| Authorship Notes |
The 'Plan pour faire servir les voyages' written by the prolific German-Italian-Austrian writer Julie de Giovane is one of the most complex works on travels, and one of a little handful of apodemic texts written by women (next to Margaret Cavendish's 'Oratio' and the relevant chapters Mme de Genlis's 'Adèle et Théodore'). It covers a vast range topics related to travels, from observation through note-taking to a 'traveller's briefcase'.
It is possible that it was inspired by count Berchold's massive 'An Essay to Direct and Extend the Enquiries of Patriotic Travellers', although it is not directly referenced in the work. The two authors share a cosmopolitan approach: in both cases, travels are put in the service of state - but ultimately, it is in the service of mankind. Giovane was in contact with many leading intellectuals of her time, corresponded with professors from Göttingen, and contributed to debates on happiness, national economy and Staatswissenschaft.
The most original idea of this text refers to the preparatory phase. As most apodemic authors, she believes that travel without due preparation is useless, and potentially dangerous. However, she suggests that this preparation should take place not individually, but in a classroom: only youngsters who completed a 'class on travels' should be allowed to travel. She references Göttingen professor August Ludwig von Schlözer's classes on travel, but suggests that university education is too restricted, and this type of teaching should reach a much wider public.
The essay is dedicated to her son, whom she had to leave behind when leaving her husband - she hopes that the book will be one day useful for him as well as others. |
