ABSTRACT
Modernity could take the most diverse forms, the Wallachian boyar Dinicu Golescu (1774–1830) observed almost two centuries ago, in the course of one of his journeys through Europe (1824–1826). The towns of Transylvania, Hungary, and Austria never ceased to provide him with occasions for wonder, with the result that his record of his travels is not just a captivating description of the places he visited but also a study of the most varied human emotions. At Trieste, the great maritime entrepôt of the Habsburg Empire, the boyar’s admiration was at its peak. As he wandered the streets of the famous Adriatic port, he found himself surrounded by a reality so remarkable that “it is no good hearing it described, it has to be seen.” “The beauty of the streets, the lines of the houses, the edges of the sea full of boats, the hills with vegetable gardens and vineyards” 1 were just a few of the most picturesque images of this town animated by a huge entrepreneurial energy.
