The past and the future : William Morris, Henry James and the cultural heritage of Italy

Abstract

In 1879, William Morris spearheaded a controversy in England about restoration works on the façade of St Mark’s in Venice. Beneath the aesthetic musings on Italian art and architecture by nineteenth-century British and American visitors to Italy, such as Henry James, and their overwhelmingly enthusiastic response to the history and beauty of the country, the interaction of nations with different political and cultural realities was not always straightforward. While the cultural heritage of Italy was admired, attempts by the Italian authorities to restore buildings and monuments were disapproved of by influential British visitors and activists, in turn provoking annoyed reactions from the Italians. The political and economic challenges of a young nation still struggling to assert and organise itself after 1860, following the unification of Italy, also came into play.