Touring in 1600: A Study in the Development of Travel as a Means of Education

In the early seventeenth century, travel began to be seen not just as a means of commerce or pilgrimage but as a form of education. This study follows the first wave of curious tourists who set out to observe, record, and learn from the diverse landscapes and cultures they encountered. By weaving together contemporary accounts with vivid illustrations, the work paints a picture of a world just beginning to open up to systematic exploration.

The book examines a wide array of sources—maps of Venice that ignore scale, detailed sketches of locks between Italian cities, and lively woodcuts of market stalls, mountebanks, and public executions. Readers hear the voices of travelers describing the cheapest routes, the perils of northern seas, and the spiritual draw of sites like Montserrat and Jerusalem. Each image and excerpt reveals how early tourists interpreted foreign customs, geography, and architecture, turning observation into a structured body of knowledge.

Presented in a clear, engaging narrative, the volume offers listeners a window into the mindset of the first modern tourists, showing how their journeys laid the groundwork for travel as a disciplined pursuit of learning.