The spell of Italy

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In 1786, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe left his administrative role at the Duke's court in Weimar, embarking on a journey to Italy that had captivated him since childhood. His time there profoundly influenced his perspectives on art, architecture, prose, poetry, and science. Upon returning to Germany, Goethe's experiences shaped his life and work, impacting the development of Germany's high culture. This study explores Italy's unique position in the cultural consciousness of German writers, focusing on the Italian journeys of Goethe and Winckelmann, and their influence on figures like Heine, Nietzsche, Freud, Mann, Carossa, and Bachmann. Richard Block challenges the notion of Italy as merely a site for classical culture and creative rebirth. He investigates how Germany's literary traditions appropriated a mythical Italy, suggesting that Winckelmann's art history and Goethe's journey led later writers to seek an aesthetic ideal in Italy that was ultimately illusory. This quest for an unattainable ideal resulted in disillusionment and deception. Building on existing scholarship in Goethe, literary theory, and cultural history, this work provides fresh insights into Germany's enduring fascination with Italy from the eighteenth century through the tumultuous political landscape of the twentieth century.