Background Material

Here are some of the books and movies I've been reading and watching in order to get in the mood for Italy.

"When In Rome" (2010, PG-13)
This was a lighthearted chick-flick with a view of the Trevi fountain in Rome.  I enjoyed it about as much as eating cotton candy.  There were a few laughs but nothing memorable to take away.

"Visions of Italy" (2001, documentary)
I watched this with my husband who up to this point has not been in the least interested in going to Italy.  His comment was, "No one told me there was all that water!"  He would love to tour Italy by boat (especially sailboat) but give all the art and cathedrals a wide berth.  The views are spectacular, mostly shot from the air. It's what made me panicked about getting in shape.  I knew that Italy had mountains -- I just didn't know it was ALL mountains.  Very beautiful scenery set to very beautiful music.  I highly recommend this set of DVD's.

"Angels & Demons" (2009 PG-13)
This was a whirlwind tour through many of the most famous sites in Rome. The Vatican, the Pantheon, Bernini's fountains, etc.  However I found it way too gory to enjoy watching.  Each of these places is the scene of a murder and the "good guys" are always just a few moments too late to prevent the tragedy. I picked out the "bad guy" from the very beginning even though Adele didn't believe me. So, "Ha!" Only watch it if you love suspense and don't mind the sight of blood.

"Three Coins in the Fountain" (1954 NR)
I enjoyed it even if it was pretty silly.  It had a couple hilarious moments and it was set in Rome so the view was fine! If you enjoy old films you'll probably like this one.

"The Big Night" (1996 R)
A couple of brothers from Italy are trying to get a restaurant started in New York. Tony Shalhoub (of Monk fame) is one of the brothers so I really wanted to see this one.  It is a strange movie but I really liked it.  It left me feeling satisfied and unsatisfied at the same time.  I keep thinking about it and what the layers of meaning were.  Unfortunately there was a LOT of bad language.  Except for that I highly recommend this movie.  It is an exploration of the conflict between idealism and pragmatism and what is the meaning of art (in this case artfully prepared Italian food.) If  you want something to chew on long after watching this is for you.

Banner of the Bull by Raphael Sabatini
Three stories revolving around the military conquests of Cesare Borgia in 15th century Italy.

The Shame of Motley by Raphael Sabatini
A longer story revolving around Cesare Borgia.

Eyewitness Travel ROME
One of our textbooks for the class.  It is chock-full of wonderful photos, maps, and travel advice.  If you've never thought of visiting Rome paging through this book will whet your appetite!

Art and Architecture in Italy 1600-1750 v. I&II by Rudolph Wittkower
Another of our textbooks.  One of the leading texts on the Boroque period in Italy even though it was first printed in 1957.  It is not light reading, but our main text for this class so that's to be expected.

Let me know what you think if you watch or read any of these. I'd love to hear your take on things. Or if you have suggestions of other books or movies for me, please share!