eArs

Milan and Stendhal, A Double Portrait

History EN ↓ 3 episodes

At the start of the 19th century, Milan is a vibrant, restless city swept by winds of change. It is here that Stendhal, the French writer enamored with Italy, moves through the streets—an ironic and passionate observer. This podcast recounts his walks through Milan: real or imagined encounters with historical figures such as Metilde Dembowski, Silvio Pellico, and Alessandro Manzoni. But it is also a sentimental guide to the city's iconic landmarks—the Duomo, Brera, San Fedele—seen through the eyes of an era suspended between the fall of Napoleon and the dawn of the Italian Risorgimento. A jour...

Author

eArs

Episodes

Milan and Stendhal, A Double Portrait. Itinerary 3: Alessandro Manzoni 12.09.2025 11:42

Milan and Stendhal, A Double Portrait. Itinerary 3: Alessandro Manzoni 1821. Napoleon has died on Saint Helena. In Milan, the Brera Academy is preparing to exhibit a painting by what is perhaps the best-known of the Romantic painters. Meanwhile, in Piazzetta San Fedele, Stendhal meets a certain Don Lisander—but you might know him as Alessandro Manzoni.

Milan and Stendhal, A Double Portrait. Itinerary 2: Silvio Pellico 12.09.2025 12:15

Milan and Stendhal, A Double Portrait. Itinerary 2: Silvio Pellico It’s still 1818, and along what is now known as Via Alessandro Manzoni, a writer walks at a brisk pace—someone destined to become a symbol of Italian patriotism. In his hands, he holds a magazine with pale blue pages: Il Conciliatore.

Milan and Stendhal, A Double Portrait. Itinerary 1: Metilde Viscontini Dembowski 12.09.2025 12:07

Milan and Stendhal, A Double Portrait. Itinerary 1: Metilde Viscontini Dembowski 1818. Stendhal walks with us toward the Duomo, through a Milan that has abruptly woken from the dream of Napoleon Bonaparte. With him is a courageous woman, closely linked to the city’s patriotic circles—someone for whom he feels a deepinfatuation: Metilde Viscontini Dembowski.