Literature of the Grand Tour of Italy

Since antiquity, travel has been one of the most fascinating experiences in the lives of individuals or groups of people, and Italy has emerged as one of the most desired destinations amongst international travelers. The term "Grand Tour" was used for the first time in 1670 by the British priest Richard Lassels and it specifically refers to the traveling experiences of European nobility and upperclass individuals in Italy and France during the 17th and 18th centuries. Especially in the second part of the eighteenth century, the Grand Tour became an essential ingredient in a young gentleman's life and general education. "A man who has not been in Italy is always conscious of an inferiority, from his not having seen what it is expected a man should see," said the critic Samuel Johnson, expressing a view widely shared by his contemporaries. This course will analyze the literature generated by the Grand Tour experience in Italy and its continuation and development in the 20th century. The main focus of the course will be the textual analysis of the essays, letters, and diaries written by some of the most famous authors who resided and traveled in Italy. The selection will include writings by Byron, Shelley, Goethe, Stendhal, Dickens, Mark Twain, Mary McCarthy, Kate Simon, and Christopher Woodward.