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‘The Grand Tour’ with Simon Rees
January 4, 2024 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm EST
The Eighteenth-Century Grand Tourists in Italy
‘THOU PARADISE OF EXILES, ITALY!’ WRITERS AND ARTISTS ON THE GRAND TOUR TO ITALY
From the 17th century onwards, a Grand Tour of France, Italy, and other parts of Europe was the goal of many young aristocrats hoping to put a gloss of sophistication on their schooling!
They went to see the wonders of Rome and Florence, to toy with the delights presented by Venice and Naples, and to return with souvenirs ranging from Roman sculptures to prints by Piranesi.
Authors Thomas Grey and Horace Walpole produced Walpole’s gothic novel The Castle of Otranto. Laurence Stern set off for Italy but got no further than France. Tobias Smollett went further and wrote sardonically about Italian living conditions. James Boswell’s letters from Italy are full of gossip about his own adventures and those of others.
In the series:
Thurs. Jan. 4: The Eighteenth-Century Grand Tourists in Italy
Mon. Jan. 15: The Romantics in Italy
Mon. Jan. 22: Early Twentieth-Century Writers in Italy
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