The Renaissance city of Florence, largely associated with art and architecture, also bears a rich literary history, including the birthplace of the poet who created the modern Italian language and still inspires writers and other creatives to this day.

Whether one is in Paris, going to Paris, or merely dreaming of Paris, these six books readily offer immersion into the great literary city—and so much more.

Welcome to our excursion through literary Paris, where we journey across a selection of cafés, museums, bookstores, and more to illuminate some of the rich writerly history that can be discovered in the City of Light.

Literary Knapsack is a series devoted to finding literary spots everywhere we go.