Maybe you’ve tried different kinds of classes or strategies…I know I failed out of a bunch of fool-proof methods, so when I found out that in order to apply for Italian citizenship I would have to pass the

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

Featured speaker on panel discussing Romance for “Santa Lucia”