For the Austrian poet and novelist Rainer Maria Rilke, travel was not only integral to his work, it was a way of life. Venice stands out as a location of particular importance to Rilke, and he visited the city ten times between 1897 and 1920. This city has inspired countless writers and artists, but Rilke, both enthralled and provoked by it, reveals a striking and deeply felt love for the city. He was as eager to explore the city’s underbelly, its deserted shipyards and back alleys, as he was to experience its iconic sights of St. Mark’s and the Doge’s Palace. Staying in both simple guesthouses and the grand palaces of his patrons, Rilke would walk prodigiously. His contemporary Stefan Zweig commented that “knowing every last corner and depth of the city was his passion” and Rilke himself said his walking allowed him to “grasp the whole breadth of the city.”
In eleven walks, Birgit Haustedt guides readers through Venice following the poet’s footsteps. Haustedt invites us to look on the beloved sights of the city through Rilke’s eyes, offering a new vision of this famed destination. Rilke’s Venice provides new insight into one of the finest and most widely recognized writers of the twentieth century. It also acts as a literary travel companion and guidebook to Venice, offering eleven detailed maps of walks through the city.
By:
Birgit Haustedt
Translated by:
Stephen Brown
Imprint: The Armchair Traveller at the Bookhaus
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 198mm,
Width: 129mm,
Spine: 15mm
Weight: 162g
ISBN: 9781909961630
ISBN 10: 1909961639
Pages: 160
Publication Date: 15 November 2019
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Introduction // 1 WALK NUMBER ONE // 13 Living, loving and writing on the Zattere and in Palazzo Valmarana WALK NUMBER TWO // 31 Through Venice's flood of pictures WALK NUMBER THREE // 37 The Piazza, Saint Mark's, the Doge's Palace and a picture by Carpaccio in the Museo Correr WALK NUMBER FOUR // 49 The Arsenal, Scuola Dalmata di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni, Campo Santa Maria Formosa and the Pinacoteca Querini-Stampalia WALK NUMBER FIVE // 61 The Ghetto WALK NUMBER SIX // 81 A Tintoretto in the Madonna dell'Orto Church and a poem by Rilke WALK NUMBER SEVEN // 89 Behind the backdrop - Palaces on the Grand Canal WALK NUMBER EIGHT // 103 The 'Garden of Eden' on la Giudecca WALK NUMBER NINE // 109 The Lido WALK NUMBER TEN // 117 Sestiere San Polo, the Frari Church and Ca'Rezzonico WALK NUMBER ELEVEN // 127 Farewell: San Giorgio Maggiore Places to See // 135 Notes // 149 Further Reading // 159
Birgit Haustedt taught German Literature for several years at the University of Salerno, Italy, and now works as a freelance writer in Hamburg. She is the author of several books on Italy and Germany.
Reviews for Rilke's Venice: The City in Eleven Walks
`You can learn a lot about both city and port in the lovingly written book’ – Die Zeit
