One of her several books on Italy, Italian Backgrounds documents several trips she took throughout Italy over more than a decade. The book purposely avoids many of the most famous destinations. As she wrote in a letter, “The most interesting Italy is the one in the background, behind the official guide-book Italy.”
Perhaps the highlight of her travels was her discovery that some little-known terracotta figures were made by the famed Renaissance sculptor Giovanni della Robbia. The figures had previously attributed to the less well-regarded Giovanni Gonnelli, who lived a century after della Robia. Wharton hired a photographer to take pictures of the figures and then sent them to an expert on Italian art who confirmed her opinion.
