Mariana Starke (c.1762–1838) published this work in 1802, launching her career as a travel writer. The work, consisting of twenty-five letters spread over two volumes, describes the political situation in Italy after the first Napoleonic campaigns and offers practical guidance for tourists visiting Italy's cultural sites. Volume 1 contains sixteen letters: the first seven describe Starke's experience of the Napoleonic conquest and the following nine describe the architecture, paintings and sculptures of Pisa, Florence, Siena, Rome, Naples, Bologna and Venice. The work quickly became popular as it took into account the increasing trend for less affluent families to travel abroad. Starke offers a wealth of advice on affordable food, accommodation, transport and entertainment; her famous rating system, employing exclamation marks to signify the quality of a cultural site, was the precursor of the modern-day system of star-ratings. This is a classic of Georgian travel writing.
Mariana Starke (c.1762–1838) published this work in 1802, launching her career as a travel writer. Volume 2 contains nine beautifully written letters which evaluate the cultural attractions of the cities of Rome, Naples, Pompeii, Florence, Bologna, and Venice and the cities' surrounding countryside. The guide gives detailed information on the climate, dialects, population, geography and medical facilities of each city. A supplement offers advice on visiting the major cities of France and using the main transport links between them. The work quickly became popular as it took into account the increasing trend for less affluent families to travel abroad. Starke offers a wealth of advice on affordable food, accommodation, transport and entertainment; her famous rating system, employing exclamation marks to signify the quality of a cultural site, was the precursor of the modern-day system of star-rating. It is a classic of nineteenth-century travel writing.
Mariana Starke’s Travels in Italy (1802) is one of the best-loved travel guides of the nineteenth century. Published in two volumes in 1802, it explains the political situation in Italy after the Napo
