Verdi’s tribute to Alessandro Manzoni turns his Requiem into a true ode to Italian culture. In that same spirit, Marie Gryson (Boekhandel Walry) selected a list of Italian classics: stories that take you straight to the heart of Italy.
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With thanks to Confituur Boekhandels. Confituur is a colourful network of independent bookstores.
Verdi: Requiem · 26.09.2026 · Flagey
Verdi’s Requiem stands alongside Mozart’s in a class of its own: written by a genius (as Johannes Brahms put it), overwhelmingly grand yet surprisingly intimate, traversing the entire spectrum of human emotion.
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Alessandro Manzoni
Northern Italy, 17th century. Renzo and Lucia are about to get married, but the local priest refuses. The reason? The local lord has his eye on Lucia. She flees to a convent, but is betrayed and kidnapped by a bandit nobleman. Meanwhile, Renzo ends up in Milan, a city hit by famine.
La portalettere
Francesca Giannone
1934, Puglia. Anna, from Northern Italy, moves with her family to her husband’s hometown in the south. She is strong-willed and independent, and stands out in the traditional village life. When she becomes the first female postwoman, and speaks up for women’s rights, not everyone trusts her. Against the backdrop of war years, a powerful story unfolds about courage, love, and family ties that refuse to break.
L'amica geniale
Elena Ferrante
A modern classic by one of Italy’s most loved authors. My Brilliant Friend tells the rich and emotional story of Elena and Lila, two friends growing up together. Ferrante draws a vivid portrait of their lives, while also showing a changing Italy and exploring what friendship really means.
La Storia
Elsa Morante
Ida Mancuso lives in war-torn Rome with her son Nino. After a traumatic encounter with a German soldier, she gives birth to another child: Useppe. The boy will not live long, but his short life is full of light and wonder, despite war, hunger, and hardship. A moving story about how innocent lives are crushed by history.
Al di qua del fiume
Alessandra Selmi
Cristoforo Crespi dreams of building a factory and an ideal workers’ village on the banks of the Adda river, and risks everything to make it happen. When Emilia, the daughter of a Crespi worker, arrives, her life becomes deeply connected to the village and its people. Against a backdrop of social inequality and change, a strong bond grows between her and heir Silvio Crespi.
Le otto montagne
Paolo Cognetti
Pietro grows up in busy Milan. Every summer, his family escapes to the mountains in a small village in the Aosta Valley. There he meets Bruno, and a deep friendship begins. Together they share long summers, endless walks, and the quiet rhythm of the mountains.
