Keats-Shelley Memorial House

The Keats-Shelley Memorial House, located at number 26 Piazza di Spagna in Rome, is a museum dedicated to the English Romantic poets John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley, as well as other important authors of the period. This 18th-century building, located at the foot of the famous Spanish Steps, is particularly known for being the last residence of John Keats, who stayed there from November 1820 until his death in February 1821 due to tuberculosis. The building was purchased in 1906 by an Anglo-American group, led by Theodore Roosevelt, to save it from demolition and turn it into a museum. In 1909, the house was officially opened to the public and has since attracted visitors from around the world, becoming a pilgrimage site for lovers of Romantic poetry. The Keats-Shelley House houses an impressive collection of memorabilia, letters, manuscripts, and paintings related to Keats, Shelley, and other poets and writers such as Lord Byron, Mary Shelley, Oscar Wilde, and Robert Browning. One of the most fascinating features of the house is Keats’ bedroom, which has been preserved as a sanctuary to the poet’s memory. Visitors can still admire the view from the room’s window, which Keats looked out of in the last months of his life, hoping that Rome’s mild climate could improve his health. The museum also has a library with over 8,000 volumes, many of which are first editions of works by Romantic poets. The collection has been carefully curated by Harry Nelson Gay, an American historian passionate about Romantic literature, who spent many years selecting and gathering these precious books. The location of the house, just a few steps from the Spagna metro station, makes the museum easily accessible. The area around Piazza di Spagna is historically significant, having been a meeting point for artists, writers, and foreign travelers since the 19th century. Near the museum is the famous Caffè Greco, another historic place frequented by many artists and intellectuals of the time, including Keats himself. During World War II, the Keats-Shelley House witnessed a tumultuous period, but managed to keep its collection intact thanks to the efforts of the Anglo-American community that supported it. Today, the museum is managed by the Keats-Shelley Memorial Association, a registered charity in the UK, which continues to raise funds for the maintenance and enrichment of the collections.