The story of this book begins in the 18th century, when the young sons of the European bourgeoisie embarked on journeys that took them through the villas of Tuscany and the ancient ruins of Italy, the Gothic cathedrals of France, and the historic cities of Central Europe. For the aristocracy, the Grand Tour represented the pinnacle of a young man’s education. Through these travels, young men encountered the culture, architecture, and art of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. The journey symbolized an educational practice that allowed for the acquisition of knowledge not merely from books, but firsthand—through direct experience and observation.