Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Why did George Berkeley spend several years traveling in Italy?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
George Berkeley
George Berkeley, detail of an oil painting by John Smibert, c. 1732; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
George Berkeley spent several years in Italy between 1716 and 1720 while serving as a tutor to George Ashe, the son of the bishop of Clogher (who later became the bishop of Derry). During this period abroad, Berkeley documented his experiences in four travel diaries, which provide detailed accounts of his sightseeing in Rome and his various tours throughout southern Italy.1