The Lady in the Palazzo: At Home in Umbria
The Lady in the Palazzo: At Home in Umbria
The Lady in the Palazzo: At Home in Umbria
With the breathless anticipation that seduced her readers to fall in love with Venice and then Tuscany, Marlena de Blasi now takes us on a new journey as she moves with her husband, Fernando, to Orvieto, a large and ancient city in Italy’s Umbria. Having neither an edge to a sea nor a face to a foreign land, it’s a region less trampled by travelers and, in turn, less accepting of strangers. So de Blasi sets out to establish her niche in this new place and to win over her new neighbors by doing what she does best, cooking her way into their hearts. (Her recipes are included.)
Rich with history and a vivid sense of place, her memoir is by turns romantic and sensual, joyous and celebratory, as she searches for the right balance in this city on the hill, as well as the right home—which turns out to be the former ballroom of a dilapidated sixteenth-century palazzo.
De Blasi meets and makes friends with an array of colorful, memorable characters, including cooks and counts and shepherds and a lone violinist, and their stories, too, become a part of the tapestry of life that she weaves for herself in Orvieto. With a voice full of wonder, she brings to life these engagingly quirky people and the aloof, almost daunting society that exists in Umbria. Not since Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence has a writer so happily succeeded in capturing the essence of a singular place and in creating a feast for readers of all stripes.
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(out of 18 reviews)
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Review by L.A. in CA for The Lady in the Palazzo: At Home in Umbria
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There is a lot to love about this book, which is the third – and I think the best – of her books on life in Italy. It chronicles her search for a home in Orvieto, in Umbria. She and her husband find an ideal place, an apartment in what was once the grand palazzo of the Ubaldini family – a home dating back to medieval times. Unfortunately, the apartment had been sitting vacant for 13 years and was in dire need of restoration. They could not live in their home during the construction. So they waited. And waited. And waited! This story follows the author as she adjusts to life in her adopted community during this long wait, and it culminates with a lavish dinner party held in her new home.
As usual, with de Blasi, you can expect a book filled with sensual talk of wine and food; with regional recipes; with cultural and historical tidbits. But the real heart of this book – the soul of this book – is in the people to whom we are introduced. Some of them are given space to tell their life stories in their own words – and their stories are deeply moving.
“Let life shape itself” is the underlying theme of this book.
I can think of no author to compare to Marlena de Blasi. Part chef, part philosopher, part travel guide, part poet..she is an original.
Highly recommended.
Review by Dana Jenkins for The Lady in the Palazzo: At Home in Umbria
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After being disappointed by 1,000 Days in Tuscany my expectations weren’t as high for this new offering from Marlene DeBlasi but I loved it.Her affection for Orivieto and the characters in the surrounding countryside, and her developing appreciation for the centuries-old relationships, not to mention her description of the home she is creating, were described in similar loving and wondering terms as her descriptino of her early days in Venice. I appreciated the personal moments (wondering if she would ever get to live in the palazzo) interspersed with cultural descriptions (the venetian’s understanding of conversational subtext) and on top of it all her yearning to get on on with her life (cooking, writing) while living with the unexpected. I really loved the book.
Review by Zecon for The Lady in the Palazzo: At Home in Umbria
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You know what they say, never judge a book by its cover. Well in this case the photograph of the author on the inside of the cover led me to some judgemental thoughts.
It should be said that am drawn to books on Italy and I enjoyed my visit to Umbria several years ago. But I almost didn’t buy this book because of the picture of Marlena De Blasi. Well I took a chance and I have to say I was wrong. There is no doubt that De Blasi is a free spirit, bohemian, and different. That is her charm and you can read about it on every page.
It is a wonderful story that she tells of her integration into to the conservative Italian life of Orvieto in Umbria. She mixes her quixotic lifestyle with the down-to-earth inhabitants of this city on a hill for delicious results. She is exuberant and her story is redolent with her passion for life and total disregard for the Italian class system. Despite this all turns out well in the end.
I highly recommend this tale of life in Italy. It is a completely different perspective
Review by DBB for The Lady in the Palazzo: At Home in Umbria
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I have read two other of Ms. de Blasi’s books and thoroughly enjoyed them but this one was the most enjoyable so far. I think of A Thousand Days in Venice as a love story both for her new Italian husband and her new life in Venice, A Thousand Days in Tuscany as a continuation of her life in Italy. The Lady in the Palazzo was more like being her neighbor in Umbria and hearing her tell the story of her new life experiences.
I felt like I was sitting in the cucina with her over a cup of coffee…actually many cups of coffee.
In other words, I really liked it.
Review by carol in austin for The Lady in the Palazzo: At Home in Umbria
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I read this book as well as the Tuscany book while I was traveling in Italy this spring. I don’t know if the books enhanced my experiences or vice versa but what is wonderful about these books is the ability the author has to bring the words off the pages and the sentiments into your heart. Time after time I underlined phrases and thoughts that I wanted to commit to memory. She has an extremely keen mind and understands a lot about people. It’s hard to express what it is about Marlena de Blasi that makes her so special so I’m going to stop trying! Read her works and I think you will see what I’m getting at.