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.
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 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
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
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
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Marble Obelisk in Variegated Blue and Tan Stone
Located in Elkhart, IN
A beautifully proportioned marble obelisk in richly veined shades of blue, cream, and tan. The sculptural silhouette and naturally dramatic stone movement give the piece a quietly ar...
Marble
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 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
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
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
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
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 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
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 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
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
$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 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
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
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
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
A natural history cabinet stuffed armadillo, Italy late 18th century.
Located in Milan, IT
Natural specimen from a cabinet of curiosities. A taxidermy stuffed armadillo: Nine-banded Armadillo - Dasypus novemcinctus (Linnaeus, 1757), resting on metal pins under its legs on ...
Metal, Berlin Iron
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
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
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
$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
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
$1,801Sale 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
$1,960Sale 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
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
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
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
Italian Florentine Pietra Dura Stone Inlay Marble Table Top
Located in Roma, IT
Italian Florentine Pietra Dura Stone Inlay Marble Table Top Classical Italian Florentine rare and spectacular pietra dura inlaid marble with an octagonal form top decorated by flo...
Marble
Three Volume Set Of Grand Tour Intaglios From Francesco Carnesecchi
Located in Essex, MA
Volumes 2, 4 and 5. Each volume double sided. The book spine stamped Carnesecchi Impronte Di Gemme. Featuring 268 plaster intaglios. Francesco Carnesecchi was a renowned 19th centur...
Leather, Plaster, Paper
SIGNAL CANNON 1850 Coastal Fortress Battery Cannon In Bronze & Wood
Located in Miami, FL
A 19th century presentation desk signal cannon. This is a superb medium scale model of a fortress battery cannon made in the 19th century, circa 1850. The antique presentation signa...
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
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
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Marble Obelisk in Variegated Green & Brown Stone
Located in Elkhart, IN
A beautifully proportioned onyx marble obelisk in richly veined shades of green, cream, and brown. The sculptural silhouette and naturally dramatic stone movement give the piece a qu...
Marble
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
$116 / 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
Italian Grand Tour Micro Mosaic of St Peters Square and Basilica The Vatican
Located in San Francisco, CA
A Grand Tour micro mosaic of St Peters Square, The Vatican, in original carved gilt wood Florentine frame. Mosaic in excellent condition, frame shows light minor signs of age. Italy...
Slate
$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
$3,643Sale Price / set|20% Off
Grand Tour and Art Déco bronze table lamps, France, 1920s
Located in SANT ADRIÀ DE BESÒS, ES
Pair of exceptional French table lamps in bronze representing two sphinxes from Greek/Roman mythology with a woman's face, lion's body and winged, in French Empire and Art Deco style...
Brass, Bronze
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
$4,515
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
19th Century Antique Italian Grand Tour Marble Bust of Socrates ca. 1860-80
Located in Shippensburg, PA
GRAND TOUR Italy, 19th century "Bust: Portrait of Socrates" Carved from a single solid block of white marble Unsigned Circa 1860-80 18 1/2" H x 10" W x 7 1/2" D Carved from a sin...
Marble
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Marble Obelisk in Variegated Pink Stone
Located in Elkhart, IN
A beautifully proportioned marble obelisk in richly veined shades of pink and cream. The sculptural silhouette and naturally dramatic stone movement give the piece a quietly architec...
Onyx, Marble
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
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 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
19th Century Arched Architectural Model Or Decorative Niche
Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire
A 19th century arched architectural model or decorative niche. This grand tour piece resembles a neoclassical temple or monument. Raised on an ebonised plinth stand two pairs of ala...
Wood
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
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
Antique Carrara Marble Bust of a Roman Empress
Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire
An antique Carrara marble bust of a Roman empress. This bust is a depiction of Roman noblewoman or empress, possibly Livia, wife of the first Roman emperor Augustus. Dating to the ...
Statuary Marble, Carrara Marble
Antique French Giltwood Figural Cathedral Floor Lamps, a Pair
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Antique French giltwood figural Cathedral floor lamps - a pair.
Marble
Grand Tour Patinated Metal Bowl after Hildesheim Depicting the Infant Hercules
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Grand Tour Patinated Metal Bowl after the Hildesheim Silver Treasure Depicting the Infant Hercules, Circa 1900 Inspired by one of the most celebrated archaeological discoveries of t...
Metal
An Architectural Model of the Temple of Vespasian and Titus, Early 20th Century
Located in ARMADALE, VIC
An Architectural Model of the Temple of Vespasian and Titus, Early 20th Century Description: Features Corinthian style columns supporting a partial entablature, representing the rui...
Alabaster
$1,810
Venus de Milo in bronze
Located in 'S-HERTOGENBOSCH, NL
Bronze venus de Milo, dark patinated, stamped by the renowned foundry Compagnie Anonyme des Bronzes de Bruxelles. The sculpture is a beautiful Grand Tour object!
Bronze
Hand Carved Antique Alabaster Sculpture / Statue of The Dying Gaul, Grand Tour
Located in Lisse, NL
Handcarved and remarkable work of art of the 'Dying Gaul’ or 'The Dying Galatian'. If you are a collector of rare and good quality antiques then this rare and wonderfully hand carve...
Alabaster
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