Impressions of Southern Italy

Naples was conventionally the southernmost stop of the Grand Tour beyond which, it was assumed, lay violent disorder. This book studies the British travellers who visited Italy's Southern territories. Spanning the late 18th to the mid-20th century, the author considers what these travellers discovered as a series of unfolding impressions disclosing multiple Southern Italies. Of the numerous travellers analysed within this volume, the central figures are Henry Swinburne, Craufurd Tait Ramage and Norman Douglas.The travelogues analysed address a variety of themes which continue to shape discussions about European identity today.