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Tracing the steps of the Romantic poets in Rome

Mónica Boixeda Only-Be, Roman

To understand why there were so many poets, writers, artists and well-to-do people in Rome in the late eighteenth century, we need to look at the concept of the ‘grand tour’. In essence, this largely British, but also to a lesser extent French and German, phenomenon was something between an end of university holiday and a tour of initiation. It was assumed that anyone who wanted to be a gentleman (though there was also the occasional inquisitive lady) had to first take a long trip through Southern Europe. The final destination was Italy, but some travelled as far as Greece or Spain, and the French poet, Chateaubriand, even made it to Jerusalem. The intention of these young travellers was to complete their academic training by visiting the remains of the Roman Empire and seeing for themselves the great works of Renaissance art. They wanted to increase both their knowledge and their strength of character. The trip was long (depending on the debutante’s family, it could be from three months to two years), hard (the trip was made by horse or carriage) and uncomfortable (there wasn’t the basic infrastructure that travellers know today), but it was certainly exciting. Accompanied by a chaperone, these young people venturing into Europe were provided with letters of recommendation for the local nobility, who gladly welcomed these gentlemen and ladies into their sometimes dilapidated palaces. As a result of these trips, books of all kinds were written. Of all these works, one that stands out in terms of its influence is The Sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne, published between 1765 and 1768. The book was a vital guide for poets... read more