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.
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
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
Vintage Trompe L'oeil Embossed Leather Faux Books Round Side Table
Located in Elkhart, IN
A gorgeous trompe l'oeil faux books embossed leather side table with storage Circa 1980s Measures: 19.13"W x 19.13"D x 22"H. Good original vintage condition.
Leather, Wood
Antique Grand Tour Bronze Figure of "Dionysus, called Narcissus" 19th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a superb large antique Grand Tour patinated bronze figure of "Dionysus, called Narcissus" dating from the mid 19th Century. Dionysus is the ancient Greek God of wine, wher...
Marble, Bronze
A Greek Black Figure Style Grand Tour Amphora, 19th Century
Located in ARMADALE, VIC
A Greek Black Figure Style Grand Tour Amphora, 19th Century Provenance: Private Australian Collection. Description: Amphora, specifically, were used for storing and transporting li...
Terracotta
Collection of Grand Tour Style Neoclassical Brass Figures on Marble Bases
Located in Elkhart, IN
A refined collection of Grand Tour–style brass figures mounted on richly varied marble bases, each piece evoking the scholarly romance of 19th-century European travel. The grouping i...
Marble, Brass
Grand Tour Bronze Casket Athena Greek Processional Friezes, Attrib. Henri Picard
By Henri Picard
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Grand Tour Archaeological Revival Bronze Casket with Athena and Greek Processional Friezes, Attributed to Henri Picard, Paris, circa 1865–1885 A finely cast gilt and patinated bronze casket executed in the Grand Tour archaeological revival taste, attributed to the Paris bronzier Henri Picard and dating to the late 19th century. The object reflects the fascination with ancient Greek antiquity...
Bronze
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
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
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
$3,800Sale Price|20% Off
NAVAL CANNON 19th Century Model Battery Signal Cannon In Bronze & Wood
Located in Miami, FL
A 19th century presentation naval battery signal cannon. This is a superb large scale model of a naval battery cannon made in the 19th century, circa 1825-1850. The antique presenta...
Bronze
Antique Italian Grand Tour Bronze Sculpture of the Farnese Bull /Nelli foundry
By Giambologna
Located in New York, NY
Antique (late 19th century) Grand Tour bronze sculpture of the Farnese bull, after the classical period original, cast by the Nelli foundry in Rome, mounted on marble plinth with bla...
Marble, Bronze
Neoclassical Grand Tour Solid Marble Brown and Gray Obelisk
Located in Elkhart, IN
A stunning neoclassical or Grand Tour style solid marble gray and brown obelisk Measures: 2"W x 2"D x 8"H. Very good original vintage condition.
Marble
Italian Grand Tour Alabaster Model the Roman Forum Temple of Vespasian
Located in Stamford, CT
Italian Grand Tour model of the ancient Temple of Vespasian located in the Roman Forum, Rome. Carved from alabaster, this is a handsome example of a souvenir carving which would have been collected by a European or American sophisticate making a Grand Tour of the ancient sites of Italy. This wonderful architectural miniature is evocative of another time and place. Roma Templo Di Vespasiano' etched into the black marble base. It has been drilled to be wired, not the first time I have owned one of these that had been mounted as a lamp. The Temple of Vespasian and Titus is located in Rome at the western end of the Roman Forum between the Temple of Concordia and the Temple of Saturn...
Alabaster, Marble
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
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
Italian Grand Tour Pietra Dura Oval Table Top on Cast Iron Base
Located in Kenilworth, IL
Traditional oval Pietra Dura table top of black marble inlaid with naturally colored stone creating a bouquet of yellow roses with a white oriental li...
Stone, Marble, Iron
Plaster Bust of Roman Emperor Augustus on Wood Pedestal
Located in Elkhart, IN
A gorgeous bust of Roman emperor Augustus. USA, Circa mid-20th century Plaster bust on wood pedestal base Measures: 2.75"W x 2.75"D x 7.5"H. Good original vintage condition.
Plaster, Wood
19th C. Italian Bronze Grand Tour Sculpture Nude Discuss Athlete, in Repose
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
19th C. Italian Bronze Grand Tour Sculpture Nude Discuss Athlete, in Repose Attributed to the Naples Foundry, mid-19th century or older casting A 19th-century Italian Grand Tour ...
Bronze
$3,600Sale Price|20% Off
Large 19th Century French Grand Tour Venus de Milo Marble Column
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Large 19th-century Grand Tour Venus de Milo Marble Column France, circa 1880 A magnificent 19th-century Grand Tour Venus de Milo marble column from...
Marble, Bronze
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 seven...
Wood, Paper
Grand Tour – Bronze Sculpture Representing Mars, Italy, 19th Century
Located in Bilzen, BE
"Grand Tour – Bronze Sculpture Representing Mars, Italy, 19th Century" Fine bronze sculpture depicting Mars, the Roman god of war, shown standing in a composed and authoritative pose...
Bronze
Italian Grand Tour Bronze Sculpture Bust of Diana by Del Nerro Foundry
Located in Shippensburg, PA
GRAND TOUR Italy, mid-19th century Bust of the goddess Diana Cast by Del Nero Foundry, Rome, crisp inscription to base of neck verso DEL NERO ROMA Patinated bronze raised on a mottled pink marble...
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
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
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. Pair of Neoclassical style reliefs, Italy, 1950s
Located in SANT ADRIÀ DE BESÒS, ES
Pair of Neoclassical and Grand Tour style reliefs depicting mythological scenes, Italy, 1950s. These medallions are made of molded bakelite, with a chrome-plated golden metal frame a...
Metal, Brass
Antique French Bronze Grand Tour Model of The Arc de Triomphe 19th Century
Located in London, GB
A delightful French bronze Grand Tour model of the Arc De Triomphe, circa 1860 in date. The beautifully realistic model is cast in high relief and is mounted on a black marble base....
Bronze
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
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
$2,950 / set
Italian Grand Tour Marble Models of Roman ruins
Located in Greenwich, CT
Italian Grand Tour Sienna Marble Desk Models, one of the Temple of Vespasian, the other of the Foro Romano, late 19th / early 20th cent. Note : Grand Tour travels to the sights of A...
Marble
19th Grand Tour Century Italian Painted Wood Architectural Model
Located in Essex, MA
19th Century Florence, Neoclassical style structure, featuring intricate design work incl. faux marbleized column supports, baluster railings, urn pediments, hinged door to back open...
Pine
Vintage European Impressionist Oil Painting of Figures in Landscape, Signed
Located in Trenton, NJ
This vintage oil painting captures a tranquil outdoor moment, with small figures moving through a wooded landscape rendered in rich, textural brushwork. The scene emphasizes mood and...
Canvas, Wood
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
Red Marble Tazza, Italy, 19th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Classical dark red marble tazza with white veining, featuring a round baluster foot and a multi-profiled bowl. The piece has been professionally restored.
Marble
19th C. talian Grand Tour Rosso Antico Marble & 3 Merman, Later Crystal Ball
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Italian Grand Tour Rosso Antico Marble and Gilt-Bronze Mounted Stand with Three Mermen, 19th Century, with Later Crystal Ball/Sphere This striking Italian Grand Tour sculptural stan...
Crystal, Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Set of Grand Tour Venetian Capriccio Scenes in Manner of Guardi
Located in Nashville, TN
Unusual set of Venetian canal and landscape Scenes as capriccios in the style and manner of Guardi and as Grand Tour souvenirs . Colorful and highly decorative and of course present ...
Canvas, Giltwood
Late 19thC Linden Wood Black Forest Wall Mirror
Located in Altrincham, GB
Late 19thC Linden Wood Black Forest Wall Mirror - with an oval bevelled plate glass, carved throughout with leaves, vines and fruits, good dry original unspoilt patina - 19"w x 23"h ...
Other
$4,587
Grand Tour Dining Chairs
Located in Sturminster Marshall, Dorset
A fine Grand Tour design mahogany Egyptian revival dining chair in the manner of Marc Du Plantier. This chair can be upholstered in the client’s own material. Please note we are cur...
Mahogany
Antique Italian Grand Tour Bronze Sculpture “Disc Thrower” or Discobolus
Located in Shippensburg, PA
GRAND TOUR Italy, late 19th century "The Discobolus" after Myron of Antiquity Patinated bronze Italy, circa 1840 Cast by A. Röhrich, Rome 21" H x 6 7/8" diameter [with base] 15" H...
Marble, Bronze
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
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
Relief medallion in plaster
Located in 'S-HERTOGENBOSCH, NL
Relief medallion in plaster by Antonio Canova (1757-1822). The depiction of this relief is 'living from the land'. (It can be hang up)
Plaster
Pair of Italian Gilt Bronze Lions, after Antonio Canova , late 19th Cent
Located in Greenwich, CT
Pair of Italian Gilt Bronze Recumbent Lions, after Antonio Canova, on Red Griotte Marble base, late 19th Century 6 ½ W by 3 ½ D by 4 ¾ H in. Note : This pair of bronze lions w...
Griotte Marble, Bronze
Pair of Oil on Board Harbour Scenes Manner of Luigi Maria Galea
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
Manner Of Luigi Maria Galea (1847-1917) circa 1900 The Grand Harbour, Valetta, early morning; and The Grand Harbour, Valetta, at dusk signed illeg...
Paint
Pair Italian Grand Tour Neoclassical Marble Busts of Roman Emperors/Ceasors
Located in New York, NY
A pair of Neoclassical Grand Tour Italian hand carved marble busts depicting Roman Emperors, presented as pendant figures and raised on turned marble socle bases. One bust represents...
Lapis Lazuli, Carrara Marble, Siena Marble
Neoclassical Grand Tour Solid Marble Blue Obelisk
Located in Elkhart, IN
A stunning neoclassical or Grand Tour style solid marble blue obelisk Measures: 4.75"W x 4.75"D x 16.25"H. Very good original vintage condition.
Marble
The Traveler’s Monument – Marble and Onyx Grand Tour Obelisk, 19th Century
Located in New York, NY
Grand Tour Specimen-Marble Obelisk, Italian, 19th century A jewel-like tabletop obelisk built from alternating bands of polished specimen stones—giallo Siena, rouge griotte, verte an...
Onyx, Marble
$1,960Sale Price|20% Off
19th C Grand Tour Painting on Porcelain View of Vatican/St. Peter's Basilica
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
19th century Grand Tour Painting on Porcelain View of Vatican/St. Peter's Basilica Italy, circa 1880s Standing in rectangular gilt bronze engraved frame with applied stylized flo...
Bronze
Pair of Grand Tour Travertine Marble Candlesticks with Egyptian Revival
Located in Kastrup, DK
A pair of elegant Grand Tour candlesticks crafted from golden travertine marble and richly adorned with patinated bronze mounts. The stems feature engraved Egyptian Revival friezes d...
Marble, Bronze
$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
Early 19th Century French Gold Box with Enamel and Miniature Portrait
Located in Dallas, TX
PRESENTING A STUNNING Early 19C French Gold Box with Enamel and Miniature Portrait. Box made with brass but has been plated with 18ct Gold with beau...
Gold, Enamel
Framed Group of Seven Italian Grand Tour Cast Plaster Intaglios, 19th Century
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Framed Group of Seven Italian Grand Tour Cast Plaster Intaglios, 19th Century This refined framed composition features a group of seven Italian Grand Tour intaglios, executed in cas...
Fabric, Plaster, Giltwood
Neoclassical Grand Tour Coquillage Shell Encrusted Obelisk
Located in Elkhart, IN
A stunning neoclassical or Grand Tour style coquillage shell encrusted obelisk USA, Late 20th Century Measures: 7.75"W x 7.75"D x 30.5"H. Very good original vintage condition.
Shell
19th Century Italian Grand Tour Bronze of Atlas On A Stand With Turtle
Located in Stamford, CT
Italian Grand Tour bronze in the Renaissance style of Atlas on an elaborate tripod base ending in hoof feet. The Greek god Atlas is is depicted naked on top holding the world upon hi...
Bronze
Mid-19th Century Grand Tour Bronze Figurative Sculpture 'The Dying Gaul', Italy
Located in North Miami, FL
Mid-19th Century Grand Tour Bronze Figurative Sculpture 'The Dying Gaul', Italy By: unknown Material: bronze, copper, metal Technique: cast, molded, polished, metalwork, patinated D...
Metal, Bronze, Copper
Antique Grand Tour Italian Bronze Sculpture of Dancing Faun of Pompeii
Located in Shippensburg, PA
THE DANCING FAUN OF POMPEII After the model of Antiquity Grand Tour, Italy cast ca. 1880 With a fine verdigris patination and "ancient" surface treatment...
Bronze
19th Century Bronze Bust Of Ajax The Great by Chiurazzi
Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire
A 19th century bronze bust of Ajax the great by Chiurazzi, Napoli after the antique. Bearing the mark of the Chiurazzi foundry, and raised on a Breccia marble base, this high quali...
Marble, Breccia Marble, Metal
Antique Set 17 Framed Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti Intaglios 19th Century
Located in London, GB
An elegant giltwood frame enclosing seventeen Grand Tour Giovanni Liberotti intaglios dating from the early 19th Century. The various round and oval shaped plaster intaglios featur...
Plaster, Giltwood
Large Bronze Grand Tour Centaur Signed Fernando De Luca
Located in Bradenton, FL
19th Century Fernando De Luca, After Furietti, Bronze Centaur Sculpture is a fine example of the Grand Tour tradition. Furietti, an Italian sculptor, was known for his skill in creat...
Bronze