Abstract: Reading, taking notes, and the travel experiences of 1728-1729 enabled Montesquieu to gain a mastery of Italy and its culture. The study of how he worked, and the sources on Italy he used, reveals Montesquieu to have been not only an author but also a reader, collector, voyager, and “voiagiste”.
Keyword: Charles-Louis de Montesquieu, xviiie siècle, littérature française, littérature italienne, France, Italie, histoire du livre, histoire des bibliothèques, collectionneurs et collections, récits de voyages