Scholars Mind

The Original Gap Year

The rise of hotels coincided with the rise of tourism—travel for leisure, instead of for migration or business. Historians trace the roots of modern tourism to the grand tours of the 17th and 18th centuries, in which young aristocrats would travel across Europe as a rite of passage. Review a typical grand tourist itinerary, then discuss with your team: in what sense does this tradition continue today?

A nineteen-year-old leaves Dover with a tutor, a letter of credit and no fixed return date. Three days later he is in Paris; he will not see England for four years.

Key concepts

Rite of Passage
A journey or ordeal that marks the move from one stage of life to the next. You are meant to come back changed, and the change is what the group recognizes — which is why a tour of Europe could count as an education even when nothing was studied.

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Every work — at a glance

  • The Grand Tour (tradition)

    The years-long European circuit that turned travel into a coming-of-age ritual for the rich.

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What to know

  1. 01
    The tradition continues in its structures, not its name. The gap year, the study-abroad term, the interrailing summer and the backpacker's Europe all keep the original shape: a long trip wedged between school and adult life, taken partly for the story it lets you tell afterwards.

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Across subjects

It did not only look at art, it commissioned art. Departing Britons wanted proof of where they had been, so Canaletto painted crisp Venice views to order and

Theme connection

"Are We There Yet?"

Education, or a very long shopping trip? Young aristocrats did learn languages and see the art at its source. They also came home with crates of antiquities, tutors who had done the actual looking, and a story only money could buy. Both readings survive in the gap year.

Practice — a sample

SOCFor a young aristocrat, the Grand Tour is MOST like which modern rite?

  • A A hospital stay
  • B A daily commute
  • C A business trip
  • D A tax audit
  • E A gap year abroad

Sign in to answer and see why each option is right or wrong.

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