15th century travel

[susibapi]

How would someone have travelled to see the beauty of Florence from Britain during the Renaissance?

[jno]

either overland through the Alps, which I think is what most people did (because they would want to see other places on the way) or by sea past Gibraltar. But I'm not sure this is something that very many people actually did; I'd be surprised if the number got much into three figures.

[heathfield]

I dunno, Jno. Think of the numbers that would have made a pilgrimage to Rome, and stopped off in Florence on the way.

[Lil O'lady]

Slowly and carefully?
Or in the pay of an army as a mercenary - although ending up at Florence was not guaranteed.

[saxy_jag]

If they were wealthy then they'd have probably done 'the grand tour', moving down through France and Austria and taking in all the cultural and fashionable stops on the way.

[jno]

depends exactly when you mean by 'Renaissance'. That era in Florence was actually rather violent and I'm not sure sensible pilgims would have stopped by to see if any fancy new cathedrals happened to be going up. The grand tour didn't really start in great numbers until the 1700s, which is too late for the Renaissance.

There would have been travellers from Britain, no doubt. I just don't think there were many.

[susibapi]

thanks for all your opinions. i now have something to start my project with!!