John Boyle’s book is a collection of letters, just like many travel accounts of his time. Interestingly, his letter starts from Lyons, France and ends with annecdotes from Florence without mentioning Rome or other Italian cities. As 5th earl of Cork, it seems that he was in connection with distinguished members of the society during…Continue reading John Boyle (1707-1762), Letters from Italy (1754/1773)

Tobias Smollett was an acclaimed novelist of his time, known for his picaresque novels, a genre of fiction depicting the comedic and satiric adventures of a  lower-class protagonist. His gift for writing is also reflected in the Travels, which is a personal account that also provides factual information based on other guidebooks. Smollett traveled with his…Continue reading Tobias Smollett (1721-1771), Travels through France and Italy (1765/1766)

William Beckford’s travelogue may be the most literary among the travel literature compiled for this blog. Beckford was a novelist, well-known for his Gothic novel Vathek, as well as an art collector. His book is composed of letters from different parts of Europe, written as he traveled. Letter XV describes him arriving from Lucca and…Continue reading William Beckford (1759-1844), Dreams, Waking Thoughts and Incidents (1783)

Thomas Nugent was an Irish historian who spent most his life in London. He was a well-read and well-travelled scholar. Thomas Nugent’s The Grand Tour demonstrates a change in the trend of the Grand Tour. As the full title of the book suggests (The Grand Tour. Containing an Exact Description of most of the Cities,…Continue reading Thomas Nugent, The Grand Tour (1749)