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In the 18th century the Grand Tour was a must for young men of the English upper class. To complete their education — and to get the foolhardiness of youth out of their system — they were sent abroad with private tutors. Their principal destination was Italy, where they became acquainted with the art and culture of antiquity and the Renaissance. They also made useful contacts, found friends for life, and had all kinds of amorous adventures. It was not only young men who undertook such journeys, however. Older gentlemen toured Europe too, as did women, whether or not in the company of their husbands. Sometimes whole families set off together and even took along their favourite dogs. Countless servants travelled with them, packed and ready to go on a journey that might last months or even years. Along the way these Grand Tourists bought artworks and souvenirs as mementos of their journey. Some of them began collecting on a grand scale. Back in England, they decorated their magnificent homes with the purchases they had made on the Continent. This publication tells the story of the Grand Tour by means of extraordinary artworks and souvenirs from the collections of three of England’s most beautiful country houses: Holkham Hall, Burghley House and Woburn Abbey.

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