In 1861, in recognition of his service to the election campaign of the previous year, Abraham Lincoln appointed William Dean Howells consul to Venice. Howells lived in Italy for four years during the pivotal and tumultuous years of Italian reunification. Italian Journeys describes Howells’ adventures across the country—from Genoa, a hotbed of nationalistic fervor from where Garibaldi had led the Expedition of the Thousand only a year before; to the cultural and political powerhouse of Naples, which had only just become part of the kingdom of Italy; and on to Rome, the focus for the hopes of a fractured country. Traveling by land and sea, Howells was inspired at every turn—as much by the fevered events of the time as by the cultural and historical wealth of the country—and his beautifully rendered portrait has become a classic of travel literature, essential for all Italophiles.
