ABSTRACT
When Johann Wolfgang von Goethe stole away from Weimar in September of 1786, he had been secretly out of sorts for some time. The restless wanderer had become a sedate minister and respected educator. In February of 1787, Goethe left Rome to travel around Italy. He was fascinated by Naples, climbed Vesuvius, and increased his knowledge of geology and botany. In Sicily, he believed he had found the key to the ancient world. On 7 June, Goethe returned to Rome and began to work even more intensively. In his notes for his Italian Journey, he wrote of "a true new birth" that was "changing within and without" and "continues to work". Goethe busied himself with his earlier writings, which had been forwarded to him in Rome, underscoring the autobiographical nature of their contents. His poetical work once again made it possible for him to validate himself and to process the events that were assailing him.
