I borrowed a copy of Patience & Fortitude by Nicholas A Basbanes through a BookCrossing Bookring. It is a fascinating book, with far too many snippets that are worth remembering.
ISBN 0 06 051446-9
Here are some that have an Italian slant to them:
"Don Fabrizio Massimo in the archive storage room of Rome's PalazzoMassimo, which contains records documenting more than five centuries of family history; the bookcase in the background [of the photo] was designed for the Massimo family by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini (1598 - 1680), a leading exponent of the Baroque style in Italy"
(Page not numbered; but a photograph and text are on the pages that are between page 44 & page 45)
