Experience the Splendor of Il Bel Centro: A Year-Long Journey Through the Heart of Italy

travelingnana: My husband and I have been to Italy many times over the past 20 years. We are retired now and love spending a week or two in an apartment just enjoying the relaxation, the food and culture, and the vibe of an Italian town. Last summer we were in Spoleto which is not far from Spello. I'm now more motivated than ever to spend a month or more in one place to really get to know a town and its people. I loved this book for many reasons. First of all, Michelle is a very talented observer and writer. She can capture the smallest idea or observation in the most beautiful words. I enjoyed all her comments about the differences in culture between our two countries. I smiled to myself many times, thinking, "yes, that's exactly what I would expect". On a deeper level, I am taking away many ideas for my own self improvement. I seem to share some characteristics with Michelle which have held me back over the years, a certain level of insecurity and thinking that what I do or how I say something has to be perfect before I can put myself out there. In the comfort and acceptance of the warm and loving friends they made in Spello, Michelle and her daughter Siena gain confidence and a new way of...

United States on Jul 08, 2018

Wendy Taylor: I can honestly say that this is one of the best books I have read about Italy. I have loved Italy and all things Italian since my first visit as a child 50 years ago and have read many books about the country, both fiction and non-fiction. Michelle writes so well about living there for a year, the reader really feels that they know each member of the family and each Italian person that they come across. It is unlike any other book about moving to Italy. Michelle tells her story so eloquently, I really felt I was there every time I picked up the book. I enjoyed it from beginning to end and was only sorry when I finished it! There are some lovely recipes included too.

United Kingdom on Apr 06, 2017

Melanie: I bought this book for my husband's birthday but finished it before he did as I couldn't put it down. It is vivid and thoughtful and makes me want to drop everything and take a chance on living our dream. Written in a diary format makes for an easy read, contrary to what other readers have found. The book feels honest and authentic about the highs and lows of making a new life and"fitting in". Her family was lucky to experience this together, I would recommend this to anyone thinking of travelling to Umbria, which is amazing, making a change or just wanting a good book to read on their deck with a good cup of coffee!

Canada on Jul 31, 2016

Ken Pollard: A good read. By the end, I felt that I knew the author, her family, the neighbors, and the town. I have been interested in Italy for years, read many books about Italy, and have been learning the language. As an aside, Italian words, then phrases, then sentences get sprinkled into the text as the story progresses. These were pleasant little nuggets of deciphering for me, and I would work on them mentally before moving onto the English translation which followed directly.

I don’t know if I’ll ever get to Italy, and I certainly won’t live there for a year. If I did, though, I’d want it to be as the author presents it in this book.

Her approach to the text is nearly conversational, which works in this case. There are a few cringe-worthy moments, particularly early on as she found her footing, but she kept these in awkward moments in, much to her credit. Probably anyone who has had children will sympthathize, with our own less-than-stellar moments in our past. By the end of the book, she has learned to relax and enjoy life in a much better frame of mind. It appears that both she and her family grew tremendously from their time in Spello, and it altered the...

United States on Mar 30, 2016

Andy Strote: You already know what this book is about from the description and other reviews. I just want to add how evocative it is, page after page, even the descriptions of the smallest day-to-day events.

Visit to the butcher? A highlight! Boy got spanked in school? Crisis! Same young man hanging out with the old boys playing cards in the piazza? A triumph! This is one of those books you wish would never end, or at the very least that the Damiani family would have a change of mind and decide to stay in Spello, and that there was a volume 2 on the way. Loved it, thanks!

Canada on Dec 01, 2015

Amazon customer: Il Bel Centro brings sunshine on a gloomy day. It is like spots of happiness on your paperback/kindle. Michelle has done an excellent job of bringing ITALY to us readers. I have been fascinated and in love with Italy since years now and I think this book heightened it any more. I am grateful this book in my life. It was right at the time when I was missing my Umbrian trip. Thanks Michelle, I have learnt so many things that I probably would have learnt later on..And you know once the book was over, I felt like a lost friend. It was sad to think that I wouldn't read more about Spello.. I felt like after a year of staying there, I LEFT SPELLO WITH YOU. Thank you for everything and for such a deep heartwarming writing. For bringing Spello in my life. I can't wait to visit that town already.!!

PS- This book will give you instant wanderlust to hop on a plane too Italy. Beware ;-)

India on Sep 21, 2015

Giselle Stafford: Rarely have I been so engaged in a book! Michelle has a way with words that truly paint a picture and draws you into the world and the feelings she is experiencing in her year in Spello. It certainly doesn't hurt that I know Spello and know a lot of the people she meets along the way!
I am actually reading the book at the moment and chores have gone by the wayside as I sit and lose myself in this lovely book. I heard that Michelle was back in Spello recently, I wish I had been able to meet her!

United Kingdom on Sep 03, 2015

K&J: If you have ever considered suspending your normal life to live in a foreign country for a year, Il Bel Centro may convince you to do it. This book grew out of a blog written by its author to record her family’s year-long experience of living in the small town of Spello, Umbria, in the beautiful center—il bel centro—of Italy.
Michelle Damiani, her husband, Keith, and three young children plan and save for years to get out of their comfort zone and live in Italy. Part memoir, part travel book, part meditation, Il Bel Centro details the joys and the difficulties the family faces as they integrate into a less busy, less stressful lifestyle, learning to “live in a loreign language.” Imagine showing up on the first day school—all three children attended the local schools—not understanding which notebooks to buy, which classroom to go to, even which days school was in session—in Italy lots of things are flexible. Imagine facing a child’s debilitating homesickness, not knowing what the next step will be. Imagine entering a small shop to find the proprietor selling bread and pastries in his underwear. Imagine being invited to a party to discover that a festa of the...

United States on Jul 02, 2015