What is the setting of A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell?

The setting for this novel is primarily in the northern part of Italy in the mountains and foothills. The refugees first cross the Maritime Alps, which separate France from Italy, and later hide in the mountains where small farms are tucked in the ravines and canyons. Closer to the Mediterranean where Roccabarbena is located, the setting becomes more pastoral and beautiful. We experience a terrible winter as the refugees cross the mountains, a beautiful spring and summer, and a period of torrential rains that create tons of mud. The ramshackle homes where the refugees are hidden are simple, old farmhouses built many decades before. We also experience the luxurious lifestyle of the Nazis, whose superior attitude demanded the most expensive furnishings and accoutrements.