Italian Journey is Goethe’s report on his travels to Italy. His book transformed the perception of Venice into the romanticized, intellectual destination for travellers that it still is today. Millions of people visit Venice to appreciate its artistic, historical, and sensory aspects, following in Goethe’s footsteps, thus changing the fabric Venice.
from 1786 to 1788 that was published in 1816 & 1817. During his first tour of Italy in 1786, he visited Venice, where he saw the sea for the first time in his life. It was, for him, an extraordinary experience: on 30th September 1786, as he gazed across the lagoon from the top of the bell-tower in St. Mark’s Square, he saw a vast expanse of water beyond Lido, while to the North and East he could see the Alps.
He popularized the “Venetian experience” by focusing on its artistic, historical, and sensory aspects, shifting focus away from just the politics of the Republic.
His documentation during his visit transformed Venice from a mere trading hub into a romanticized, intellectual destination for European travelers.