In the eyes of the English Romantics, Italy was not a nation but 'Italia', a place inhabited by the ancient. Theirs was a view shaped by the Grand Tour, which elevated ancient Roman culture to an artistic and historical ideal. In this vivid history of their love affair with Italy, Roderick Cavaliero presents a readable and strongly-etched cultural history. Through the eyes of Romantic travellers and poets such as Byron, Keats and Shelley, we see a fascinating picture of pre-unification Italy, struggling to recover after Napoleon and edging towards the Risorgimento._x000D_ _x000D_ 'Cavaliero has written a highly entertaining account of English views of Italy in the era just as the British were launching themselves on the path to imperial greatness and the Italians had become the sorry remnants of a once-great race.' - The Economist, Books of the Year_x000D_ _x000D_ '…a lively informative survey of the visitors who traipsed among the lemon trees…Cavaliero brings the era to life. He gives us the frisson of the foreign, encountered in many forms: from the pleasures of dolce far niente and Canova to the terrors of banditti and Vesuvius.' - Esther Schor, Times Literary Supplement_x000D_ _x000D_ 'A fascinating book. Each chapter is a delightful cornucopia of absorbing details and intriguing, sometimes surprising connections, and despite having to cover a huge amount of ground Cavaliero nevertheless manages to sustain a pacey, entertaining narrative,' - Stephen Hebron, Keats-Shelley Review_x000D_ _x000D_ 'The English aristocracy have embraced the peerless cultural pleasures of Italia. This book, peopled with villains, priests and heroes, is a history of that phenomenon.' - Paul Lay, BBC History Magazine_x000D_.