For 18th-century young British noblemen, no education was complete without a year on the Grand Tour. Although it had no official route, the Grand Tour focused on places foundational to European art, literature and architecture, including sites in France, Germany, Switzerland and, most importantly, Italy. It was an opportunity not just to witness the roots of the classics they had studied but also to take some of it home. Grand Tour furniture was among the souvenirs.
Grand Tour furniture ranged from marble architectural models replicating ancient wonders to actual antiquities often taken illicitly, leaving a legacy of looting still being unraveled today. Other items reflected the artistic richness of the Renaissance cities and other destinations. In Italy, this included scagliola tables and pedestals mimicking marble as well as tabletops and wall panels embedded with pietra dura hard stone mosaics.
Furniture was also developed to display Grand Tour purchases in the owner’s home, presenting them as a cultivated and well-traveled person. Mahogany collector’s cabinets held objects like intaglio moldings of coins and seals while others had specialized drawers that framed pietra dura panels.
Many objects were specifically produced for Grand Tour collectors. Often accompanied by retinues on journeys lasting months or years, the elite travelers, the wealthiest of whom extended their trips to Egypt and the Holy Land, required artful personal mementos befitting the experience. For example, Grand Tour micromosaics — small artworks, most not more than two inches wide — arose from the entrepreneurial impulses of artisans who had trained in the Vatican’s workshops.
Grand Tour journeys would help inform a range of decorative styles such as neoclassical, Rococo and Adam style. (Architect and designer Robert Adam toured Italy and France for five years.) The Grand Tour flourished at a time of economic prosperity and political stability, but the French Revolution in 1789 brought it to an end. Yet as the tradition faded in popularity in England, the rising wealth of the United States led to an increase in tourism across the Atlantic and a similar passion for collecting to show one’s worldliness.
Find a collection of Grand Tour decorative objects, wall decorations, lighting and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Antique Pair French Grand Tour Gilt Bronze & Marble Urns 19th Century
Located in London, GB
A superb antique pair of French Grand Tour gilt bronze and marble Borghese Campana urns, circa 1870 in date. This pair of gilt bronze campana urns is after the Borghese models, with...
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Pair French Regency Styl Giallo Sienna Marble Gilt Bronze Cassolettes Urns Vases
Located in Dublin, Ireland
Stunning Example of a pair of French Ormolu mounted well veined Sienna Marble Twin Handle Grand Tour Style Urns or Cassolettes of museum quality. Mid to late Nineteenth Century. E...
Siena Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Italian Capriccio Landscape Painting with Classical Ruins in Shaped Gilt Frame
Located in Elkhart, IN
A distinctive Italian capriccio landscape, painted in oil on a shaped panel and presented in a softly worn giltwood frame. The composition draws from the Grand Tour tradition—romanti...
Wood, Paint
Neoclassical Grand Tour Solid Marble Pink and Cream Obelisks, Set of 5
Located in Elkhart, IN
A stunning set of five neoclassical Grand Tour style solid marble pink & cream obelisks. A favorite of designers, obelisks add a touch of classic decor to traditional or modern inter...
Marble
Italian Grand Tour Gouache of Mount Vesuvius Erupting at Night, Circa 1872
Located in Stamford, CT
Italian Grand Tour gouache of Mount Vesuvius erupting at night with a full moon over the Bay of Naples. In the original gilt wood frame. This is a very fine and large example of this...
Giltwood, Paper
Pair of Late 19th Century Giallo Siena Marble Campana Urns, Italy
Located in Pease pottage, West Sussex
Pair of Late 19th Century Giallo Siena Marble Campana Urns. Gadrooned body, flared rim and square based socle. Unusually with a decorative black and red marble inlay on the flared ri...
Siena Marble
Pair of 19th C. Italian Grand Tour green Alps marble & silver mask obelisks.
Located in Milan, IT
A pair of Grand Tour obelisks. Made of Green Alps marble. On the front side of the plinth, there is a bezel with a silver mask depicting the head of a lion. Italy second half of the ...
Marble, Silver
Antique Collection Framed Grand Tour Classical Intaglios Early 19th Century
Located in London, GB
A comprehensive collection of 14 antique Italian Grand Tour intaglios dating from the early 19th Century. The subjects predominantly from Classical Antiquity, with period busts. They...
Plaster, Wood
19th Century Italian Carved Marble Draped Urn with Floral Garland
Located in Madrid, ES
Elegant Italian carved white marble urn from the 19th century, featuring a beautifully sculpted draped cloth gathered by a finely carved floral garland. The graceful classical form...
Marble
Pair of Italian Grand Tour–Style Green & Gilt Jasperware Intaglio Wall Plaques
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Pair of Italian Grand Tour–Style Green & Gilt Jasperware Intaglio Wall Plaques, Circa 1960s This elegant pair of Italian Grand Tour–style wall plaq...
Pottery
Shadowbox with Grand Tour Gutta Pecha Plaques
Located in South Paris, ME
Shadowbox containing Grand Tour gutta-percha plaques. Gutta-percha is a rigid, naturally occurring latex derived from the sap of South American Malaysian trees and was produced long ...
Hardwood, Paper, Bio Resin
Grand Tour Ancient Egyptian Style Alabaster Storage Jar
Located in Stamford, CT
19th century hand carved alabaster storage jar in the ancient Egyptian Late Dynastic style, with tapering neck topped by a wide everted rim. Great evocative decorative piece for the ...
Alabaster
Inlaid Antique Marble Specimens, late 19/early 20c
Located in Spencertown, NY
The white marble background with the inlaid title “MARMI EX ALTRE PIETRE ANTICHE” which includes small oval and rectangular marble and porphyry specimens.
Marble, Porphyry
Antique Grand Tour Model Temple of Hercules Victor, Rome, 19th Century
Located in London, GB
A delightful Italian bronze Grand Tour model of the Temple of Hercules Victor, Rome, circa 1860 in date. The bronze realistic model is cast in high relief with twenty Corinthian col...
Siena Marble, Bronze
Large Neoclassical Antique French Bronze, Education of Achilles, Francois Rude
By Francois Rude
Located in New York, NY
Large, exceptional quality bronze sculpture depicting The Education of Achilles by the Centaur Chiron, after the model by Francois Rude. Ear...
Bronze
French Bronze Architectural Model Arc de Triomphe Paris Sacre-Couer Basilica
Located in Dublin, Ireland
Absolutely Stunning Grand Tour style Patinated Bronze chisel cast example of the architectural model of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, of compact proportions. Late Nineteenth early Tw...
Siena Marble, Brass, Bronze
19th Century Italian Grand Tour Set of Portrait Medals of The 12 Roman Emperors
Located in Stamford, CT
19th century Italian Grand Tour set of silvered bronze portrait medallions of The 12 Roman Emperors, Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitelliu...
Bronze
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Marble Obelisk in Variegated Brown and Grey Stone
Located in Elkhart, IN
A beautifully proportioned marble obelisk in richly veined shades of brown, cream, and grey. The sculptural silhouette and naturally dramatic stone movement give the piece a quietly ...
Marble
Antique Pair Italian Grand Tour Borghese Bronze Campana Urns 19th Century
Located in London, GB
A superb antique pair of Italian Grand Tour bronze Borghese Campana urns, circa 1870 in date. This pair of patinated bronze campana urns are after the Borghese models with classica...
Bronze, Ormolu
Italian Grand Tour Book of Plaster Intaglios by Giovanni Liberotti #3
Located in Bradenton, FL
Beautifully preserved Grand Tour book-form box housing a collection of twenty-seven classical Intaglio Medallions by Giovanni Liberotti. Bound in faux-marbled paper, box opens to re...
Plaster, Paper
Fine Italian Grand Tour Antique Bronze Sculpture Statue of Narcissus of Pompeii
Located in Shippensburg, PA
GRAND TOUR Italy, late 19th century "Narcissus" Verdigris patinated bronze cast circa 1910 Unmarked 24 1/4" H x 10 1/8" diameter An exceedingly fine cast after the Greco-Roman s...
Bronze
Grand Tour in Bronze. Model of the Temple of Hercules Victor, Mid-19th Century
Located in Knivsta, SE
Grand Tour Bronze and Marble Model of the Temple of Hercules Victor, Rome, Mid-19th Century A refined Grand Tour souvenir in patinated bronze and marble, representing the celebrated...
Marble, Bronze
Grand Tour Bronze Volute Krater / Vase / Urn by Benedetto Boschetti , C. 1840
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is breathtaking! It is an early 19th century bronze volute krater by Benedetto Boschetti, a Roman artisan. It is marked. The marble base is 4....
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Italian Grand Tour Bronze Brazier, Ancient Pompeii Original
Located in Stamford, CT
An Italian Grand Tour bronze tripod brazier, after the ancient Roman original excavated from Pompeii, Neapolitan late 19th century The brazier modeled after one that was used to hea...
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Italian Grand Tour Bronze of a Satyr Sculpture, Pompeii
Located in Stamford, CT
19th century Neapolitan Grand Tour bronze of a Satyr with wine skin, also known as the 'Drunken Satyr'. The cup he would have been holding was lost in the conflagration. The lean, mu...
Travertine, Bronze
$3,835Sale Price / set|35% Off
Pair Pompeiian Grand Tour Bronze Gueridon Tables, tripod legs with pawed feet
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Exquisite pair of Continental bronze gueridons inspired by classical Pompeian design. Each table features intricately cast figures with mythological motifs, detailed foliate scrollwo...
Bronze
Fine Italian Grand Tour Antique Bronze Sculpture of “Narcissus” after Antiquity
Located in Shippensburg, PA
GRAND TOUR Italy, late 19th century "Narcissus" Patinated bronze cast circa 1890-1910 Unmarked 24 3/4" H x 10" diameter An exceedingly fine cast after the Greco-Roman statue of ...
Bronze
28.5" Modernist Blond Maple Obelisk Brass Ball Feet Linley Maitland-Smith Style
By David Linley, Maitland Smith
Located in St. Louis, MO
An elegant, imposing 28.5-inch architectural obelisk sculpture masterfully crafted from warm, fine-grained blond wood, featuring characteristics consistent with satinwood or light ma...
Brass
'Seated Hermes', a 19th Century Italian Grand Tour Bronze
Located in Chicago, IL
An extraordinary and wonderfully rendered 19th century Italian cast bronze depicting a seated Hermes, the Greek god of messengers, travelers, and merchan...
Bronze
Fine French Patinated Bronze Bust of Menelaus, After the Antique, Late 19th Cent
Located in Sleepy Hollow, NY
A finely cast French patinated bronze bust depicting Menelaus, the legendary King of Sparta and one of the principal heroes of Homer's Iliad, executed after an important classical pr...
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century Greek Grand Tour Terracotta Aryballos (Oil Flask)
Located in Bradenton, FL
19th Century Greek Grand Tour Terracotta aryballos (oil flask) decorated with Grecian figures in red and black. Dimensions: Measures 8.5" tall x...
Terracotta
Early 19th Century Bronze French Grand Tour Urns (Pair)
Located in Louisville, KY
This pair of early 19th century Grand Tour Period bronze gilt volute krater urns on stone bases are absolutely breathtaking. The base is a heavy black slate with etched Neo-classic f...
Stone, Slate, Bronze
Pair of finest quality Antique Grand Tour Bronze Figures of Apollo and Narcissus
Located in New York, NY
Pair of antique (late 19th century) Grand Tour bronze sculptures depicting Narcissus and Apollo from the Musee de Naples measuring 19 inches tall. Weights 13 and 14.4 lbs.
Bronze
Fine Italian Grand Tour 19th Century Bronze Sculpture of Apollo Belvedere
Located in Shippensburg, PA
GRAND TOUR MODEL OF THE PYTHIAN APOLLO BELVEDERE Probably Italian, possibly French, circa 1860 to 1890 Unmarked Patinated sand-cast bronze 21 3/8" H x 13 1/4" W x 8" D This bronze...
Bronze
Italian Grand Tour Style Patinated Bronze Bust of Napoleon Bonaparte on Marble
Located in San Diego, CA
Italian Grand Tour Style Patinated Bronze Bust of Napoleon Bonaparte on Marble Base, circa 1960. A classic mid-20th-century Grand Tour style portrait bust depicting Emperor Napoleon...
Marble, Bronze
Small Antique Round Grand Tour Specimen Marble Table Top
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine antique Grand Tour table top. In black slate with specimen marble inlay to the top. With specimen including porphry, lapis, malachite, and marbles that we think are verde alpi green marble, lace agate, multicolor onyx, marble rosso levanto, jasper, breccia medicea marble, salome marble, rosso asiago, among others. Perfect as the top of a small side table or for contempoary use as a large trivet, cheese board, or serving tray. Simply a wonderful Grand Tour specimen...
Marble
$1,848Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of Antique Candle Sconces, Italian, Grand Tour Brass Wall Lights, Victorian
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is a superb pair of antique candle sconces, with Italian Grand Tour allure, dating to the mid Victorian period, circa 1860. Radiating classical elegance and fine detailing, thes...
Brass
$1,250Sale Price / set|58% Off
Pair of Italian Capriccio Landscape Paintings of Classical Ruins in Gilt Frames
Located in Elkhart, IN
A distinctive pair of Italian capriccio landscapes, painted in oil on shaped panels and presented in softly worn giltwood frames. The compositions draw from the Grand Tour tradition—...
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
Grand Tour Antique Italian Carved Marble Bust of Young Caesar Augustus
Located in Shippensburg, PA
GRAND TOUR Italy, circa late 19th/early 20th Century Bust of Young Gaius Octavius Augustus Carved Carrara marble, unsigned 17 1/4" H x 8 3/4" W x 5 5/8" D A good Grand Tour bust ...
Marble
Pair Italian Grand Tour Style Brecciated Specimen Marble Spheres Carrara Bases
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This pair of Italian Grand Tour-style brecciated specimen marble spheres on Carrara marble bases showcases the timeless appeal of Italy's richly colored ornamental stones. Carved fro...
Marble, Carrara Marble
Grand Tour Bust of Augustus
Located in Greenwich, CT
Italian 19th century bronze bust of Augustus Ceasar, finely detailed and well patinated, standing on turned ebonized wood and marble socle plinth base.
Marble, Bronze
Dutch 19th Century Faux Marble Hand-Painted Column
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A large, 19th century Dutch square column or pedestal, covered in a variety of painted faux-marble to elevate precious artwork, décor, or greenery in your interior. The top surface i...
Wood, Paint
Grand Tour Book of Plaster Intaglios by Bartolomeo Paoletti #2
Located in Bradenton, FL
Beautifully preserved Grand Tour book-form box housing a collection of twenty-four classical Intaglio Medallions by Bartolomo Paoletti. Paoletti was one of the most respected makers ...
Plaster, Paper
A big red coral branch from Wunderkammer, silver base, Italy 1820.
Located in Milan, IT
A large branch of Mediterranean red coral (Corallium Rubrum) from a cabinet of curiosities. The circular base with a wavy edge is made of embossed silver. The first register features...
Silver
A Grand Tour Souvenir: Neoclassical Column Thermometer
Located in New York, NY
A finely detailed late 19th–early 20th century decorative thermometer modeled after a Roman triumphal column, inspired by classical monuments such as Trajan’s Column in Rome. Cast in...
Bronze
$118 / item
Hand-Painted Iron Tray - Persian Blue
Located in ROCCAVIVARA CB, IT
Bring artistic flair to your decor with our hand-painted iron tray, featuring a striking Persian inspired design. Perfect for adding color and character to coffee tables, shelves, or...
Iron
$1,196Sale Price|20% Off
19th C. Italian Grand Tour Micro-Mosaic "Doves of Pliny" Box After Antiquity
By Vatican Mosaic Studio
Located in Atlanta, GA
Italian, likely Circa 1880. This beautiful box has an exceptional Grand Tour Micro-mosaic plaque depicting the Capitoline Doves or Doves of Pliny after the Roman antiquity. Also by ...
Slate, Bronze
Antique Carved Asian Chinese Figured Clam Shell Animals Elephant Camel Lion 19Ct
Located in Dublin, Ireland
Absolutely stunning hand carved collection of Grand Tour Chinese beautifully carved objects to include a “Dream shell” Diorama Carving depicting two standing figures dressed in tradi...
Antler, Horn
Grand Tour Style Shadow Box, depicting, 6 Architectural example vignettes
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Grand Tour Architectural Study Shadow Box with Neoclassical Vignettes, Circa Mid-20th Century An elegant and educational Grand Tour-style architectural study shadow box, presenting ...
Wool, Plexiglass, Paper
A white gorgonian branch from a Wunderkammer with wooden base, Italy 1870.
Located in Milan, IT
A sand-white gorgonian branch from the Wunderkammer in the shape of a fan. The base is in carved and silvered wood in the shape of a vase with volutes. Italy, circa 1870.
Wood
Lorenzo de Medici Marble Sculpture After Michelangelo
Located in New York, NY
Our antique (late 19th century) white marble Grand Tour sculpture of Lorenzo de Medici, Duke of Urbino (1492-1515). Sculpture 22 by 9 by 10 inches. The sculpture, carved from Carr...
Carrara Marble
19th C. Italian Grand Tour Intaglio Plaster Medallion & Gilt Marbled Leather Box
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Italian Grand Tour Intaglio Plaster Medallion Box with Silver Mounts and Gilt Marbled Leather, 19th Century A finely crafted 19th-century Italian Grand Tour table box, combining cla...
Silver Plate
Zuber & Cie. Early 20th Century Screen "View of New York Bay from New Jersey"
By Jean Zuber
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
"VIEW OF NEW YORK BAY FROM NEW JERSEY” Produced by Zuber & Cie. Rixheim, Alsace, France, originally designed in 1834, by Jean-Julien Deltil (1791-1863). Recently mounted as a s...
Wood, Paper
Framed Engraving By Sir William Hamilton
Located in Essex, MA
Print size: 15 inches by 10 inches. Lord Hamiltons Ancient Vases. Number 94. Johann Tischbein, Naples , Italy. The scene depicts a scene from Greek Mythology, specifically one of the...
Giltwood, Paper
19th Century Petite Italian Grand Tour Souvenir Bronze Bust of Dante Alighieri
Located in Pearland, TX
A fine antique 19th Century petite Grand Tour souvenir bronze bust of Italian poet Dante Alighieri. This handsome bust is well cast with exquisite details and lovely original patina....
Bronze
$4,200Sale Price / set|53% Off
Monumental Neoclassical Grand Tour Ormolu Mounted Marble Obelisks on Pedestals
Located in Elkhart, IN
A stunning pair of monumental neoclassical or Grand Tour style solid marble pink, gray, brown, and black obelisks on solid marble pedestals. The sculptur...
Marble
Italian Carrara Marble Bust Of The Apollo Belvedere
Located in Essex, MA
Nicely carved bust. With round socle base. A celebrated sculpture from classical antiquity.
Carrara Marble
Italian Grand Tour Book of Plaster Intaglios by Giovanni Liberotti #1
Located in Bradenton, FL
Beautifully preserved Grand Tour book-form box housing a collection of fifty-one classical Intaglio Medallions by Giovanni Liberotti. Bound in faux-marbled paper, box opens to revea...
Plaster, Paper
English Hand-Colored Maritime Engravings - HMS Victory & the Clipper Ship Cosmos
Located in Morristown, NJ
Decorative pair of English maritime engravings after celebrated marine artists of the 19th century, each hand-colored and presented in complementary silvered frames with cream mats u...
Glass, Wood, Paint, Paper
19th Century Oil Painting of Venice Grand Canal After Francesco Guardi (1712-93)
By Francesco Guardi
Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire
A 19th century oil painting of the entrance to the Venice Grand Canal after Francesco Guardi (1712 – 1793). Within this bustling Continental School veduta, ships and gondolas surrou...
Wood, Paint