I am offering a collection of three rare Baedeker travel guides to Italy from the pre-World War I period (1906–1912). This exceptional collection comprises three original, English-language Baedeker guides—the quintessential travel bibles from the "Golden Age" of travel literature. All three were published shortly before the First World War and offer a fascinating glimpse into Italy at the turn of the century. • Baedeker's "Northern Italy" (13th remodelled edition, 1906): Describes regions such as Piedmont, Liguria, Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, and Tuscany, as well as routes through Switzerland and Austria. • Baedeker's "Central Italy and Rome" (15th revised edition, 1909): Focuses on the heart of Italy and offers detailed itineraries and descriptions of Rome, Lazio, and Umbria. • Baedeker's "Southern Italy and Sicily" (16th revised edition, 1912): Expands the scope to include the Mezzogiorno and features excursions to the Aeolian Islands, Malta, Sardinia, Tunis, and Corfu. Special features and • Historical significance: These volumes are highly sought after by collectors, historians, and bibliophiles, as they represent the pinnacle of Baedeker's influence and offer a precise and well-researched snapshot of travel conditions, society, and art history in Italy over a century ago. • Detailed itineraries and practical information: Baedeker's guidebooks revolutionized travel with concise, factual, and logically structured information specifically tailored to the independent, middle-class traveler. They include practical details on train journeys, hotels, restaurants, and museum opening hours, which are invaluable to social history enthusiasts. • Exceptional Cartography: These guidebooks are renowned for their high-quality, detailed maps and city plans, created by the celebrated cartographers Wagner & Debes. These elaborate fold-out maps are considered the finest of their kind and are highly sought-after collector's items. Expert Knowledge of Art and Culture: Featuring expert contributions on art history and detailed descriptions of historical sites and galleries, these handbooks guided travelers' artistic tastes and provided a comprehensive cultural context for Grand Tour enthusiasts of the era. Authentic, • Excellent Vintage Condition: With their characteristic handy format, red linen bindings, and gold embossing, these books exhibit an authentic patina that further enhances their collector's value. This complete set offers a unique opportunity to own a tangible piece of travel history and trace the development of tourism across the Italian peninsula in the early 20th century. • Defects List: Northern Italy: A small, unobtrusive pencil note on the first page and faded ink on the endpaper. (See photos.) The front map of "Alta Italia Parte Occidentale" has a tear where it is bound in. The map itself is complete. (See photos.) Page 391, as well as pages 455-458, including the map of Florence, have come loose from the binding. The unprinted margins are very creased, and the map has several tears along the folds. The map itself is complete. (See photos.) The map of "Alta Italia Parte Orientale," bound in at the end, has a large diagonal tear where it is bound in, one tear almost in the center of the map, and a longer tear along a fold. The map itself is complete. (See photos.) Central Italy and Rome: A small antiquarian bookmark on the inside of the cover. There are some unobtrusive pencil notes on the first few pages, including one in ink in the margin and a very faint, longer pencil note on the blank back of the overview map of "Italia Centrale." This map has a tear where it is bound. The map itself is complete. (See photos) Southern Italy and Sicily: Several notes in pencil and ink on the front pages and endpapers. The map of Italia Meridionale has a diagonal tear where it is bound and a tear parallel to a map fold. The map has creases on one side along the outer edge. The map itself is complete. (See photos) The city map of Naples has creases along the outer edge. The map of Sicily at the back also has a diagonal tear where it is bound. The map itself is complete. (See photos) The last two pages of the index appear to have been gnawed at the bottom unprinted area (woodworm???). This continues on the last two pages of the book along the edge of the Carta Ferroviaria D’Italia. There are also a few pencil notes on the unprinted reverse side of this map. (See photos) Northern Italy comprises 64 pages of introduction and 592 pages of main text, supplemented by 30 maps, 40 plans and a panorama. Central Italy comprises 82 pages of introduction, 527 pages of main text, and a 23-page appendix with a street index and maps of Rome and a Panorama. Southern Italy has 56 pages of introduction and 508 pages of main text, containing exactly 30 maps and 34 plans and a Panorama.