Nikolai Gogol, originally from the Poltava province, first visited Rome in March 1837. Like Alexander Pushkin, he dreamed of Italy and wrote about it without ever seeing it. However, unlike Pushkin, Gogol managed to realize his dream and visit this country.

At that time, Rome was not a great capital of culture and art, but a church state, a papal territory. Despite its shabby appearance, which Europe looked down upon, just as Petersburg at that time looked down on Ukraine, Rome delighted Gogol and reminded him of his homeland.

The writer lived in Rome from 1837 to 1847, settling in furnished rooms with Giovanni Mazucchi on Strada Felice, 126, now Via Sistina, 125, near the Triton Fountain. The name of the street translates from Italian as "happy street."

A commemorative plaque from 1901 is installed on the house where Gogol lived. Here he began working on another masterpiece, standing at a desk by the window and looking at the statue of the Madonna, striving to lead Russia out of Hell and into Dante's Paradise.

In this house, Gogol wrote his favorite work, the poem "Dead Souls," in the company of talented compatriots: poet Nikolai Yazykov, writers and critics Vasily Panov, Fyodor Chizhov, Pavel Annenkov, historians and publishers Stepan Shevyrev and Mikhail Pogodin. Among Gogol's guests were poet Vasily Zhukovsky, artists Alexander Ivanov, Fyodor Jordan, and other "Russian Romans."

Rome conquers gradually, but forever. All of Europe is meant for contemplation, while Italy is for living.

In a letter to a friend, Gogol described how to find his Roman house: "From Piazza di Spagna, go up the stairs and turn right. To the right, there will be two streets; take the second one; this street will lead you to Piazza Barberini." In the center is the Triton Fountain.

The Roman aqueducts and the delicious water from them are known worldwide. Nikolai Vasilyevich often poured a pitcher or two straight from the fountain, quenching his thirst while working on texts.

The Spanish Steps are just a stone's throw away. Gogol overcame 138 steps and hurried to write at Caffe Greco, which was not yet the luxurious old coffee house but a simple trattoria. Later, upon returning to Russia, he would become one of the main promoters of Italian cuisine, famous for being able to eat four plates of spaghetti in one sitting.

Abroad, Gogol faced financial difficulties and had to seek help from the emperor. Nicholas I allocated him a grant of 500 chervonets, a significant sum for those times. With this money, "Dead Souls" was completed in Rome, which was first read in the salon of Princess Zinaida Volkonskaya in the luxurious Palazzo Poli, adjacent to the Trevi Fountain. The princess rented part of the palace, but nearby she had her own villa. Creative circles often gathered at Volkonskaya's, with guests including Zhukovsky, Gogol, Bryullov, Vyazemsky, and Glinka.

Gogol also began writing a story about Rome but did not finish it; only fragments of it have survived to this day.