The journey to Southern Italy of Edward and Robert-Henry Cheney (1823-1825): the discovery of Calabria a mysterious and wild land

Abstract

Since the eighteenth century, southern Italy has been the destination of European travelers who explored its foothills until they reached Sicily, documenting with drawings and diaries, places full of myths and legends, which still preserve the fascination of the stories of ancient writers. Painters, watercolourists and talented writers, the English brothers Edward and Robert-Henry Cheney, after spending a few years in Rome, undertake on a journey in southern Italy between 1823 and 1825, from Campania to Sicily.
In this journey the Cheney also crossed Calabria – a mysterious and still wild land – from Campotenese to Reggio, representing the beautiful landscapes. The views produced by Edward, on which the essay dwells, depict the mountains of Pollino and those of Sila, the plain of Sibari, the Tyrrhenian coast of the Dei and that of Viola, changing landscapes where the architecture is flanked and blends with an unspoiled and lush nature. From the watercolours, pencil and ink drawings, made by the two brothers during the trip, it emerges clearly that it was the reality of the places visited that became the key to rediscover the naturalistic representation of the landscape.