A message from the Director of the Keats-Shelley House, Ella Kilgallon

Welcome to the Keats-Shelley House in Rome

 

The Keats-Shelley House is a museum and library dedicated to the second-generation English Romantic poets who lived in, and were inspired by, Italy. The House was the final residence of John Keats, one of the most celebrated poets in the English language. It was here that Keats and his friend, the artist Joseph Severn, rented rooms in 1820-21.

 

Keats died in Rome in 1821 from tuberculosis and within a few decades the House became a place of pilgrimage for lovers of poetry and admirers of the Romantics. The building was saved from demolition by the Anglo-American community and was officially opened to the public in 1909. The museum now houses a significant library of second-generation Romantic poetry and criticism, as well as a unique collection of artworks and relics related to John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Lord Byron, Joseph Severn, Mary Shelley and their circle. We continue to develop the collection and regularly make new acquisitions that contribute to the history of the House.

 

The House and its collection continue to inspire visitors from around the world who come to stand in the bedroom where Keats died, take in the unchanged view of Piazza di Spagna, and feel moved by the generations of artists who have walked these floors. Today, the museum is a place of creativity and learning, welcoming over 400 school groups a year, as well as hosting contemporary exhibitions, poetry readings, and workshops.

 

The Keats-Shelley House is maintained by the Keats-Shelley Memorial Association a registered UK Charity. If you would like to make a donation please follow this link or alternatively become a Friend of the Keats-Shelley Association. Thank you for your generosity.

Ella Kilgallon, Curator