Souvenirs From The Grand Tour, Five Pieces, Rome, Circa 1870.

Rome, circa 1870: a beautiful set of five Grand Tour bronzes with a dark brown-green patina depicting the ancient ruins of Rome. Each piece rests on a base of Siena marble or Giallo Antico marble, set atop a black slate sub-base.

*The Temple of Saturn (consecrated between 501 and 497 B.C., located at the southeast corner of the Capitoline Hill). h13.3cm

*The Temple of Castor and Pollux (erected in 484 B.C. and rebuilt in 6 A.D., located in the Roman Forum). h13.3cm

*The Temple of Vespasian and Titus (construction began in 79 AD at the western end of the Roman Forum). h13.3cm

*The Column of Phocas (erected in 608 AD in the Roman Forum) h12.3cm

*The Temple of Hercules Victor (dating from the second half of the 2nd century B.C., located on the ancient Forum Boarium).
h8.5cm by 9.5 cm.

The Grand Tour or …..
The “phenomenon” of the Grand Tour was a significant cultural and artistic movement that began in Europe in the second half of the 18th century and lasted until the end of the 19th century. Famous travelers included Goethe, Stendhal, and others. The Age of Enlightenment spurred the quest for knowledge of the roots of our culture throughout the Western world: Europe (England, Germany, France, etc.); Russia; America, etc.
At the same time, in southern Italy, the discovery and excavation of the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, etc., were beginning. Other discoveries were made in Rome, etc. This extraordinary news spread throughout the world, prompting thousands of educated people, aristocrats, and the wealthy to travel to learn about, study, and appreciate such discoveries. This journey was a must to complete their educational journey.
The main destination was Italy, with the beauties of Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples, Sicily, and so on... Meanwhile, traveling to Greece was dangerous due to Ottoman rule.
Of course, all these wealthy travelers were eager to purchase special souvenirs from the places they visited. As a result, the production of high-quality items grew very rapidly.