Loved all the Iris Origo books. She also wrote a fascinating book based on medieval papers discovered in a merchant's house in Prato. He kept every scrap of paper illustrating all aspects of his daily life and they were walled up for centuries. The book is called "The Merchant of Prato"
For an off-the-wall addition, I recommend "Cooking with Fernet Branca" by James Hamilton Paterson - review here:
Review: Cooking With Fernet Branca by James Hamilton-Paterson | By genre | Guardian Unlimited Books
His particular comedic take may not to be to everyone's taste, but it tickled mine. And the recipes deserve comment in the Food section here for their revoltingness!