Journeys and discovery in seventeenth-century Italian prose romances

Abstract

The journey is considered in seventeenth-century Italian prose romances with particular reference to those by Biondi, Mancini, Manzini, Marini and Sale. In the light of the emphasis given to the voyage topos it seems that a traditional figure is undergoing transformation. As well as serving to introduce variety while ensuring the continuation of the action, the journey is being recognised as a means of facilitating the exchanges that mirror social reality; this in turn lends itself to the development of characterization. The journey in seventeenth-century prose romances has pointed the way to new discoveries in narration.