Nerval, Nodier and Francesco Colonna The book, the journey, the madness

In 1844, Nerval discovers the last tale written by Nodier, Franciscus Columna. This text is thus used to serve his own reading of Francesco Colonna Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, published in Venice in 1499. This paper aims at analysing the role of these two sources in the genesis of Nerval’s Voyage en Orient, whose beginnings can be traced back to 1844. Our study shows in which way the interlacing of those texts allows us to understand the meaning of the links established between books, travels and madness in Nerval’s poetics.