A large part of my new book, The Echoes of Love, is set in Venice, Italy. What better excuse to riffle through the DVD collection and watch some classic films to fire up the imagination, all in the name of research?

If, like me, you love the backdrop of Venice and find it wonderfully cultural and romantic, you’re bound to enjoy these movies:

1. Summertime (1955): The beautiful Katharine Hepburn falls in love with Venice, and a handsome antiques dealer.
2. Brideshead Revisited (1981): Laurence Olivier turns his back on Britain for Venetian freedom.
3. The Wings of the Dove (1997): A wonderful costume drama with sweeping scenes of grand palaces and quaint little side streets.
4. Dangerous Beauty (1998): A tale of 16th-century Venetian love and lust.
5. The Children of the Century (1999): Two French literary icons in Venice: George Sand and Alfred de Musset. Worth watching for the 19th-century Venice setting, which is beautifully recreated.
6. Bread and Tulips (2000): An Italian take on Venetian romance, where a woman finds herself in the city of love.
7. The Italian Job (2003): For the views afforded by a boat chase through the canals.
8. William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice (2004): Decadent renaissance Venice plus a wonderful cast including Joseph Fiennes, Jeremy Irons and Al Pacino.
9. Casanova (2005): Featuring the late, great Heath Ledger and sultry Venetian scenery.
10. The Tourist (2010): A romantic thriller that’s worth watching solely for the Venetian backdrop.

Would you add any films to this list? Which movie most shouts ‘Venice’ to you? I’d love to hear your thoughts.