In January 1834, Nerval's maternal grandfather died and he inherited around 30,000 francs. That fall, he headed to southern France, then traveled to Florence, Rome and Naples. On his return in 1835, he moved in with a group of Romantic artists (including ). In May of that year, he created "Le Monde Dramatique," a luxurious literary journal on which he squandered his inheritance. Debt-ridden, he finally sold it in 1836. Getting his start in journalism, he traveled to Belgium with Gautier from July to September.