The Evolution of the Grand Tour

By Edward Chaney

Book Overview

The Grand Tour has become a subject of major interest to scholars and general readers interested in exploring the historic connections between nations and their intellectual and artistic production. Although traditionally associated with the eighteenth century, when wealthy Englishmen would complete their education on the continent, the Grand Tour is here investigated in a wider context, from the decline of the Roman Empire to recent times. Authors from Chaucer to Erasmus came to mock the custom but even the Reformation did not stop the urge to travel. From the mid-sixteenth century, northern Europeans justified travel to the south in terms of education. The English had previously travelled to Italy to study the classics; now they travelled to learn Italian and study medicine, diplomacy, dancing, riding, fencing, and, eventually, art and architecture. Famous men, and an increasing proportion of women, all contributed to establishing a convention which eventually came to dominate European culture. Documenting the lives and travels of these personalities, Professor Chaney's remarkable book provides a complete picture of one of the most fascinating phenomena in the history of western civilisation.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0714644749
• ISBN13: 9780714644745
• Release Date: April 2000
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Best in its field

Chaney is perhaps the pre-eminent scholar of the cultural influences and relationships between England and Italy in the Early Modern period. This book is more a series of studies than a coherent survey, but is based on expert research not available in other works. Chaney explores the role politics, students, travelers and exiles played in the development of the Grand Tour of Europe, one of 18th-century England's most prominent educational institutions. Though a background in Renaissance England and Italy would be helpful, it is rewarding reading for anyone interested in tourist travel, the Grand Tour, the modern Anglo-American love of Italy, and even the semester abroad, all of which are outgrowths of the developments that Chaney explores.