Passages from the French and Italian Notebooks, Volume 1

In Short

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s travel diary records his journey through France and Italy with his family between January and June 1858. Moving from the biting winter chill of Paris to the ancient, dust-choked streets of Rome and Perugia, Hawthorne records his impressions of famous galleries, papal monuments, classical ruins, and fellow American expatriates. The volume has lasted because it reveals an iconic American novelist wrestling directly with European history and art, capturing high culture alongside the grainy, everyday realities of nineteenth-century European travel.

The Story

The book opens in January 1858 as Hawthorne, accompanied by his family and companions, departs London on a bitterly cold, frosty morning. Traveling by train and steamer through Folkestone and Boulogne, the family arrives in Paris, taking up residence at the Hotel de Louvre. Hawthorne immediately begins exploring the city, though the severe winter weather limits their outdoor excursions. He spends hours inside the Louvre museum, scrutinizing pencil sketches by the Old Masters, collections of portrait miniatures, and monumental urban architecture like the sculptured column of the Place Vendome. Despite the cold, he takes careful note of local life, observing everything from Napoleon's public monuments to the quiet habits of Parisian citizens.

By late January, the party travels south by train through Avignon and reaches Marseilles. Hawthorne observes the stark transition in landscape and climate, admiring the vivid crimson sunsets that remind him of his native New England. In Marseilles, he wanders dirty, narrow streets and public squares filled with idle loungers, old women, and soldiers, before embarking on a ship for Italy.

Arriving in Rome, Hawthorne begins an extensive, months-long exploration of the Eternal City. He pays frequent visits to St. Peter’s Basilica, marveling at its vast interior warmth, which shelters visitors against the winter chill. He observes Roman street life with a mixture of humor and mild disdain: beggars soliciting alms outside the Pantheon, local citizens carrying small earthen pipkins filled with lighted charcoal to warm their hands, and children sliding across frozen patches of ice near public fountains. He attends the festive final days of the Carnival along the Corso, where he suffers a hit from a cabbage-like projectile during a fierce volley of confetti and flowers.

As spring arrives, the family ventures beyond the city walls, taking carriage rides along the ancient Appian Way to the tomb of Cecilia Metella, the ruins of Gothic chapels, and underground Columbaria. Hawthorne visits the studios of prominent American sculptors and painters living in Rome, reflecting critically on contemporary art and classical antiquities like the Faun of Praxiteles in the Capitoline Museum. He spends quiet mornings in the gardens of the Pincian and the Villa Borghese, noting the lively mix of Roman aristocrats, French soldiers, and English tourists.

In late May, Hawthorne leaves Rome to travel north toward Florence. Traveling by carriage through Strettura and over the steep pass of Monte Somma, he describes the wild mountain landscapes, the constant importunity of roadside beggars, and the charming hill town of Perugia. The volume concludes in Florence, where Hawthorne settles into new quarters and resumes his thoughtful conversations with local artists and writers on aesthetics, color, and sculpture.

How It Unfolds

Departure from London Hawthorne packs a dozen trunks and leaves London on a freezing January morning. The journey takes his family across the choppy English Channel to France, where they arrive in a cold, wintry Paris.

Winter in Paris The family settles at the Hotel de Louvre, spending cold days exploring the city. Hawthorne wanders through the Louvre’s sketch galleries, admiring miniature portraits of Benjamin Franklin while finding expansive art collections somewhat wearisome.

Journey to Marseilles Traveling south by rail, Hawthorne watches glowing sunset skies that recall New England. He reaches the dirty, commercial port of Marseilles, observing local soldiers and men loitering in sunlit public squares.

First Impressions of Rome Arriving in Rome during mid-winter, Hawthorne takes shelter inside the massive, naturally warm walls of St. Peter's. He writes about shivering locals carrying charcoal pipkins and takes a quick slide across a frozen sheet of ice near a fountain.

The Carnival and Roman Streets Hawthorne observes the energetic chaos of the Roman Carnival along the Corso, dodging flying confetti and bouquets. He walks through devious street paths to visit Bernini's fountains and historic churches like Santa Maria del Popolo.

Excursions Along the Appian Way Spring brings warm weather, prompting family barouche drives out to ancient monuments. Hawthorne clambers around the tomb of Cecilia Metella, explores subterranean Roman burial chambers, and wanders past the Coliseum’s ruined brick arches.

Studios and Expat Society Hawthorne visits the studios of American sculptors, offering dry appraisals of their work. He attends social breakfasts with figures like William Cullen Bryant and discusses art and literature with visiting friends and diplomats.

Northward to Perugia and Florence The journey continues north over the steep Monte Somma pass, surrounded by beggar-infested mountain roads. After exploring the bustling hill-top market of Perugia, Hawthorne reaches Florence, concluding the volume with reflections on classical sculpture.

The People

• Nathaniel Hawthorne: The narrator and central perspective of the journals. He is a quiet, highly observant American author who seeks out art, history, and local culture while remaining acutely sensitive to physical discomfort, bad weather, and pushy street beggars.
• Sophia Hawthorne (his wife): An active companion on his travels who joins him on long gallery visits and church excursions. She hires balconies to view the Roman Carnival and engages enthusiastically with European culture.
• Una ("U----") and Julian ("J-----") Hawthorne: Hawthorne's children, who accompany their parents on daily walks and carriage trips. They pick wild flowers at the Coliseum, search for sea shells on wintry beaches, and celebrate birthdays with excursions to ancient ruins.
• Expatriate Artists and Authors: A revolving cast of American and English creative figures living abroad, including sculptor William Wetmore Story, poet William Cullen Bryant, author Mrs. Jameson, and sculptor Hiram Powers. Hawthorne evaluates their personalities, artistic talents, and views on aesthetics.

In Its Own Voice

"A foot-warmer (a long, flat tin utensil, full of hot water) was put into the carriage just before we started; but it did not make us more than half comfortable, and the frost soon began to cloud the windows, and shut out the prospect..."

Hawthorne describes the chilling reality of nineteenth-century winter rail travel across England and France.

"It would be an excellent plan for a valetudinarian to lodge during the winter in St. Peter's, perhaps establishing his household in one of the papal tombs."

Hawthorne marvels at the massive interior scale and thermal insulation of Rome's famous basilica.

"People talk about nothing as if they were terribly in earnest, and laugh at nothing as if it were all excellent joke."

He captures the vibrant, expressive noise of local villagers lounging outside an Italian inn during the noon heat.

What It's Really About

Beneath its chronological travelogue entries, the notebook explores the friction between American cultural identity and European antiquity. Hawthorne continuously weighs New England values—practicality, modesty, and crisp modernity—against the decaying splendor, religious traditions, and dense history of the Old World. He wrestles with the nature of artistic creation, trying to decide whether raw sketches hold more genuine genius than finished, polished masterpieces. The entries also reflect a personal search for comfort and inspiration, showing how physical environment, climate, and daily domestic routine shape an author's inner life.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy unvarnished historical travel writing will appreciate this book for its intimate, unscripted glimpse into mid-nineteenth-century European life. Rather than offering a polished travel guide, Hawthorne provides a immediate, daily account of what it felt like to navigate frozen French railways, muddy Roman streets, and dusty mountain passes long before modern tourism.

The prose is dry, candid, and often wryly humorous. Hawthorne does not hide his flaws or his exhaustion; he readily admits when famous art galleries wear him out or when he finds classic monuments unimpressive. Contemporary readers must navigate nineteenth-century naming conventions—such as using initial letters for family members and friends—alongside detailed, leisurely descriptions of architecture and statuary that demand a patient reading pace. What stays with you is the authentic voice of a classic American novelist observing the world around him with uncompromising honesty, capturing both the grandeur of ancient ruins and the simple warmth of a sunny street corner.

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