The Bravo is a novel by James Fenimore Cooper first published in 1831 in two volumes. Inspired by a trip to Europe where he traveled through much of Italy, the novel is set in Venice. The Bravo is the first of Cooper's three novels to be set in Europe.[1] This group of three novels, which one critic would call Cooper's "European trilogy", include The Heidenmauer and The Headsman.[2] Like his other novels set in Europe, The Bravo was not very well received in the United States.[3] The book largely focuses on political themes, especially the tension between the social elite and other classes.