What was it like to travel in the Early Modern Period?
The journal of Samuel Kiechel (1563-1619) offers unique insights and descriptions from a rather unusual traveller. Kiechel journeyed from 1585 to 1589 through Europe and the Levant. The distinctiveness of his journey came from his mode of travel and also from his choice of destinations. Unlike his contemporaries, he not only visited popular destinations like Venice, Rome, and Jerusalem but also explored Livonia, Sweden, England, Sicily, and Malta.
The Journey continues …
Visiting Early Modern Europe
The sixteenth century presented many challenges to adventurous travellers that are hard to imagine in our modern interconnected world. Movement was much slower, with fewer transportation options. The availability of accommodation and food was unreliable. Wars, banditry, and diseases were constant threats to a traveller’s well-being. It was a time of suspicion and mistrust, chaos and peril, but also of discovery and progress.
Some Background …
My name is Stefan, and I am a historian. This project is my ongoing effort to reconstruct the journey using maps, city views, paintings and illustrations from roughly the same period.