“No, the church was under the patronage of the French king. And they also planned to erect a statue of King Louis XIV at the top of the staircase, but thank God it never happened. The pope refused.”

“So, this entire area once had three different countries involved.”

“Sì. But we now claim it as ours, as it should be.”

“Are you still pissed off as an Italian over the whole Mona Lisa debacle?”

A fierce frown creased his brow. “The Mona Lisa belongs to Italy.”

I pressed my lips together. It seemed I’d found a sensitive spot. “But the Mona Lisa is located in the Louvre and da Vinci died in France, not Italy.”

He stopped walking, regarding me with serious concern. “Da Vinci is an Italian and it is where his heart truly is. We allow the Louvre to have this amazing painting because we are generous and neighborly, but it belongs to us. Capisce?”

Oh, this was hysterical. I tamped down my laugh and managed to nod. “I’m glad I learned the real truth.”

“So am I.” He pointed out the house to the right. “A fun fact for you. This is where the poet John Keats lived, which is now a museum.”

“I always enjoyed his poetry.”

“It has many memorabilia, so you may want to check it out while you are here.” We began climbing the stairs and he shared a variety of facts. There was a richness to his voice like velvet, and a lyrical quality like music. I debated taking Italian lessons when I got home. I should have had Allegra teach me while she was learning it in school.

“Do you like McDonald’s?”

I blinked at the question. “No.”

His relief was palpable. “Good. They had the audacity to build a McDonald’s here, which was met with a very large protest.”

“Who won?”

“McDonald’s, but many have boycotted. This actually started our own protest, which is now the Slow Food organization. There is no need for false food when you have the land and ocean to nourish your body. Many forget the real truth of food. The purpose.”

“Not to die?” I teased.

He didn’t smile back this time. Those dark eyes were filled with intensity. “It is for the soul, not just the body. Feed it falsely and you will begin to lose yourself.”