Keats-Shelley Memorial House

Keats-Shelley Memorial House review Rate it

The house at the bottom of the Spanish Steps where the 25-year-old John Keats died of tuberculosis in 1821 is crammed with mementos. A lock of Keats' hair and his death mask, a minuscule urn holding tiny pieces of Shelley's charred skeleton, copies of documents and letters, and a massive library make this a Romantics enthusiast's paradise. Bring a box of tissues: even the hardest-hearted can be moved to tears by the sight of manuscripts written by consumptive poets with shaky hands. Devotees should also make the pilgrimage to the Cimitero acattolico (Protestant Cemetery) where both Keats and Shelley are buried. The apartment above the Keats-Shelley House can be rented for holidays (+44 (0)1628 825 925/bookings@landmarktrust.org.uk).