This book illuminates a lesser-known aspect of the British history of travel in the Enlightenment: that of the Royal Society's special contribution to the -discovery- of the south of Italy in the age of the Grand Tour. By exploring primary source journal entries of philosophy and travel, the book provides evidence of how the Society helped raise the Fellows' curiosity about the Mediterranean and encouraged travel to the region by promoting cultural events there and establishing fruitful relations with major Italian academic institutions. They were especially devoted to revealing the natural...