Mariana Starke (c.1762–1838) published this work in 1802, launching her career as a travel writer. Volume 2 contains nine beautifully written letters which evaluate the cultural attractions of the cities of Rome, Naples, Pompeii, Florence, Bologna, and Venice and the cities' surrounding countryside. The guide gives detailed information on the climate, dialects, population, geography and medical facilities of each city. A supplement offers advice on visiting the major cities of France and using the main transport links between them. The work quickly became popular as it took into account the increasing trend for less affluent families to travel abroad. Starke offers a wealth of advice on affordable food, accommodation, transport and entertainment; her famous rating system, employing exclamation marks to signify the quality of a cultural site, was the precursor of the modern-day system of star-rating. It is a classic of nineteenth-century travel writing.
