Perceptions of Catholicism in three travelogues about Italy: Comparative reflections on Goethe's Italienische Reise , Dickens' Pictures from Italy , and Kang Youwei's Yidali youji

Abstract In this article, I analyze Goethe's Italienische Reise , Dickens' Pictures from Italy , and Kang Youwei's Yidali youji , three travelogues about Italy published by a German, an Englishman, and a Chinese within the span of less than a century, even if they reflect journeys made in the late 18th, mid‐19th, and early 20th centuries, respectively. In particular, I focus on the perceptions and constructions of Italian Catholicism found in all works, analyzing common observations while also being attentive to important differences. I argue that, despite moments of sympathy displayed toward Catholicism that are grounded in each author's idiosyncratic religiosity, all agree that Catholicism bears responsibility for Italy's material underdevelopment and hinders the advancement of crucial modern values. While all believe that pre‐modern religious values should continue to inspire the modern age, they agree in their ultimately negative assessment of Catholicism's ability to offer a religiosity suited for the modern era.