Maximilien Misson (1650?-1722), a traveler and author of Nouveau Voyage d'Italie (La Haye, 1702) was born in France. In 1687 and 1688, he made the "Grand Tour," traveling to Italy by way of Rotterdam, Cologne, Nuremburg, Munich, and Insspruck. The result was Nouveau Voyage d'Italie, which was first published in 1691. It soon became an essential text for travelers in the 18th century and remained a standard handbook for more than 50 years. Translations rapidly appeared in English, Dutch, and German.

The English essayist Joseph Addison, whose "Remarks on Several Parts of Italy" (1705) appeared as a supplement in later editions of Nouveau Voyage d'Italie, relied on Misson during his own continental travels. Addison praised Misson for the accuracy and liveliness of his accounts.