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Why did John Keats travel to Rome in 1820?
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John Keats
John Keats, drawing by Joseph Severn, 19th century.
John Keats traveled to Rome in 1820 because he was suffering from tuberculosis, a condition that had become clearly evident by the beginning of that year. As his health declined, he was ordered by his physicians to travel south for the winter in hopes that a warmer climate might improve his condition. Accompanied by his friend Joseph Severn, Keats sailed to Italy in September 1820, eventually settling in Rome, where he passed away in February 1821.123