During the first half of the XX century, some Italian women tourists reached Finland; only one of them visited the country to the far north, while the others were only in the capital city, Helsinki, for a cruise stopover. However, their travels go beyond any touristic aim, and their travelogues disclose the unlikely and fascinating characteristics of their remote destination.

Two of these travelogues develop the narrative on two levels: a descriptive one, providing objective information; and a discursive one, which accompanies their itineraries, revealing a welcoming country and an unspoiled nature. Both authors associate the two narrative levels with photographs of a distant, and almost unknown, Finland. These images show, on the one hand, a rapidly developing nation; on the other, they make the readers comfortable in what was still considered an undisclosed part of Europe.

Albeit the narrative maintains its predominant role, stimulating curiosity and creating an emotional complicity with the readers, the photographs play a crucial role in confirming and reinforcing the written word, providing an effective support to the readers’ imagination.