author
Janet Ross
1842–1927
An English writer with a gift for bringing Italy to life, she wrote history, biography, memoir, and one much-loved Tuscan cookbook. Her books draw on years spent near Florence, where she moved among artists, politicians, and local farming life alike.
3 Audiobooks
Florentine palaces & their stories
by Janet Ross
Florentine villas
by Janet Ross
About the author
Born Janet Ann Duff Gordon in London in 1842, she grew up in a literary family and later became known as Janet Ross after her marriage to Henry Ross. She spent much of her adult life in Italy, especially in Tuscany, and built a wide-ranging writing career that included history, biography, travel writing, memoir, and food writing.
Ross is especially remembered for books shaped by her close knowledge of Italian places and people. Living at Poggio Gherardo near Florence, she wrote about Tuscan life with warmth and detail, and works such as Leaves from Our Tuscan Kitchen helped introduce English-language readers to regional Italian cooking long before it became widely familiar.
She also wrote studies of major historical figures and places, including books on Florence, Pisa, and the Medici world. Ross died in 1927, leaving behind writing that still appeals to readers who enjoy history told through lived experience, sharp observation, and a strong sense of place.