The Grand Tour: Spring Break or Field Trip?

Centuries ago, the pinnacle of English aristocracy and a young gentleman's education was "The Grand Tour.”  Popular between the 16th and 18th Centuries, young men ventured throughout western Europe to get firsthand experience of the architecture, music, art, and politics they had spent their lives learning about. First crossing the English Channel to France, the first major stop was often Paris, followed by Venice and Rome and sometimes even Greece, Spain and beyond. Grand Tourists would usually stay in these cities for months at a time, often under the guise of education, but instead drinking, gambling, and pursuing other less than educational hobbies. The Grand Tour was a rite of passage that allowed young men to experience the world and their own independence in between getting their education and entering true adulthood.

One of the essential tasks of visiting each destination was to bring back a souvenir. These "souvenirs" were not your run of the mill airport keychains; they ranged from paintings, statues, antiquities pilfered or purchased from ancient sites like Pompeii, to prints created by Giovanni Battista Piranesi of Roman street scenes and architecture. Many of the items purchased were purported to be antiquities but were later found to be quite modern. Josiah Wedgwood, creator of ceramic jasperware, was greatly influenced by Roman cameo glass and was able to tap into a ready market. Once back home, these souvenirs were proudly and conspicuously displayed as proof of the young Tourist's travels, nonchalantly referenced over dinners with other members of the aristocracy.

Each city boasted its own unique attractions. Florence was a must-see for its Renaissance art, Rome boasted ancient classical ruins, Naples became a hot spot after the excavation of Pompeii, and Venice was home to the very popular Carnival festival and was known to be the party spot. Volcanology was in its infancy and many Tourists stayed near Mount Vesuvius to admire the frequent lava flows of the time.  

Once the Tourists embarked on their journey, all evidence of their quality English upbringing went by the wayside and many young aristocrats whiled away their days abroad in gambling dens and brothels. Some, however, did take advantage of their opportunity and the influence of Continental Europe in English art and architecture can still be seen today. On a broader scale, it influenced the Neoclassical style that became popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The Grand Tour dwindled during the French Revolution, which made travel even more dangerous and difficult, and, ironically, after the Industrial Revolution when travel became more financially and physically accessible and the less wealthy masses made it unfashionable. 

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