ITALIAN SPLENDOR. PALACES, CASTLES, AND VILLAS Palaces, Castles, and Villas

This sought-after volume is now back in print in a new format and at a reduced price, takes the reader on a breathtaking tour through the most magnificent homes in Italy. This well-illustrated journey through 50 magnificent villas and palaces built by the Italian aristocracy covers country retreats in Tuscany and the Veneto, impressive residences in Rome and Siena, and fortresslike castles and grand villas in Trieste and Sicily. Collected here for the first time, these world-famous private residences are unsurpassed in their diversity and artistic grandeur. Italian Splendor offers both professional and lay readers a glimpse behind the closed doors of these family homes, which contain some of the world's most impressive and sumptuous designs.

Jack Basehart lives in Milan and spent a year and a half traveling through Italy compiling information for the book and arranging access to the many properties covered. The late Roberto Schezen was a photographer of worldwide acclaim. His books includeNewport Houses, Palaces of Rome, Visions of Ancient America, and the Splendor series. Many of his photographs are now included in the permanent collections of the Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montréal, and the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Ralph Toledano is a Paris-based writer and art authority.