Italian Backgrounds

Name: Italian Backgrounds
Author: Edith Wharton

By Edith Wharton

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Essays, Letters & Speeches Travel Writing

About This Book

A collection of evocative travel essays describing the landscapes, towns, sacred sites and seasonal moods encountered in northern Italy and its alpine approaches. The author contrasts Swiss and Italian scenery, records village life and mountain passes, explores sanctuaries, sacri monti and hermit traditions, and examines city scenes from Milan to Tuscan provinces, blending topographical observation, art-historical detail and personal impressions. Interspersed are atmospheric sketches of March weather, pilgrimage shrines, and architectural curiosities, accompanied by illustrations that illuminate churches, courtyards and streets. The tone balances leisurely description with acute attention to human traces on landscape and the interplay of nature, art, and devotion.

About the Author

Edith Wharton

Edith Wharton (1862-1937) was an American novelist, short story writer, and designer, known for her keen observations of the American upper class and her exploration of social mores. Her most celebrated work, "The Age of Innocence," won the Pulitzer Prize in 1921 and reflects her critical perspective on the constraints of society. Wharton's literary contributions extend to various genres, including novels, poetry, and travel writing, with notable titles such as "Ethan Frome" and "A Motor-Flight Through France." Throughout her career, she adeptly navigated themes of love, betrayal, and the complexities of human relationships, establishing her as a significant figure in American literature.