After the fall of Napoleon, Stendhal set off to explore Italy in 1816–17: from his beloved Milan to Bologna, from Florence to Rome and then on to Naples, Paestum and Crotone before heading back north again. His diary, published in 1826, is peppered with endless observations, piercing judgements, unique tales and anecdotes as well as dialogue caught on the fly, lightning-fast analyses that touch upon all spheres of life, from politics to religion, from customs to art, from theatre to daily routines, from major historical events to love affairs. As Carlo Levi writes in the preface: Italy is 'invented, and therefore absolutely true: true then, as the author saw it, and true today, and always'. This edition includes a new photographic portfolio by Delfino Sisto Legnani that investigates the Italia in Miniatura, a theme park which serves as an abridged geography of the Italian nation.