In 1775 Johan Meerman (1753–1815) undertook a Grand Tour of Italy. On the way back to Holland, he set out from Naples, then considered by Grand Tourists as the southernmost stop on their journey, and travelled north through Florence, Bologna and Ferrara. In the spring of 1776 Meerman concluded his itinerary in Venice, by exploring the city and all its famous buildings, churches and art collections. Moreover he witnessed the feast of the Ascension (or Sensa), one of the most famous celebrations in the city, eagerly anticipated by citizens and travellers alike.

The paper investigates Meerman’s visit to Venice and puts it in a wider cultural and art-historical context, examining in particular his Journaal van een reis van Johan Meerman door Engeland, Frankrijk, Zwitserland, Italië, Oostenrijk en Zuid-Duitschland, an unpublished manuscript travel journal, whose edition is currently under preparation.