About

First published in 1855, this completely re-formatted edition of Doctor Antonio, published in the year of the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy, has over 75 original illustrations by a Ligurian based artist and an afterword introducing the Riviera of Giovanni Ruffini.

“I shall love you to my grave. But my country has claims on me prior to yours, [···] I must go and do my duty to my country!”

Stranded by a coach accident in a small Osteria on the Italian Riviera, Sir John Davenne and his beautiful, delicate daughter Lucy come to terms with this strange land, its people and their customs. Under the guidance of the mysterious Doctor Antonio they slowly grow to love the country and its people; even as it is being torn apart by the unification struggle. Reaching an explosive climax against the back drop of the uprisings of 1848, this tale of love and loss on the Riviera presents a rich tapestry of Ligurian life and English society in the mid nineteenth century.

Writing from exile in England, Ruffini combined a keen eye for the quirks and mores of the English aristocracy with an exile’s longing for his homeland. Both are drawn with skill and affection and he adds contemporary commentary on the many injustices of the age. Today it gives us a window into the past and is a wonderful example of classic writing from the golden age of Victorian fiction.