Those familiar with Frances Mayes’ memoirs that celebrate the ancient, sun-drenched beauty of Tuscany know that she is a master at capturing a solid sense of place through her lush, poetic narratives.

It's one of the most famous Villas in Tuscany, attracting a constant stream of tourists. Bramasole (its name comes from Brama, to yearn for, and Sole, for the sun) is the house that American Frances ...

Cortona, Italy — In the Hollywood version of Frances Mayes’ 1996 bestselling memoir “Under the Tuscan Sun,” there are no car chases. No murders or ghosts, either, though some of the filmmakers who ...

I came across Frances Mayes’ “Bella Tuscany” this spring and read just a few lines to remember how beguiled I was by her first memoir on the subject. I have heard Mayes’ prose dismissed as something ...