GRAND TOUR (SHIRE)

For many young eighteenth-century aristocrats, the Grand Tour was an essential rite of passage. Spending months travelling through France and Italy, they would visit the great cultural sites in Paris, Venice, Florence and Rome, absorbing art and architecture - and engaging in gambling and debauchery. This beautifully illustrated book examines the young tourists' activities; shows how they acquired 'polish' and an appreciation for fashion, opera and classical antiquity; and explores their passion for souvenirs and art collecting, with items making their way back to grand country houses in Britain.