





In 1670 the phrase "Grand Tour" first appeared in the preface of Richard Lassels's The Voyage of Italy. By The eighteenth century the Grand Tour, which often lasted from a few months to several years, had become a part of the expected education of every European nobleman, and then every student of architecture. The primary destination of this tour was Italy, with its heritage of ancient Roman monuments and picturesque landscapes. "The man who has not been to Italy," wrote Samuel Johnson, "is always conscious of an inferiority from his not having seen what is expected of a man should see"
Taken From The Necessity For Seeing, Brian M. Ambroziak, Michael Graves, Images of a Grand Tour, Princeton Architectural Press, New York 2005