American-Irish writer and historian Mary Jane Cryan has been living in Italy since 1965 working in the fields of international education, journalism and tourism. A Vatican guide during Holy Year 1975, she has also worked with Elderhostel and set up study abroad programs for American universities in Rome and Viterbo. Her byline has appeared in academic journals, guidebooks and magazines in Italian and English and during a four year hiatus in the USSR she was on the staff of Moscow Magazine.

When not busy writing about central Italy in her restored historic palazzo nestled between Rome and Civitavecchia, she can be found sailing the Mediterranean bringing history to life as enrichment and destination speaker on luxury cruise ships (especially Azamara).

For more about her published books, ebooks, insider tips and historic connections discovered over many decades you can subscribe for free to her online magazine "The Painted Palazzo" on substack.com.