From Landscapes to Sensescapes: Representations of Spain in Some Fin-de-Siècle Cycling Narratives

Conférence de Pere Gifra-Adroher (Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona)

This presentation examines the transformation in the perception of Spain in travel writing at the close of the nineteenth century, prompted by the advent of the bicycle as a novel mode of mobility. Utilizing Peter Cox’s recent theoretical framework of “velomobility” and the concept of “sensescape”, the focus is on how authors of various British and American cycling narratives engaged with the Spanish landscape in a manner that transcended the picturesque. This engagement not only enriched traditional experiences of the local scenery but also emphasized sounds, smells, and other sensory phenomena.