Et in Arcadia ego are the words that Johann Wolfgang von Goethe chose as an epigraph and summary of his Italian Journey (1786-88), providing a picture of Italy that lasted well beyond his age. Goethe’s enchanted world, set in the Arcadia of the classical past, and coloured with the soft and golden light of the Mediterranean landscape, paved the way for the phantasy image of generations to come. In this talk we shall discuss the myth that Goethe and other Grand Tourists, past and present, set out to discover and the realities that they encountered. At times impressive, fascinating, or romanticized, at others wittily amusing, or even unnerved and puzzled, each traveller reformulated his/her image of Italy, feeling ‘born again’ during their stay and certainly transformed upon their return.

Alexandra Massini is an art historian formed between Italy, Germany and the UK where she obtained her BA and MA degrees from the Courtauld Institute of Art, and her PhD from the University of Warwick. Formerly Academic Director at CEA CAPA Rome, currently Alexandra is the Director of International Programs at the Accademia Vivarium Novum of Frascati, where she also teaches History of Art. Aside from her academic activity Alexandra acts as consultant and speaker for documentaries (BBC, Sky, RAI), curates the Art Collection of the Rome Cavalieri Hotel (Waldorf-Astoria) and conducts specialized visits for institutional events such as the recent G20 in Rome. In the past she has worked for the Thyssen Museum in Madrid and Sotheby’s Auctioneers in Rome, has written for Blue Guides, and has published her own guidebook to Rome.