In 1990, American professor and poet Frances Mayes felt an irresistible urge to buy a derelict 300-year-old property. She transformed it into one of the most famous villas in Tuscany, attracting a constant stream of tourists, thanks to her bestselling memoir about restoring the house, called “Under the Tuscan Sun.” The book spent more than two-and-a-half years on the bestseller list, and later became a popular film. Mayes talks with correspondent Rita Braver about her unexpected success, her adopted village of Cortona, and her latest book, “See You in the Piazza: New Places to Discover in Italy.” Source