R
eaching its zenith in the late 18th
century the historical Grand Tour
ended abruptly with the turmoils of
the French Revolution (1789) and the
Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). With
Napoleon’s demise, an ever-fragile
peace settled over Europe and tourism
returned, but means of travel were
changing. The rise of steamships and
railways made travel easier, faster, and
open to more people by the mid-19th
century. But in many ways the world
had not much changed from that of the
original Grand Tourists.
Celebrated American author of darkly
romantic novels (e.g. The Scarlet
Letter, The Marble Faun), Nathaniel
Hawthorne (1804-1864) arranged his
own “grand tour” of Italy from 1858-
1859, sojourning in Rome and Florence
and visiting many sites in between.
His (mainly Italian) French and
Italian Notebooks record their daily
movements and interactions, as well as
his observations and conversations on
art, society, and the Italian landscape,
which may offer windows into what the
former Italian Grand Tour was like.
Until the Industrial Revolution, ways of
life went on as they had for centuries,
shaped by a prescriptive social order
for aristocrats, common people, priests,
peasants, and beggars. The pace of life
was slow. Since Italy was not yet fully
connected by rail, travel from Rome to
Florence was by carriage. In both cities
Hawthorne was on familiar terms with
artists and other literati, such as Robert
Browning and American neo-classical
sculptors Hiram Powers, William
Wetmore Story, and Harriet Hosmer
(also a friend of the Brownings). His
meanderings through galleries and
churches were unrushed, though he
did refer to his Murray’s Handbook for
Travelers (an extremely detailed book).
Douglas Arthur Teed (American, 1860–1929), Italy, 1917. Oil on canvas, 23 3/4 x 36 inches. Jundt Art
Museum, Gonzaga University; Museum purchase with funds provided by the College of Arts and Sciences
and the Jundt Art Museum 2015–16 Annual Campaign, 2016.3.
John Ferguson Weir (American, 1841–1926), Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi, Italy, 1902. Oil on canvas,
25 x 30 1/4 inches. Jundt Art Museum, Gonzaga University; Museum purchase with funds provided by the Jundt
Art Museum Annual Campaign and Tula and Max Patterson (Class of 1977), 2018.13.
March | April 2020
35