Grand Tour

Berkeley (1720), who was in general extremely critical of Italy, held the climate in very high regard: «There is nothing in Italy that pleases me more than the clear sky and the warmth that accompanies us everywhere in this season», and these views were often echoed in the pages of travel accounts.

Yet quite a few reservations were expressed about the Tuscan climate, and that of Florence in particular. Heirs to the Baconian tradition, many travelers – such as Cobbett (1821) – have left us invaluable daily records of the temperature and the weather. The cold was an enemy always lying in wait and it is no accident that Mariana Starke advised female travelers to wear shoes with a double felt sole and woolen stockings to protect themselves against the icy floors of Florentine churches and galleries. The consequences of the inclemency of the climate could be grave at post houses like the one at Radicofani, where the traveler could spend stormy nights at the mercy of all the winds.

No less feared was the heat, which could have a severe effect on the mood of travelers from northern climes and to which the passionate nature and intemperance of the natives was ascribed.