Roma beata; letters from the Eternal city

A connected series of letters recounts travels in Rome and elsewhere in Italy, blending vivid descriptions of art, architecture, and landscape with personal anecdotes and social observation. The author visits churches, galleries, and monuments, explores lakes, mountains, and islands, and records festivals, religious ceremonies, and a royal visit, while reflecting on poverty, tourism, and everyday customs. Episodes alternate close interior studies and outward excursions, often accompanied by sketches and photographs, producing an episodic, observational travel narrative that interweaves aesthetic appreciation with practical and human detail.