'Walking in the footsteps of the illustrious dead:' nineteenth-century travellers in southern Italy

Abstract

In a recent article on British travel writing, Ben Colbert draws attention to the flurry of interest in European travel by the British in the immediate aftermath of the Napoleonic wars. This enthusiasm centred initially on France, but later concentrated on Italy. The Italy that attracted attention, however, was that of the Grand Tour. The major sites, the major cities, the palazzi, art treasures and routes by which they may be visited were the primary focus of attention. Few travellers cared to deviate from the beaten track. The focus of this paper is on three writers and travellers of the early nineteenth century who were fascinated by the less-travelled paths of the southernmost Italian provinces.