Vatican Museums

The Grand Tour through the eyes of the travellers themselves: this is the soul of Pier Andrea De Rosa’s monograph. He has chosen to recount the epic era of the “journey of discovery” between the 18^th and 19^th centuries by turning directly to the sources – the diaries of illustrious travellers who described Rome and the Vatican in their own unique “voices”. What emerges is a singular narrative; one that is not glossed over, but rich in unusual details that may be unknown to most. For instance, the ecstatic descriptions of the beauty of ancient Roman ruins and the splendour of the Raphael’s Rooms are contrasted with the logistical hardships experienced by travellers during their stay in the Eternal City.

The volume opens with a comprehensive introduction by the author, which almost invites the reader to set off towards the coveted destination of Rome. It is divided into thirteen chapters, some dedicated to a different scholar and their deeply personal travel experience: from Goethe to Lord Byron, Dickens to Madame de Staël, Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun to Hillard, and Melville to Hawthorne. The rich array of illustrations ranges from period engravings and Roman vedute to immortal masterpieces from the Vatican Museums. A detailed bibliography and an index of names complete the work.