Constantinople de Théophile Gautier et Edmondo De Amicis ou la ville ineffable

Abstract

In the 19th century, Théophile Gautier and Edmondo De Amicis were in vogue when they each wrote a text on the city of Constantinople. The two books, similar in their overall structure, aim to describe the city faithfully in its most exotic and unusual aspects. However, both writers face obstacles in the practice and knowledge of urban space. To overcome these obstacles, they use intertextuality, pictorial mediation and the use of the marvellous to better grasp and represent Constantinople.

Keywords

• representation
• intertextuality
• otherness
• Istanbul
• writing about the urban