Miejsce, w którym historia powszechna zamienia się w historię jednostki. Śladami włoskich peregrynacji Kazimierza Chłędowskiego

Abstract

The purpose of my article was to consider Kazimierz Chłędowski in the context of other Polish travellers from the mid-nineteenth century. 19th century was a time of increased travelling and also time of increased number of voyages d’Italie, diaries form journey. Italy has its own special place in the area of peregrine interests. Italy, this specific kind of “summarized history of Europe”, as has it been described by Józef Kremer, in the 19th century gained a different face than in previous centuries. It has to be told, that Italy – as one of the most popular destinations of European intellectual elites – had a twofold symbolism. This country was often described as a synthesis of all journeys, a huge book, from which people could read the secrets of antiquity. Nevertheless it was often called a “tomb for the living”, a place, where there is no future, a fallen ruin. In addition, the community of thoughts and feelings was very strong between Poles and Italy throughout the whole nineteenth century. In this unusual period, one of the most interesting representations of relations between Poland and Italy were literary works and memories of Kazimierz Chłędowski, who reinterpreted this convention. Did the writer’ privacy give readers a chance to find their Italian paths?