Michelle Damiani
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  • Spello Visiting Umbria Travel in Italy Around the World
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  • About
Michelle Damiani
  • Buy my books/
  • Blog/
  • Travel/
    • Spello
    • Visiting Umbria
    • Travel in Italy
    • Around the World
  • What I Love/
    • Books and Movies
    • Food and Drink
    • Gabe's Blog
    • Italian Cats and Hidden Madonnas
  • Coaching/
  • About/
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Michelle Damiani

writing with Italy at heart

Travel in Italy

Michelle Damiani
  • Buy my books/
  • Blog/
  • Travel/
    • Spello
    • Visiting Umbria
    • Travel in Italy
    • Around the World
  • What I Love/
    • Books and Movies
    • Food and Drink
    • Gabe's Blog
    • Italian Cats and Hidden Madonnas
  • Coaching/
  • About/

From alpine lakes to sun-drenched coastlines, this is where you’ll find stories from my travels across Italy—the hidden corners, the unexpected delights, the journeys that stay with you. Want new wanderlust in your inbox once a month? Sign up for The Grapevine.


March 21, 2026

Book Club with a View

March 21, 2026/ Michelle Damiani
Book Club with a View

If you love Italy, books, and conversations that linger long after the plates are cleared, I’d love for you to consider joining me on my next Book Club with a View, In Tuscany and Umbria, October of 2026

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March 21, 2026/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
italy, travel, italian hidden gems, italy off the beaten path
book club, umbria, books set in Italy, italian hidden gems
March 11, 2025

Why Write in Italy?

March 11, 2025/ Michelle Damiani
Why Write in Italy?

There is an art to starting from scratch. Let me show you.

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March 11, 2025/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
italy, blog, travel, writing
writing, Puglia, Travel, walking tour
December 05, 2024

Travel & Writing in Liguria with Ciao Andiamo

December 05, 2024/ Michelle Damiani
Travel & Writing in Liguria with Ciao Andiamo

I had no idea how much teaching writing in Italy would deepen my love of both writing and Italy.

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December 05, 2024/ Michelle Damiani/ 1 Comment
liguria, italy, blog, Piedmont, travel
travel, blog, Piemonte, PIedmont
December 11, 2023

Seven Reasons to Add Turin to Your Bucket List

December 11, 2023/ Michelle Damiani
Seven Reasons to Add Turin to Your Bucket List

Got a trip to Turin planned? Lucky you.

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December 11, 2023/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
italy, language, Piedmont, travel
Turin, Torino, Spello, Food, win
March 17, 2023

Life in Truffle-Scented Turin

March 17, 2023/ Olivia Windsor (Livguine)
Life in Truffle-Scented Turin

As part of the Local Guide Series, Olivia Windsor (known as Livguine to her fans) opens the door to Turin, a jewel-box city in Italy’s northern foothills.

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March 17, 2023/ Olivia Windsor (Livguine)/ 14 Comments
italy, Piedmont, travel, blog
Turin, Torino, Local Guide, PIedmont, Piemonte
June 24, 2021

This is Cinque Terre

June 24, 2021/ Michelle Damiani
This is Cinque Terre

It took me 30 years to return to Cinque Terre. Here’s what I discovered.

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June 24, 2021/ Michelle Damiani/ 4 Comments
travel, liguria, italy, blog
Cinque Terre, Liguria, Travel
June 23, 2021

Twelve Do's and Don'ts in Cinque Terre

June 23, 2021/ Michelle Damiani
Twelve Do's and Don'ts in Cinque Terre

Use this guide to fall in love with Cinque Terre.

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June 23, 2021/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
italy, liguria, travel
Cinque Terre, Travel
June 23, 2021

Where to Stay in Cinque Terre

June 23, 2021/ Michelle Damiani
Where to Stay in Cinque Terre

I’m so excited to share this recommendation with you.

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June 23, 2021/ Michelle Damiani/ 2 Comments
liguria, italy, travel
Italy, Liguria
May 11, 2021

Why you shouldn't daytrip to Florence

May 11, 2021/ Michelle Damiani
Why you shouldn't daytrip to Florence

Planning a day trip to Florence for your next trip to Italy? Think again.

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May 11, 2021/ Michelle Damiani/ 16 Comments
travel, italy
Florence, Firenze, tuscany, Travel
January 24, 2021

Venice, in Black and White

January 24, 2021/ Michelle Damiani
Venice, in Black and White

It’s easy to be swept away by the colors of Venice… but there’s more to captivate the eye.

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January 24, 2021/ Michelle Damiani/ 2 Comments
italy, travel
Veneto, Venice
January 24, 2021

A new perspective on Venice

January 24, 2021/ Michelle Damiani
A new perspective on Venice

How a beloved children’s book changed how I think about Venice. With loads of recommendations to help you enjoy even an off-season visit to La Serenissima.

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January 24, 2021/ Michelle Damiani/ 6 Comments
italy, blog, travel
Venice, Veneto, Travel, Italy, Food, restaurant
December 01, 2020

Matera Is More Than Its Tragic Past: Walking the Sassi With Open Eyes

December 01, 2020/ Michelle Damiani
Matera Is More Than Its Tragic Past: Walking the Sassi With Open Eyes

An intimate guide for how to experience Matera’s Sassi beyond the postcards.

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December 01, 2020/ Michelle Damiani/ 8 Comments
italy, travel, blog
Puglia, history
October 27, 2020

Alberobello: They're not Smurf Houses

October 27, 2020/ Michelle Damiani
Alberobello: They're not Smurf Houses

Our visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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October 27, 2020/ Michelle Damiani/ 9 Comments
travel, italy
Puglia, Travel, restaurant, food, history
October 19, 2020

Mangia Pesce in Gallipoli, Puglia

October 19, 2020/ Michelle Damiani
Mangia Pesce in Gallipoli, Puglia

How Gallipoli takes the Italian concept of “mangia pesce” and turns it into a lifestyle and an art form.

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October 19, 2020/ Michelle Damiani/ 15 Comments
italy, blog, travel, language
Puglia, Travel, Food, restaurant
October 16, 2020

Five days in Torre Chianca, Puglia

October 16, 2020/ Michelle Damiani
Five days in Torre Chianca, Puglia

I bet you’ve never heard of Torre Chianca. Will you want to go there after reading this post? Let’s see….

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October 16, 2020/ Michelle Damiani/ 11 Comments
travel, italy, blog
Puglia, Food, restaurant, Travel
October 09, 2020

To Puglia!

October 09, 2020/ Michelle Damiani
To Puglia!

How a trip to Puglia is like playing hooky.

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October 09, 2020/ Michelle Damiani/ 4 Comments
italy, blog, travel
Molise, Travel, restaurant
July 11, 2019

Eight Italian Hidden Gems

July 11, 2019/ Michelle Damiani
Eight Italian Hidden Gems

Discover these destinations before the tourists do.

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July 11, 2019/ Michelle Damiani/ 3 Comments
italy, travel
Italy
July 10, 2019

Finding my Joy in Liguria

July 10, 2019/ Marilyn Ricci
Finding my Joy in Liguria

Part of the Local Guide Series — Discover Liguria with Marilyn Ricci.

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July 10, 2019/ Marilyn Ricci/ 11 Comments
travel, italy
Local Guide, Liguria
January 23, 2019

The Southern Marche Region, an Unknown Gem

January 23, 2019/ Dwight Stanford
The Southern Marche Region, an Unknown Gem

An American wine-guy shares why he fell in love with Le Marche, and how to explore his favorite region of Italy.

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January 23, 2019/ Dwight Stanford/ 13 Comments
travel, italy
Le Marche, Italy, Travel, Local Guide
November 07, 2018

Walking Bologna

November 07, 2018/ Michelle Damiani
Walking Bologna

Walking itineraries to showcase the best of Bologna.

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November 07, 2018/ Michelle Damiani/ 2 Comments
travel, italy
Travel, Bologna, Italy, restaurant, walking tour, history, Emiglia-
  • Next
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  • Blog/
  • Travel/
    • Spello
    • Visiting Umbria
    • Travel in Italy
    • Around the World
  • What I Love/
    • Books and Movies
    • Food and Drink
    • Gabe's Blog
    • Italian Cats and Hidden Madonnas
  • Coaching/
  • About/

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. 

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ONE SPOT LEFT ✨ Max and I are at it again! We’re taking a small group to Italy, this time Tuscany and Umbria. Max (co-owner of Ciao Andiamo, a fabulous boutique travel company) brings the Italy know-how like niche truffle hunting experiences an
As a shy and insecure child who moved every few years, I was lonely. A lot.

Stories became a way to feel connected. They opened doors into other lives when mine felt small and uncertain.

I’m 54 now. No longer shy, no longer insecure, and pret
One year ago, I became an Italian citizen. ❤️🤍💚
Flashback to gathering wild asparagus outside Spello 🌸 one of those flavors I miss!
Anyone else more than a little in love with Bologna? The city’s unofficial motto is “the red, the fat, and the learned”… what is your favorite aspect of Bologna?
Happy birthday to Rome! I love you for your old bits and your new bits. You make aging an inspiring thing.
What nobody tells you about Japan is even when you’re too early for cherry blossom, there are plum blossoms. Plus, Japanese gardens are glorious with no blossoms at all.
As a person who grooves on food and connection, the Omicho Market Tour and Cooking Class offered by In Kanazawa House was one of the most satisfying and delicious experiences I had in Japan. Our guides Naoko and Kazuko (tagged in stories) introduced

A trip to Italy is better with language basics! Here’s my recommended course to learn Italian and make your trip fantastico!


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

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

Featured speaker on panel discussing Romance for “Santa Lucia”

Featured speaker on panel discussing Romance for “Santa Lucia”