Art of Travel: Italy

Set off on your own Grand Tour for the 21st century with the first book in the new series 'The Art of Travel', which showcases the world's greatest artists, and the cities they lived and worked in.

Come on a journey into the heart of Italy's great cities, with its best-loved artists as your tour guides. See the sights through their eyes, and watch their masterpieces come to life.

Imagine navigating the backstreets of 17th-century Rome in the dazzling but dangerous company of Caravaggio. Who will you meet as you drop in at the fabulous Villa Borghese - its owner, Cardinal Scipione Borghese, nephew of the pope, or Fillide Melandroni, well-known courtesan and occasional artist's model? Or fast-forward to the 18th century, to the Venice of Canaletto, Casanova and carnevale.

With thirteen artists and over a dozen itineraries to choose from, you can immerse yourself in the world of the great and the not-so-good, wandering in and out of churches, palaces and grand residences to admire their work 'in situ' - all from the comfort of your armchair. Each chapter begins with an illustrated map, featuring hand-drawn vignettes that illustrate the artist's often turbulent life, as well as key landmarks and local colour.