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Abstract

This chapter raises the topic of a geopsychic dialogue, as exemplified in the corpus of entries in alba amicorum from the second half of the eighteenth century, gathered in the collection of the Wrocław University Library. Alba amicorum (also known as “books of friendship”, “friendship books” or “authograph books”) were books in a relatively small format, usually consisting of white, bound pages, providing a space where respected figures, family, friends and acquaintances could leave a token of respect or affection for the owner. These booklets were particularly popular among student circles, providing a rich source of knowledge on both the pragmatics of student life of the period but also the perception of pieces of art and architecture, either encountered while on a journey or left behind in one’s hometown. The discussed depictions encompass a view of an academic centre, a cityscape, Catholic and Protestant churches, an inn, garden monuments, and an amateur copy of a painting, attributed by its author to Correggio himself. I investigate the intersection of the phenomenon of the eighteenth century travel and its motivation, and attitudes to travel destinations as well as homelands. Focusing on both the textual layer of the entries, and the pieces of art and architecture depicted, often based on graphic models, I uncover the experiential layer implied in Memoriae causa scripsit. The analysis shows a multilayered web of relations indexing particular attitudes involved in being away from one’s dwelling: from academic peregrinations to leisure excursions.