European "tourism" had its beginnings in the pilgrimages of the middle ages. For the noble, this would be a relaxing getaway from the work of, uhh, relaxing at home, undertaken with horses and supplies and an entourage of servants. For the peasant, this may be his only trip out of the small manor property on which he was born, undertaken on foot with the hope that God would provide along the route. Their destination? Anyplace deemed holy enough to warrant the trip. Churches and cathedrals housing important relics were at the top of the list. Medieval pilgrims would spend some time at the holy place in prayer and contemplation, buy a souvenir (the souvenir industry had it's beginnings around the holy sites of Europe) to prove to the folks back at home they were there, and quickly head back home to get back to work (or further relaxing).
Above: Medieval pilgrim. No bus. No train.
Fast forward to the mid-1600's, and a new fad begins sweeping the continent - "The Grand Tour". The fairly new Protestant sects place little value in relics, and therefore pilgrimages, but they're looking for an excuse to travel anyway. So, what new purpose did they come up with? Education. That's right - a big field trip.
The Grand Tour of old was an educational rite of passage for the well-to-do, especially the British upper class. It exposed these young people to great works of architecture and art, music, culture, and food. The tour was often led by a cicerone (a knowledgeable guide or tutor), and would last from several months to several years. Think about how much that would cost today! Obviously, the value of the experience outweighed the cost.
Above: Grand Tourists of the 1770's check out the art in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.
Our trip, though considerably shorter than the one the men in the painting above undertook, will take us, with the assistance of modern highways and a modern coach, to many of the places that were must-sees on the traditional Grand Tour - Bruges, Paris, Vienna, Venice, Florence, plus a lot more. It's time to get excited!
Craig Bresett
