Untrodden Peaks and Unfrequented Valleys: A Midsummer Ramble in the Dolomites

Summary

“Probably the most dramatic landscape on earth."

Amelia B. Edwards first heard about the Dolomites in 1853, through sketches brought back to England from Italy. On 27 June 1872, she embarked on a trip through the mountains with her friend Lucy Renshaw.

At the time of Edwards’s visit, the Dolomites were described as terra incognita and even educated persons had never heard of them. During the expedition, Edwards also sought works of Titian, finding a Madonna and Child in Serravalle (Vittorio Veneto) and two other paintings at a village church in Cadore.

They traveled alone, by carriage, by cart, side saddle on mules, and on foot, visiting remote villages where few foreigners had been, and explored the strikingly beautiful limestone mountains with the help of local guides.

Edwards chronicled their journey in this best-selling Victorian travelogue, writing detailed descriptions of the geological, cultural, and political history of the region. She also sketched the illustrations that appear in the book.

After her descent from the mountains, Edwards described civilized life as a “dead-level World of Commonplace.”