Italy, Grand Tour Remix

Italy, Grand Tour Remix Beginning in the mid 17th century The Grand Tour was traditionally undertaken by aristocratic families from Northern Europe and England and later adopted by wealthy Americans. It served as a educational right of passage. Italy was the primary destination because of its rich cultural treasures, cities and breathtaking landscapes. This cultural pilgrimage reached its height during the 18th century and by the 19th century, as travel became safer and more affordable for the masses, modern tourism was born. In 2012 my husband, Evert Witte, received a travel and research grant to study Renaissance painting in Italy and thus we began our own Grand Tour following in the footsteps of generations before us. Our trip was two fold. The first was to see the great paintings, sculpture, and architecture of that period. The second and more important aspect was to experience the cities and countrysides that were the birthplace and inspiration for these great treasures, taking from it all that it offers. As we search for clues from the past we can not help but bring in aspects of our contemporary culture, an accumulation of our own experiences and perceptions, which engage us to think about the differences between the original grand tourist epoch and our own.