Following his release from Reading Gaol in May 1897, Oscar Wilde was poverty stricken and in disgrace. After roaming Europe, he arrived in Taormina, Sicily.

The plan: Dodge the awful February vibe in England (not least the dreary weather) and embrace the sexy idea of working from ‘home’ in another, warmer country. Getting away from the log-burning stove, the sacks of coal, the splintery logs, and the all-round miserable feeling that the dark and dank second month of the year unfailingly engenders.