About the show

The Grand Tour of Europe was, for two hundred years, one of the most exciting, swashbuckling experiences to be had: a rite of passage for young gentlemen in their late teens and early twenties, a ‘gap year’ education and a rollicking good time. The Grand Tourists took to it in droves, with 3,760 Englishmen descending on Paris in just one six-week period in 1787.

Loosely following in the footsteps of the most notorious – and inspired - Grand Tourists, Kevin McCloud clambers in, on and amongst the greatest ruins, buildings and cities in Europe and also veers off the official path to visit the brothels, bathhouses, gambling and drinking dens which formed the other half of the Continental experience.

He drives a Fiat 500, takes the train, bus and boat, hikes and horse rides from city to city in pursuit of the experiences and wonders that awaited the early visitors.

He also takes in the architectural marvels of Paris, Genoa, Vicenza, Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples and Athens, looking at the works of Brunelleschi, Michaelangelo and Palladio. And he visits the subterranean attractions that were being discovered: the caves of Antiparos, the excavations at Herculaneum and Pompeii – a city that was as shocking for its carnal revelations as its colourful decoration.

From the haute couture of Paris to the sights, smells and sexual allure of Italy, the majesty of Greek ruins and the raw, natural power of alpine scenery that inspired the Romantic movement, Kevin describes the experiences of the Grand Tourists. He explains how the ideas they brought back influenced British town planning, our attitudes to public space, how our public buildings and private houses came to look and how iconic structures like St Paul’s Cathedral were conceived.