 Durant
& Cheryl Imboden'sEurope for Visitors europeforvisitors.com |
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News
ABOVE: Burghley House is worth a visit whether you're a backpacking commoner or an aristocrat with five-star tastes. Burghley House honors the Grand Tour with a "Traveling Earls" exhibitionLincolnshire mansion will display nobility's trip souvenirs from spring through fall For 2009, England's largest and grandest house of the first Elizabethan age will be revealing 300-year-old hidden secrets about some of Britain's first souvenir-hunting tourists. Often said to be the trailblazing origins of modern backpacking, albeit a little more upmarket, the "Grand Tours" of Europe by the English nobility in the 17th century helped shape leisure tourism as we know it today. In the golden age of Grand Tours, sons of the nobility toured Europe to broaden their education and life experience--and the earls of Lincolnshire's Burghley House were among the first to pioneer this new style of travel. Now three centuries on, some of the treasure trove of personal souvenirs collected during those grand journeys through France to Italy will be displayed, many of them for the first time. "Traveling Earls" is the 2009 exhibition at the Lincolnshire Elizabethan mansion, which will highlight the Grand Tours of Burghley's 5th and 9th Earls during the 17th and 18th centuries. While many of the paintings and larger objects can be seen today within the staterooms at Burghley, "Traveling Earls" will focus on their smaller purchases--exquisite treasures intended to furnish the palatial house that was being remodelled during their absence abroad. Said Burghley House assistant house manager Jo Tinker: "In many ways, these Grand Tours paved the way for modern tourism where visitors set out to explore new cultures, scenery and a different pace of life--and bring back treasured mementos to remind them of their trips abroad. "As well as the equivalent of modern-day postcards sent by the earls, the new exhibition will also feature some of the more personal souvenirs they brought back to Burghley. Many of them have not been seen by visitors because we simply don't have enough space in the House to display these wonderful treasures from across Europe, which offer a fascinating insight into the world of the Grand Tourists." John Cecil, the fifth earl, in particular was an early trailblazer for the type of Grand Tour that was later to become much more popular. Today as well as mass tourism, backpacking also has its origins in the Grand Tour, when young nobility 'rounded out' their education by traveling abroad to experience different cultures. Admission to the "Traveling Earls" will be included in the house entrance price for Burghley House for the 2009 season, 28th March to 29th October. More details about the exhibition and visiting Burghley are available from www.burghley.co.uk or 01780 752451. About Burgley House: Burghley House is the country's largest and grandest house of the first Elizabethan age and has been used as a location for hit movies Pride & Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley, and The Da Vinci Code. It was also used in 'The Golden Age' starring Cate Blanchett, as the home of John Dee, Queen Elizabeth's personal astrologer and adviser. Burghley House, The Brewhouse Interpretation Centre & The Gardens of Surprise
are open 28th March – 29th October 2009. Admission Charges for House & Gardens
of Surprise: Adults £11.30; Children (5-15 years) £5.60; Concessions £9.90;
Family (2 adults and 2 children) £29.00. Photo: Burghley House.
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