Full Description
In the eyes of the English Romantics, Italy was not a nation but 'Italia', a place inhabited by the ancient. Theirs was a view shaped by the Grand Tour, which elevated ancient Roman culture to an artistic and historical ideal. In this vivid history of their love affair with Italy, Roderick Cavaliero presents a readable and strongly-etched cultural history. Through the eyes of Romantic travellers and poets such as Byron, Keats and Shelley, we see a fascinating picture of pre-unification Italy, struggling to recover after Napoleon and edging towards the Risorgimento.
Contents
List of Illustrations
Preface
Introduction: The Land of Departed Fame
1 This Wilderness of a Place for an Invalid - Rome During the Exile of John Keats
2 The Niobe of Nations - A Romantic View of Italy
3 Behind the Black Veil - Villains and Villainy
4 The Silence of the Living - Dante, Tasso and Ariosto in England
5 A Full-Grown Oak - The Romantic Hero
6 Yet Fallen Italy, Rejoice Again - The Awakeners
7 What Elysium Have Ye Known - Poets in Exile
8 Metropolis of a Ruined Paradise - Venice, Naples and the Lure of Volcanic Power
9 The Kings of Apulia - Banditry and Brigandage
10 The Mingled Beauties of Exalting Greece - Feminising Italy
11 Thou Crimson Herald of the Dawn - Italians Arise
12 Finale - Tempus Abire Tibi Est
Notes
Picture Credits
Bibliography
Index
