Höhlen, Katakomben, Steinbrüche und Vulkane. Italien ‚von unten‘ gesehen auf dem ‚Spaziergang‘ von Dresden nach Syrakus von J. G. Seume

Abstract

In 1802, the German writer J. G. Seume travelled from Dresden to Sicily on foot and published an account of his journey a year later titled Spaziergang nach Syrakus im Jahre 1802 [A Stroll to Syracuse]. Seume’s particular way of travel allowed him to experience the poorest and the most problematic aspects of the foreign land, which he depicted in a representation of Italy from a downward perspective enriched with political considerations, which critics have usually juxtaposed to that of J. W. Goethe in Italienische Reise [Italian Journey], published in 1816-1817. Spaziergang nach Syrakus im Jahre 1802 devotes quite a bit of attention to inferior realities and marginality, and in this work, the underground is what precisely allows the relevant characteristics of the text and of his representation of The Other to be highlighted. This article focuses on these aspects by analyzing Seume’s text both linguistically and in terms of content. With regards to language, the underground world gives liveliness and vigor to the representation of the Italian reality and to the political dimension of the account of the journey due to the references to holes, cloisters, and troglodytes. Thematically, Seume’s experiences in caves, catacombs, quarries, and calderas also offer some interesting insights into the author’s way of approaching the beloved literature of the past, the traditional Grand Tour through Europe, and the troubled present. These experiences also bring into focus the irony, critical spirit, and subjectivity that characterize the account of his journey, which “does not give [sic] a complete picture, but an honest contribution to the configuration [of an] era [offered by] a man who is truthful, open, frank [and] independent” (Seume, 1803, p. 164).