Recommended books, films and inspirations for your journey
Venice, Veneto Region, Italy
The Basque History of the World – Mark Kurlansky
A brilliant entry point into Basque identity, from language and politics to fishing, whaling and migration. It’s one of those books that quietly reshapes how you see the region before you even arrive.
https://www.amazon.com.au/Basque-History-World-Mark-Kurlansky/dp/0140298517
Life and Food in the Basque Country – María José Sevilla
Deeply grounded and beautifully observed, this is a classic exploration of Basque cooking, home kitchens, and the culture behind the cuisine.
https://www.amazon.com.au/Life-Food-Basque-Country/dp/0714829944
The Basque Kitchen – José Pizarro
Warm, generous and modern, José Pizarro brings Basque cooking into the present while staying true to its roots. A great companion for understanding how pintxos culture translates into home cooking.
https://www.amazon.com.au/Basque-Kitchen-Jos%C3%A9-Pizarro/dp/1784723635
Food Lover’s Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela – Dee Nolan
A journey that blends walking, food, memory and landscape across northern Spain. A lovely way to understand the emotional geography between the Basque Country and Galicia.
https://www.amazon.com.au/Food-Lovers-Pilgrimage-Santiago-Compostela/dp/1741149426
Film & series
The Legacy of the Bones (Baztan Trilogy) – Dolores Redondo
A haunting Basque-set thriller that moves through misty valleys, ancient beliefs and modern tension. Part of the Baztán trilogy, it captures the darker, atmospheric side of the region beautifully.
https://www.netflix.com/title/80233434
Patria – based on Fernando Aramburu’s novel
An extraordinary series about two families on opposite sides of the Basque conflict. Intimate, powerful, and essential for understanding the recent history of the region.
https://www.hbo.com/patria
Ocho Apellidos Vascos (Spanish Affair)
A light, comedic take on Basque identity and Spanish regional stereotypes, very popular locally and a good counterpoint to the region’s heavier histories.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2955316/
Chef’s Table: Spain – San Sebastián / Asador Etxebarri episode (Netflix)
A visually rich introduction to the obsessive craft behind Basque dining culture, from fire cooking to the Michelin world of San Sebastián.
https://www.netflix.com/title/80007945
Irati (2023)
A visually striking Basque-language mythological epic that became the highest-grossing Basque-language film ever. Set in the Pyrenees, it blends medieval history with Basque mythology, folklore and landscape storytelling in a way that feels almost elemental forests, caves, pagan ritual, and Christian conquest colliding.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irati_(film)
La infiltrada (2024)
A tense political thriller based on the true story of a young Spanish police officer who spent eight years undercover inside ETA, ultimately helping dismantle the Donosti command in San Sebastián. Set in the late 1990s Basque Country, it moves between everyday city life and the hidden world of surveillance, loyalty and fear, with San Sebastián portrayed not as a postcard city, but as a place of quiet tension and dual identities.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undercover_(2024_film)
Venetian Republic: Recipes from an Italian Kitchen, Veneto - Valeria Necchio. One of my favourites. A wonderful insight into everyday Venetian and Veneto cooking, very grounded and authentic. https://valerianecchio.com/veneto-cookbook
Recipes from Venice – Katie & Giancarlo Caldesi
A beautiful way to understand Venetian cooking through its seasons and traditions. https://www.amazon.com.au/Recipes-Venice-Katie-Caldesi/dp/1784886629
Commissario Brunetti series – Donna Leon
A perfect way to absorb Venice through its rhythm, neighbourhoods and daily life - everyone in family over 50 has read the series. There is also a companion cookbook inspired by the series which is lovely for context. A Taste of Venice: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/a-taste-of-venice-9781407012728
Stanley Tucci – “Searching for Italy” (Venice episode) A great watch for feeling the spirit of Venetian food and how it sits within everyday life. I love him, along with the rest of the world: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=stanley+tucci+venice+searching+for+italy
The World of Venice by Jan Morris
A beautifully written classic that blends history, art, atmosphere and observation. It is less academic, but widely respected and very evocative. https://www.amazon.com.au/World-Venice-Jan-Morris/dp/0156983567 and an old article: https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2015/apr/07/jan-morriss-venice-less-of-a-city-than-an-experience
Film & Series
Summertime (1955) – David Lean
Starring Katharine Hepburn, this is one of the most beautiful depictions of Venice on film, luminous, restrained and deeply romantic, focused on quiet transformation in the city.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048673/
Death in Venice (1971) – Luchino Visconti
A slow, haunting adaptation of Thomas Mann’s novella, filmed in a faded, almost dreamlike Venice. It captures the city’s beauty, melancholy and sense of time slipping away.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067445/
The Tourist (2010) – Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
A modern thriller starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, set against postcard-perfect canals and palazzi. Less about Venice’s depth, more about its cinematic surface but visually iconic.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1243957/
Casanova (2005) – Lasse Hallström
A playful romantic comedy-drama loosely inspired by Venice’s most famous lover. It leans into the masquerade, intrigue and seduction of 18th-century Venice.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0402894/
Commissario Brunetti (Donna Leon adaptations – various TV films, 2000–2019)
A long-running series of made-for-TV films based on Donna Leon’s novels. Venice is the true protagonist here, its rhythms, bureaucracy, neighbourhood life and moral texture.
https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?series=tt0115633
Ripley (2024) – Netflix
Though set across Italy rather than solely Venice, its black-and-white cinematography and slow psychological pacing evoke a similar sense of European decadence and decay.
https://www.netflix.com/title/81493241
San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain