"In March 1882, the writer Paul Rée travelled to Rome to join a community of free spirits. There, he met the 21-year-old Lou Salomé, who was travelling with her mother following the death of her father, Gustav von Salomé, an ennobled Russian general. Nietzsche rejoined them in April, after three weeks in Messina, Sicily. Nietzsche and Salomé first met, of all places, in the grandeur of St Peter's Basilica. Nietzsche was captivated by her charm and intelligence, and enjoyed reading to her and Rée from his newly published Gay Science."
"The then 37-year-old Nietzsche asked Rée to deliver a marriage proposal to Salomé, without knowing that Rée had himself proposed to her. Salomé rejected both proposals, suggesting instead that she, Rée, and Nietzsche form a platonic "intellectual trinity" and wander in search of some monastery or other edifice in which to establish a commune of free spirits. On 5 May, Salomé and Nietzsche ascended Monte Sacro, with its romantic views over Lake Orta and San Giulio Island. Nietzsche described this pilgrimage of sorts as "the most exquisite dream of my life"."
"Later, he wrote to Salomé, "Back at Orta, I conceived a plan of leading you step by step to the final consequence of my philosophy -you as the first person I took to be fit for this." He proposed to her a second time in Lucerne's Löwengarten. Later that day, they had their photograph taken with the reluctant Rée in a photographer's shop. This photograph (below), with Salomé brandishing a whip, is almost certainly the most famous picture in all philosophy."
"When Salomé and Rée suddenly walked out of his life, he became suicidal."
In 1882, Nietzsche met Lou Salomé in Rome while she traveled with her mother after her father’s death. Paul Rée joined them after traveling to Rome to meet a community of free spirits. Nietzsche and Salomé first connected in St Peter’s Basilica, where he was captivated by her intelligence and charm and read to her and Rée from his newly published Gay Science. Nietzsche asked Rée to propose to Salomé, but she rejected both proposals and suggested a platonic “intellectual trinity.” They planned a commune of free spirits, took a pilgrimage on Monte Sacro, and Nietzsche later proposed again in Lucerne. A famous photograph was taken with Rée present. When Salomé and Rée suddenly walked out of his life, Nietzsche became suicidal.
Read at Psychology Today
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