The Sinner's Grand Tour: A Journey Through the Historical Underbelly of Europe

Sex and travel have always been intertwined, and never more so than on the classic Grand Tour of Europe in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Today the Continent is still littered with salacious remnants of that golden age, where secret boudoirs, notorious dungeons, and forbidden artifacts lured travelers all the way from London to Capri.

In The Sinner's Grand Tour, celebrated historian and travel writer Tony Perrottet sets off to discover a string of legendary sites and relics that are still kept far from public view. In southern France, an ancient text leads him inside the château of the Marquis de Sade, now owned by fashion icon Pierre Cardin. In Paris, an 1883 prostitute guide helps him discover the Belle Époque fantasy brothel Le Chabanais and the lost "sex chair" of King Edward VII. Renaissance documents in the Vatican Secret Archives point the way to the Pope's very own apartments in Vatican City, wherein lies the fabled Stufetta del Bibbiena, a pornography-covered bathroom painted by Raphael in 1516.

With his unique blend of original research, sharp wit, and hilarious anecdotes, Perrottet brings us a romping travel adventure through the scandalous backrooms of historical Europe.

Author: Tony Perrottet
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
Published: 05/10/2011
Pages: 304
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.60lbs
Size: 7.90h x 5.20w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9780307592187

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 03/14/2011
Library Journal 04/15/2011 pg. 104
Booklist 04/15/2011 pg. 17
Kirkus Reviews 04/01/2011
New York Times Book Review 06/05/2011 pg. 20

About the Author
TONY PERROTTET is the author of four previous books: Off the Deep End, Pagan Holiday, The Naked Olympics, and Napoleon's Privates. He lives in New York City.