Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center is a passport to the heart of Italy. Michelle Damiani chronicles how her American family of five transformed within the medieval walls of Spello. Part searingly-honest memoir, part celebration of Umbrian life, Il Bel Centro evokes the pleasures of an Italian hill town, complete with colorful characters, historical asides, and storied celebrations.
At once hilarious and wise, this spellbinding journey will feed your soul and your wanderlust. Il Bel Centro will sweep you into an Italian village, where for bakers, pants are optional, and a good lunch will take you straight through till dinner.
“A magical read.”
“I absolutely couldn’t get enough of this book.”
“I was instantly transported to Italy.”
“This is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read.”
“Could not put it down.”
“I could smell the freshly baked bread, taste the local wine, and if I closed my eyes I could easily see the sloping hills, the pink stones of Spello, the ‘alley ladies’ with their basket of vegetables to sort and their easy chatter.”
“I just want more."
Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center includes recipes for delicious Umbrian dishes as well as professional-quality photographs.
"A realistic look into what happens when you uproot your family to immerse yourself in a foreign culture, attempting to raise kids in an unfamiliar environment."--Huffington Post's list of "Ten Fascinating Books about Living in a Foreign Country", August 2016
"If you can't get yourself to Italy for an extended stay, Il Bel Centro is a worthy substitute. Highly recommended." --Michelle Fabio, Bleeding Espresso, reviewing for Spring 2016 issue of Ambassador, the magazine of the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF)
"Il Bel Centro reads in many ways like a romance novel. In this case it is the author who falls in love with a country and way of life...It is a grand book..."--PRIMO magazine, October, 2016
