English Lit Loveys

Today my family indulged me and let me totally English-major geek-out at the Keats-Shelley House! The Romantic poet John Keats lived and died in this house, which is right next to the famous Spanish Steps at the Piazza Spagna. It now has an extensive collection honoring John Keats and his friend and fellow poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who also lived and died in Italy, as well as Robert and Elizabeth Browning, Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, and more.

Called the "Casa Rossa" because it's kind of pink

Keats house in on the right and the Spanish Steps on the left.

Levi took the kids walking around the neighborhood so that I could bask in Romantic poet nerdiness.  The house had collections of letters, books, and paintings related to the Romantics. Gosh but it was fun reading through all the memorabilia!

Letter from Mary Shelley to Sir Walter Scott explaining that she and not her husband was the author of the novel Frankenstein.

Signed by Mary Shelley to her son in 1828.

First edition of Adonais by Percy Shelley

Locks of hair belonging to Percy Shelley, Keats, and Leigh Hunt (another British writer). Back then it was common for friends to exchange locks of hair as keepsakes! Keats is said to have had beautiful, auburn waves.

Letter from President Teddy Roosevelt to advocate for the preservation of Keats home in Rome.

Freehand drawing done by Keats while visiting the Louvre. In 1819 he wrote the famous poem "Ode on a Grecian Urn."

Fragments of the original manuscript of Keats' poem "Lamia."

Keats died of tuberculosis in this very house when he was only 25 years old. His mother had also died of tuberculosis at a young age. 

Keats' bedroom

View of the Spanish Steps

Keats' death mask

Drawing of Keats in his last days by his friend Joseph Severn.

Letter written by Keats to Severn in the year before he died.

"My dear Severn, The Doctor says I mustn't go out. I wish such a delicious fate would put me in cue to entertain you with a Sonnet or a Pun. I am yours ever, John Keats" They were only friends, not lovers.

View of the Piazza Spagna and the Bernini fountain from Keats house.

Diagram of famous American and British residents in the surrounding neighborhoods, including Elizabeth and Robert Browning, Henry James, Sir Walter Scott, and Johann Goethe (well, he was German).

Sadly the Spanish Steps were closed due to renovations, though I think we have been lucky that more famous sites have not been closed for renovations during our visit. We did get a peek at the Bernini boat fountain, but there were a million people around it so we didn't take the time to get any of us in the picture.

Walking to and from the car we got to window-shop at all the designer Italian brands! Definitely a fun walk!

Our sight-seeing days are numbered! We'll try to squeeze a few things in the beginning of next week, and then we are Romans no more!