Germany and Italy aim to jointly develop a new cultural route that commemorates German literary giant Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's (1749-1832) famous "Italian Journey."
The plan to trace Goethe's footsteps through Italy was agreed upon by German Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer and Italian Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli during government consultations in Rome on Friday.
The aim is to create a cultural route along key locations of the famous poet's journey.
Goethe travelled through Italy between 1786 and 1788. His account "Italian Journey," which was written between 1813 and 1817, is based on this trip.
The journey took him through Verona, Venice, Florence, Naples and all the way to Sicily, but he spent most of his time in Rome, where he stayed on Via del Corso.
In the Italian capital he lived in a kind of shared apartment with the painter Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein and other artists. Today, the house is home to the Casa di Goethe (Goethe's House) museum.
Weimer said that Goethe's travel account at the time sparked a lasting longing for Italy in Germany and shaped the image of Italy for many generations.
He added that it is now a great pleasure for him to revive the "Italian Journey" and create this pilgrimage route in Goethe's footsteps.
The planned route aims to showcase the cultural, historical and artistic impressions that had a lasting impact on Goethe, and it is intended for culturally interested travellers as well as a young, international audience.
Both analogue and digital offerings are planned, including an interactive application and an exhibition at the Casa di Goethe on the reception of Goethe in Italian art and literature from the second half of this year. - dpa
