The Lady in the Palazzo: An Umbrian Love Story [Paperback]

Marlena de Blasi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 27, 2008

Marlena di Blasi seduced readers to fall in love with Venice, then Tuscany, with her popular and critically acclaimed books A Thousand Days in Venice and A Thousand Days in Tuscany. Now she takes readers on a journey into the heart of Orvieto, an ancient city in the less-trodden region of Umbria. Rich with history and a vivid sense of place, her tale is by turns romantic and sensual, joyous and celebratory, as she and her husband search for a home in this city on a hill—finding one that turns out to be the former ballroom of a dilapidated sixteenth-century palazzo. Along the way, de Blasi befriends an array of colorful characters, including cooks and counts and shepherds and a lone violinist, cooking her way into the hearts of her Umbrian neighbors.

Brimming with life and kissed by romance, The Lady in the Palazzo perfectly captures the essence of a singular place and offers up a feast—and the recipes to prepare it!—for readers of all stripes.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"De Blasi doesn't so much observe life as devour it. . . .Her robust appetite for life saturates the book."—Entertainment Weekly (Entertainment Weekly )

"At the heart of this memoir is the continuing love story of a later-in-life romance. . . . Wow!"—The Philadelphia Inqurier (Philadelphia Inquirer )

"De Blasi is a skilled, quirky writer; her prose is by turns reserved, rococo, earthy and, above all, fresh. . . . Delicious."—Kirkus Reviews, starred (Kirkus Reviews )

"Perfect for armchair travelers, foodies, or any reader who loves a romantic story about the joy of discovery in a foreign land."—Pages (Pages Magazine )

“[De Blasi’s] poetic writing style, her meditative internal monologues, her celebration of traditional foods and her inclusion of a number of recipes from the region, make this a feast for armchair travelers, food enthusiasts, romantics and anyone who enjoys a good story with a happy ending.” –Rocky Mount (NC) Telegram (Rocky Mount (NC) Telegram )

From the Back Cover

Orvieto, an ancient Italian city rising above the cliffs of Umbria, is among the most dramatic in Europe. It is here that Marlena de Blasi, author of the national bestseller A Thousand Days in Venice, sets out to make a home—in the former ballroom of a dilapidated sixteenth-century palazzo—and win over her neighbors, who include artisans, counts, shepherds, and a lone violinist. Though wary of a stranger in their midst, they find her passion for the fine arts of cooking and eating irresistible, and together they create a spectacular feast as breathtaking as the city itself.

By turns romantic and sensual, joyous and celebratory, The Lady in the Palazzo seductively captures the essence of a singular place.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 317 pages
• Publisher: Algonquin Books; First Paperback Edition edition (May 27, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565126106
• ISBN-13: 978-1565126107
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #209,748 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > Travel > Europe > San Marino & Umbria
  • #12 in Books > Travel > Europe > Italy > Umbria

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Italian enchantment and charm, May 25, 2009

By 

L. M. Keefer (Connecticut) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lady in the Palazzo: An Umbrian Love Story (Paperback)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. However, to maximize your enjoyment, you should read De Blasi's A Thousand Days in Venice first to fall in love with her and her Venetian banker. That book is one of my favorite books I've read in the past 10 years--especially if you like travel, Italy, are a bit of a romantic, enjoy reading about someone's life that equals any good fiction. She and her banker are an original and live adventurously, and you get to travel along with them in their minds which is a treat.

Once you've read A Thousand Days in Venice, which has the central conflict of the Venetian banker meeting her and courting her, which is a delicious plot, then you'll enjoy A Thousand Days in Tuscany and this narrative on their home in Umbria. It's really a trilogy, and best if you meet them first in Venice. To jump into this book without the preceding ones might be off-putting unless you're an Italianophile or a chef or love Umbria. One needs the first introductions to properly fall in love. The evolution of their relationship and life is what draws you in and helps you enjoy the subtle magic. I just bought her book on Siciliy today and will enjoy a visit with them there. Go to Venice first, then Tuscany, then Umbria with this enchanting couple!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderfu read, October 29, 2008

By 

Richard D. Naylor "Dave" (Avon Park, Fl USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lady in the Palazzo: An Umbrian Love Story (Paperback)

"The Lady in the Palazzo" is a love story: love of life, of good food and wine, but mostly love of people. The main story line of finding ( and eventually moving into) a home in Umbria is a device that allows Ms. De Blasi to expose the wonderful textured lives of the characters in her book. In addition to being a fine chef she is a keen observer of life and takes us on a wonderful journey as her story unfolds....in short , this is a wonderful, sweet book that anyone who loves all things Italian will enjoy immensely...
P.S. This was given to me by my Italian chef wife at our home in Italy where we reside 6 months a year.....some of the people in this book remind us of friends.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yummy!, September 12, 2009

By 

Marilyn WK (PHX, AZ) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Lady in the Palazzo: An Umbrian Love Story (Paperback)

Everything di Blasi writes is wonderful if you like food and have a genuine desire to know what it's like to become part of the places where she and her blueberry-eyed Venetian husband, Fernando, travel. They worm their way into the bosom of each community in which they live (one per book), making friends, making a new home, and cooking whatever is fresh and ready to become a mouth-watering lunch or dinner. I highly recommend each of her books, of which this is the fourth. They can be read out of order but I think the reader will get more out of them if they're read in chronological order.