Grand Tour

Through the testimonies of artists, writers, nobles and wealthy individuals, we immerse ourselves in the synthesis of art, nature and history represented by Italy at a time when it was the preferred destination of members of European high society between the end of the 17th century and the first half of the 19th century.

Inspired by the exhibition that the Braidense Library in Milan dedicated to Giovan Battista Piranesi, the most famous engraver in Italian art history, the documentary is a road story through the cities, landscapes and iconic views that have become part of our visual culture. Through works of art and location footage, the ninety-minute film retraces Italy at a time when it was the preferred destination of members of European high society between the end of the 17th century and the first half of the 19th century. Rome, Milan, Venice, Florence and Naples, glimpses of the countryside, the Alps, Vesuvius with Pompeii, evidence of Magna Graecia and the Empire, as well as rural scenes and traditional folk festivals, were a must-see for lovers of painting, sculpture, architecture and landscape design. The film documents the works that have shaped the image of Italy over the centuries, juxtaposing them with the landscapes they depict, which are still today pilgrimage destinations for lovers of beauty. Probably no other moment in recent history has been so closely linked to a return to the past and such a determined desire to rediscover the Grand Tour. If centuries ago it was a way of returning to the classical taste from which Western culture originated, today it takes on the meaning of returning to Italy after it was the European epicentre of the pandemic. It is from this scar that the Bel Paese reopens and the sense of rediscovering it begins, starting with those who discovered it before us by embarking on a long journey.

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Italy 2022 – 83 min.

DIRECTOR Francesco Invernizzi
SUBJECT AND SCREENPLAY Stefano Paolo Giussani
DOP Massimiliano Gatti
EDITING Simone Brassini

Inspired by the exhibition that the Braidense Library in Milan dedicated to Giovan Battista Piranesi, the most famous engraver in Italian art history, the documentary is a road story through the cities, landscapes and iconic views that have become part of our visual culture. Through works of art and location footage, the ninety-minute film retraces Italy at a time when it was the preferred destination of members of European high society between the end of the 17th century and the first half of the 19th century. Rome, Milan, Venice, Florence and Naples, glimpses of the countryside, the Alps, Vesuvius with Pompeii, evidence of Magna Graecia and the Empire, as well as rural scenes and traditional folk festivals, were a must-see for lovers of painting, sculpture, architecture and landscape design. The film documents the works that have shaped the image of Italy over the centuries, juxtaposing them with the landscapes they depict, which are still today pilgrimage destinations for lovers of beauty. Probably no other moment in recent history has been so closely linked to a return to the past and such a determined desire to rediscover the Grand Tour. If centuries ago it was a way of returning to the classical taste from which Western culture originated, today it takes on the meaning of returning to Italy after it was the European epicentre of the pandemic. It is from this scar that the Bel Paese reopens and the sense of rediscovering it begins, starting with those who discovered it before us by embarking on a long journey.