Essay - May 2020 - While studying in Italy, I took a course called Literature of the Grand Tour of Italy. We were assigned several Italian literary works to read over the course of the semester. Our final paper was a comparison of our Italian experience to the experiences in the literature we read.
I find traveling to be one of the most fulfilling things a person can do. Seeing the world is an opportunity like no other and is an experience that can completely change your life. I feel that my time abroad did just that. Though my time in Florence was cut short, I experienced a month in a foreign city, with the ability to travel to a new place every weekend. Coming back, I felt like a different person. The literature I have read by Goethe, Mark Twain, Mary McCarthy and Stendhal not only exemplified my feelings and experiences but enhanced them even after the I left. Through my travels and through this Italian travel literature, I discovered a new part of myself, I gained maturity, experience and knowledge and I came back with a better understanding of who I am.
“What irritates the modern tourist about Florence is that it makes no concession to the pleasure principle…Against the green Arno, the ochre-and-dun file of hotels and palazzi has the spruce, spare look of a regiment drawn up in drill order. The deep shades of melon and of tangerine that you see in Rome, the pinks of Venice, the rose of Siena, the red of Bologna have been ruled out of Florence as if by municipal decree.” (McCarthy, p. 11-12)
Mary McCarthy’s book The Stones of Florence begins with her grievances about Florence. In the quote above, she states that while other Italian cities are beautiful and full of color, Florence is grey, bleak and grim. However, I have to disagree. Upon arriving in Florence, I found that the city was brightened with color in the most unexpected places and the people everywhere were hustling through the streets, chatting and maintaining a busy lifestyle. Each corner I turned, I found myself looking at deep red flowers climbing up a stone wall, face to face with a colorful display of unique street art or appreciating a street artist’s rendition of the city. Every morning that I woke up in Florence, I walked downstairs and opened the kitchen window, pleasantly greeted by the cheerful yellow and orange exterior of neighboring apartments, the deep green of surrounding window shutters and the bluest sky I have ever seen. Each night, whether it was from Piazzle Michelangelo, the edge of the Arno River or from my apartment window, I watched the most glorious sunsets in the world. The sky was touched by pastel pinks and purples and the show in the sky gracefully reflected off the ripples in the Arno. There was never a day I found Florence to be dull, so I have to disagree with McCarthy’s interpretation of the city. I am utterly grateful to have experienced life in such a wonderful place and I can attribute a growth in my appreciation for beauty to my short time in Florence.
“We were in a fever of impatience; we were dying to see the renowned cathedral...what a wonder it is! So grand, so solemn, so vast! And yet so delicate, so airy, so graceful!” (Twain, p. 379-380)
Mark Twain’s writing in The Innocents Abroad attests to his true excitement and love for traveling, a feeling I can relate to my experience in Europe. In the above series of quotations, Twain is expressing the elation he felt when seeing the Milan cathedral. I will never forget the first time I saw the cathedral in Milan. I took the train from Florence and arrived in the underground station in Milan. To exit the train station, you must walk up a set of stairs that leads you to the middle of the main square in the city. I walked up the stairs and lifted my head, unsure of where I would be ending up, and found myself facing the most incredible piece of architecture I have ever seen: the Milan cathedral. The sight of it literally took my breath away. It was the greatest shock of my life, and I stood there, turning in a circle, unable to comprehend that I was in this famous city. The unique and intricate exterior design of the building is just amazing and the view of Milan from the top of the cathedral cannot be put into words. The city too is wonderful, full of life and expensive things and things to do. The only negative comment I have about Milan is the interior of the cathedral. Though architecturally beautiful, I felt a sort of emptiness and dread when walking inside, a feeling I still cannot quite explain. While I can actually relate directly to Twain’s awe of Milan specifically in this quote, the feeling can also be applied to every new place I went in Europe.
“How surely, in some future day, when the memory of it shall have lost its vividness, shall we half believe we have seen it in a wonderful dream but never with waking eyes!” (Twain, p, 402)
Though Twain writes this quote about Milan, I can relate it to all of my traveling experiences. Traveling through Europe did and still does seem like a dream, as though it was not really happening to me. Studying abroad is something I have wanted to do since I was young enough to understand the concept. I had places I wanted to go and things I wanted to see and very high expectations for the experience, which were met when actually doing it. When I traveled, such as to Nice and Lake Como, it felt surreal that I was finally fulfilling a dream I’ve had for years. I traveled to Nice and Monaco, places I have only read about. I hiked around Lake Como, something many people aspire to do but never get the chance to. I felt so incredibly lucky that these were things I got to do. Looking back, it almost feels like it never happened, as Twain writes. However, I do not mean this in a bad way. I had such wonderful experiences in Europe that they can only be described as dreamlike – a dream I cannot wait to revisit. My perspective of the world has completely changed. I have met people and seen things at such a young age that make me think the world is a much better place than I could have imagined, and according to Twain’s writing, he often felt the same.
“In Florence, the Palazzo Vecchio – this stark, contrasting incarnation of the stern realities of medieval times set square amid the artistic glories of the past and the insignificant throng of modern Marchesini – creates an impression of unparalleled grandeur and truth.” (Stendhal, p. 307)
When reading Stendhal’s writing, it becomes apparent that he has a deep appreciation for the history and beauty of the cities he visits. This is something I too felt, both in Florence and when travelling. Here, Stendhal references the historic nature of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence that makes the city so compelling and intriguing to travelers. Stendhal writes also about the famous men that have graced Florence with their presence and knowledge, such as Michelangelo, Dante and da Vinci, and is famous for his experience with “sublime beauty” in the Santa Croce. The history of Florence is something that drew me to the city. I wanted to see the Renaissance art, the museums, the homes of near-royal families. I found it very fulfilling to be standing in the Uffizi Gallery or on Ponte Vecchio and know I was in the presence of incredible people and the ghosts of past visitors. I wanted to learn the history of the locals as well. In fact, one of my favorite experiences in Florence was interviewing and writing a feature article on the Macelleria Luca butcher shop in the market. I loved learning about the history of the family and the impact their business has made on the people of Florence. I looked for this historical value everywhere I went. I loved visiting Monaco and knowing I was in the home of Princess Grace. I walked around The Louvre for hours in Paris, taking in every ounce of knowledge I could. I found that this is one of the benefits of traveling – I gained knowledge from the famous places and the more unknown locations as well.
“I experienced a great joy for knowing no one, for having no fear of being forced to make conversation.” (Stendhal 302)
Stendhal may have written this in reference to the relief he felt from being able to be alone in Florence, but I can relate it to my travels in a different way. Often, we go through life making conversation that has no meaning or relevance in the grand scheme of things. It is a forced way to pass mundane hours. When traveling, this is not something of concern. You are in complete control of every minute you are experiencing. You can control who you talk to and where you go. You do not have to participate in forced conversation if you do not wish to. This was in my mind when I talked to new people each place I went. The conversation I made was not forced – it was desired. I found myself wanting to meet new people, talk to fellow travelers, discuss local customs and history with local people. This is part of what makes traveling so incredible. When visiting Nice, my roommate and I went out to a local bar one night. We had seen many people our age out the night before and wanted to join in the fun. We ended up meeting a group of three boys and one girl our age, and I think it was the best night I had out my entire time abroad. The people were amazing. It was so interesting to talk to people so similar yet so different than me. It was interesting to have insight into the life of someone my age from a different country. This is the best kind of conversation. It was not forced. It was wanted and made for a wonderful memory.
“Towards evening I explored again – without a guide – the remoter quarters of the city…I have been to the furthest edges of the inhabited area and studies the way of life, the morals and manners of the inhabitants. They are different in every district.” (Goethe, p. 79)
When reading the work of Goethe, I greatly appreciated the way he acknowledged the benefits and wonders of traveling alone. Goethe writes this about his experiences in Venice. He writes earlier that he can “…enjoy the solitude I have been longing for…” (Goethe 74) while wandering and exploring the city. I agree that exploring the city alone and without a guide is a thrilling experience. I loved taking an hour or two every so often to walk around a new part of Florence by myself. I found that this allowed me to get to know the city while also getting to know myself. I had time to enjoy my own company in a new place. It allowed me time to do an inward reflection of the new experiences I was having and process how my travels were changing me as a person. I also did this when visiting Dervio, a small Italian city on the northern end of Lake Como. My roommates and I planned to do an extensive hike the first day we were there. That morning, I walked alone through the city to buy breakfast for everyone and to get a chance to look around. As I walked, I took in the immense mountains surrounding me that contrasted the charm of the small town I was in. It was wonderful. Though I was performing an ordinary task – buying breakfast – I felt independent and fulfilled. I had several minutes to appreciate the beauty of Dervio, a place I had not even heard of until a few days before the trip. I find it interesting now, how such a small town could have such a large impact on my life. Even now, writing about it, I am finding myself filled with happiness at the memory of it. Traveling alone is most definitely something I will do again and until this is possible, I will continue to implement this newfound independence into my daily life.
While studying abroad in Europe, my life was transformed. A city that was foreign to me a year ago now feels like a second home after just a month there. I have traveled to more countries than many people visit in a lifetime. I have met people that changed my life, though they may not know it. I have become a better version of myself, a version I did not know existed. I feel more confident in my ability to do things alone and with people I have only just met. I feel more experienced and informed about the world and its history. I have learned to appreciate the beauty and wonder in the smallest and most unexpected things. It is as though life has opened up for me. Reading the works of such famed and renowned authors, including but not limited to the four in this paper, has changed my perspective and enriched my travel experiences. Their literature has opened my eyes to the power of reflection and the power of writing, my love for the latter only deepening with each page I turned. All of this culminates into the true meaning of travel. Going out into the world with an open mind is never a bad idea and I have learned that no matter what experience you have while traveling, you will come home a better person because of it.
Bibliography
von Goethe, Johann Wolfgang. Italian Journey. Translated by W.H. Auden and Elizabeth Mayer. Penguin Books, 1992.
McCarthy, Mary. The Stones of Florence. Open Road Media, 2013.
Stendhal, Rome, Naples and Florence. Translated by Richard N. Coe. John Calder, 1959.
Twain, Mark. The Innocents Abroad. American Publishing Company,1869.
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