Charles Dickens (Portsmouth, 1812 - Gad’s Hill, Kent, 1870) was one of the most important English novelists in the last two centuries.

After moving to London as a child in 1822, he first worked in a law firm and then as a journalist.
He wrote "The Pickwick Papers" and "Oliver Twist" (1837-1839), which were an immediate success in England and launched his spectacular literary career.
A famous novelist by 1841, he travelled to America and then, two years later, published the most famous story ever to be written about Christmas, "A Christmas Carol".
In 1844 he went to Italy and lived in Genoa for two years, taking the opportunity to visit many of the most beautiful cities in Italy as part of the classic Grand Tour. His memories of this period are contained in his book Pictures from Italy (1844-45).

Dickens saw Venice as a dreamlike city, describing it as an “Italian dream”, a balance of East and West, with an impressive monumental heritage, yet at the same time so decadent that it confused the senses.

1800 - 2000 - - rev. 0.1.5