100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go by Susan Van Allen

Italy and the feminine mystique go happily hand in hand. Discover the feminine side of Italia: elegance, romance, passion and fun. All the ingredients to live out an Audrey Hepburn-like Italian holiday are there - if you know where to find them.

100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go is one of the most innovative and fascinating travel guides dedicated to Italy. You won't find in it any reference to such overt symbols of virility as Rome's Colosseum or the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Instead, author Susan Van Allen focused her passion for the Bel Paese on selecting destinations for the body and the mind that will suit and fulfill women's search for beauty, romance and relaxation.

Inspired by what the author calls the "overwhelming feminine appeal of Italy," the books reflects her falling in love at first sight with a country where "Venus and Maria shared center stage." Together with the descriptions of fascinating shops, alluring beaches and beauty spas, the guide is also driven by places where female celebrities left their mark. Such as Villa Cimbrone in Ravello, where Greta Garbo stayed in 1939 spending, according to the garden plaque, "hours of secret happiness." Or Siena, recommended here not for its celebrated Palio, but for its native Saint Catherine's history and lore.

The book fills a gap on the shelves at the right time. No ordinary directory of addresses, 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go is an authentic portrait of Italy from the charmed perspective of a woman, a writer and an experienced traveler.