Showing results by author "Laura Morelli" in All Categories

From the acclaimed author of The Night Portrait comes a stunning historical novel about two women, separated by 500 years, who each hide Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa - with unintended consequences.

In the summer of 1943, Eva Brunner is taking photographs of Nazi-looted art hidden in the salt mines of the Austrian hinterland. Across the ocean in Connecticut, Josephine Evans is working as a humble typist at the Yale Art Gallery. When both women are called to Italy to contribute to the war effort, neither imagines she will hold the fate of some of the world’s greatest masterpieces torn from the Uffizi Galleries and other Florentine art collections in her hands. 

Milan, 1492: When a 16-year-old beauty becomes the mistress of the Duke of Milan, she must fight for her place in the palace—and against those who want her out. Soon, she finds herself sitting before Leonardo da Vinci, who wants to ensure his own place in the palace by painting his most ambitious portrait to date. Munich, World War II: After a modest conservator unwittingly places a priceless Italian Renaissance portrait into the hands of a high-ranking Nazi, she risks her life to recover it, working with an American soldier, part of the famed Monuments Men team, to get it back.

Florence, 1500. Fresco painter Jacopo Torni longs to make his mark in the world. But while his peers enjoy prestigious commissions, his meager painting jobs are all earmarked to pay down gambling debts. When Jacopo hears of a competition to create Florence's greatest sculpture, he pins all his hopes on a collaboration with his boyhood companion, Michelangelo Buonarroti. But will the frustrated artist ever emerge from the shadow of his singularly gifted friend?

Venice, 1510. Maria Bartolini wants nothing more than to carry on her father's legacy as a master gilder. Instead, her father has sent her away from the only home she's ever known to train as an apprentice to Master Trevisan, a renowned painter. Maria arranges to leave the painter's workshop to return to her family workshop and to a secret lover waiting for her back home. But the encroaching Black Death foils her plans.... When the painter's servants uncover the real reason why Maria has been sent away to train with Master Trevisan, they threaten to reveal a secret.

Organized by region, with one chapter devoted to Paris, Made in France takes you on a complete tour of the dazzling, artisanal legacy of France, uncovering off-the-beaten-path destinations and one-of-a-kind, hidden workshops, where everything from lingerie to chocolate is turned out completely by hand, piece by piece.

Richly painted maiolica ceramics from Tuscany. Supple Florentine leather. The cameos of Naples and the Amalfi Coast. Made in Italy takes you on a complete tour of the dazzling artisanal legacy of Italy, uncovering off-the-beaten-path destinations and one-of-a-kind, hidden workshops where everything from leather bags to gilded frames are turned out completely by hand, piece by piece. This book includes instructions for getting a free copy of the companion guide, Artisans of Italy, with complete, continually updated listings of Laura's personally recommended shops.

Author and art historian Laura Morelli is here to help. In Italy, it's not easy to tell the treasures from the trash. In this audiobook, Morelli leads you through the region's most authentic arts. By teaching you the difference between authentic master artisans and the knock-offs, Morelli will make you every tourist trap's worst nightmare: an educated buyer. Join Laura Morelli on a journey beyond the souvenir shops into an immersive cultural experience you won't find in any other guidebook.

Venetian gondola-maker Luca Vianello considers his whole life arranged. His father charted a course for his eldest son from the day he was born, and Luca is positioned to inherit one of the city's most esteemed boatyards. But when Luca experiences an unexpected tragedy in the boatyard, he believes that his destiny lies elsewhere. Soon, he finds himself drawn to restore an antique gondola with the dream of taking a girl for a ride.

As Allied bombs rain down on Torino in the autumn of 1942, Stella Costa’s mother sends her to safety with distant relatives in a Tuscan villa. There, Stella finds her family tasked with a great responsibility: hiding nearly 300 priceless masterpieces from Florence, including Botticelli’s famous Primavera. With the arrival of German troops imminent, Stella finds herself a stranger in her family’s villa and she struggles to understand why her aunt doesn’t like her. She knows it has something to do with her parents.

If you're traveling to Florence, Italy, you want to go home with a special souvenir: a leather bag, a gold bracelet, or a beautiful set of stationery. But selecting which wallet or jacket to buy can be an intimidating experience. How do you know if you're buying something authentic, made locally and in a traditional way? How do you determine if you've fallen prey to one of the city's many tourist traps?

If you're traveling to Venice, Italy, you want to go home with a special souvenir: a piece of Murano glass, a work of Burano lace, a carnival mask, or one of the city's famous luxury fabrics. But selecting which mask or which goblet to buy can be an intimidating experience. How do you know if you're buying something authentic, something made in Venice, something made in a traditional way? How do you determine if you've fallen prey to one of the city's many tourist traps?

Cosa fai quando tuo figlio fa perennemente capricci, urla nel seggiolino dell'auto, aggredisce un altro bambino o si rifiuta di mangiare? Quante volte sei arrivata a fine giornata esausta e senza voce perché tuo figlio non ti ascolta? Desideri che i tuoi figli crescano sicuri, intraprendenti e con una buona dose di Autostima? Molti studi rivelano che urlare, minacciare e mettere in punizione, aumentino del più del 90% gli stati depressivi/aggressivi dei bambini.

Welcome to Leadership Babes - an upbeat and supportive space that will inspire you to “ignite the leader within'' in every single aspect of your life! You can expect deep, insightful chats on all things mindset, manifestation and the ebbs and flows of what it takes to commit to living your best, most empowered life.  Will share the lessons, the love and the leadership skills, alongside raw and inspired conversations between us, trendsetters and entrepreneurs that have paved the way. It’s time to give yourself permission to choose again every single day to live a life based on your wildest...