The Grand Tour of the Enlightenment
Ecrasez l'infame! (Crush the infamous thing!) Join me on an intellectual journey through the Europe of Reason. We will challenge dogmas, debate in salons and cafes, and follow the light of knowledge from Paris to Rome.
Why this journey
Relevance
The Enlightenment was the intellectual movement that demolished the Ancien Régime and laid the foundations of modern democracies. This journey follows the route of the ideas that championed reason, human rights, and liberty, forever changing the course of Western history.
Learning
You will take part in debates on the separation of powers, freedom of expression, and the social contract. You will understand how ideas spread through salons, cafes, and the printing press, and how the critique of authority laid the groundwork for revolution.
Today
Critical thinking, argumentation, and the defense of principles are essential skills. This journey is vital for lawyers, politicians, journalists, and any professional seeking to sharpen their ability to question the status quo and build narratives that drive change.
Included
- Accommodation in charming, well-located hotels.
- All breakfasts and the lunches or dinners specified in the itinerary.
- Expert guides and historians throughout the journey.
- Entrance to all museums, monuments and historic sites in the itinerary.
- Comfortable private transport for all transfers between cities and activities.
- Exclusive workshops, tastings and immersive experiences described in the program.
- A welcome pack with reading materials and a travel journal.
- Basic travel insurance.
Not included
- Round-trip international flights to the expedition start/end point.
- Meals and drinks not specified in the itinerary.
- Personal expenses, purchases and souvenirs.
- Optional activities during free time.
- Tips (optional).
Who runs it
Institutions we have worked with
Itinerary
- Day 1 Arrival in Paris: The Salon of Madame Geoffrin
Welcome to Paris, the beacon of the Enlightenment. We will settle into the Saint-Germain-des-Prés quarter. In the evening, we will recreate an eighteenth-century salon with a dinner and a debate led by a modern philosopher, exploring the radical ideas that changed the world.
- Day 2 The Encyclopédie and the Café Procope
We will visit the National Library of France to see a first edition of Diderot and d'Alembert's Encyclopédie. Then we will have coffee at the Procope, the oldest cafe in Paris, frequented by figures such as Rousseau, Diderot, and myself. We will discuss the power of the printed word.
- Day 3 Clandestine Paris: The Forbidden Books
A day on how what was banned actually circulated. My works were burned in this city and read all the same: they were smuggled in from Holland and Switzerland, printed beyond the reach of the royal censor. We will walk the old booksellers’ quarter around the rue Saint-Jacques, and the Bastille, which besides being a political prison was a warehouse for confiscated books and held more than one printer, and myself. We will discuss why censorship ended up being the finest publicity of the century.
- Day 4 Geneva and Ferney: My Kingdom of Reason
Travel to Geneva, the city-republic of Calvin that had a love-hate relationship with my colleague Rousseau. Then we will cross the border into Ferney (France), where I established my philosophical "kingdom". We will visit my château, from which I launched campaigns for justice such as the Calas affair.
- Day 5 The Alps: Rousseau's Sublime Nature
From Geneva, we will take an excursion into the Alps, drawing inspiration from the vision of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. We will discuss the concept of "nature" and the "noble savage" in contrast to corrupt society. A walk through spectacular landscapes will connect us with the Romantic ideas that emerged from the Enlightenment.
- Day 6 Journey to Rome: The Enlightenment Faces Antiquity
Flight to Rome. The "Grand Tour" traditionally culminated here. Our first visit will be to the Pantheon, the ancient monument most admired by the Enlightenment thinkers for its geometric perfection. An expert on eighteenth-century Rome will guide us through the city that Winckelmann and Gibbon saw.
- Day 7 The Vatican: Confronting "l'Infâme"
We will confront the power of the Church with a critical visit to the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica. We will analyze how Enlightenment skepticism clashed with the dogma and opulence of papal power. The day will end with a debate on the separation of Church and State.
- Day 8 Arrival in Venice: Carnival and Decadence
Train journey to Venice. La Serenissima in the eighteenth century was a city of pleasure, masks, and decadence, the playground of Europe. We will immerse ourselves in this atmosphere with a walk through its streets and a visit to a Venetian mask workshop, exploring the figure of Casanova.
- Day 9 Music and Opera in the Venice of Vivaldi
We will explore the musical world of Venice, visiting the Ospedale della Pietà, where Vivaldi composed his masterpieces. In the evening, we will attend a Baroque opera performance at the historic La Fenice theater, experiencing the most sophisticated entertainment of the age.
- Day 10 Final Reflections at the Café Florian and Departure
Our journey concludes with a coffee at the historic Caffè Florian in St. Mark's Square, a meeting place for artists and intellectuals for centuries. We will share our conclusions on the legacy of the Enlightenment before taking a water taxi to the airport.