Record Number: 30774
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
'In the morning to Santa Maria where we looked at the Spanish Chapel with Ruskin.[...] In the afternoon poked about in the back streets behind the Duomo which are all full of palaces and where the little square with the old tower Dante's church and doorway is wonderfully thrilling. Tea at the Cascine. Read Dante when we came in.'
Century:1850-1899
Date:31 Jan 1894
Country:Italy
Timeevening
Place:city: Florence
county: Tuscany
unspecified hotel
(Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
(Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Reader / Listener / Reading Group:
Reader: Age:Adult (18-100+)
Gender:Female
Date of Birth:16 Jul 1868
Socio-Economic Group:Gentry
Occupation:Oxford graduate, language student, yet to take up formal occupation as archaeologist and political advisor
Religion:Christian (Anglican) later declared herself atheist
Country of Origin:England
Country of Experience:Italy
Listeners present if any:e.g family, servants, friends
n/a
Additional Comments:
n/a
Text Being Read:
Author: Title:?La Divina Commedia
Genre:Poetry
Form of Text:Print: Book
Publication Detailsprobably in Italian, see additional comments
Provenanceunknown
Source Information:
Record ID:30774
Source - Manuscript:Other
Information:
Gertrude Bell Archive, Newcastle University Library University http://www.gerty.ncl.ac.uk
Additional Information:
Diary entry 31 January 1894. http://www.gerty.ncl.ac.uk/diary_details.php?diary_id=1513
Citation:
Gertrude Bell Archive, Newcastle University Library University http://www.gerty.ncl.ac.uk, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=30774, accessed: 29 September 2024
Additional Comments:
Although Gertrude Bell's biographer suggests she only took Italian lessons in 1896, on a later visit, (Howell 2006, p.423) later diary entries from 1894 visit e.g. on 2 February http://www.gerty.ncl.ac.uk/diary_details.php?diary_id=1518 suggests that she was already taking Italian lessons and reading Dante in the original.