Travels of Ecclesiastical Diplomats in the Early Modern Period

Prof. Dr. Alexander Koller

Among those who embarked on journeys in the early modern period, ecclesiastical diplomats (legates, nuncios, special papal envoys) constituted a significant proportion. What preparations had to be made in advance? Under what conditions did the journeys take place? The following aspects required particular consideration: size of the travelling entourage, nature of resources, chosen itinerary, state of the roads, means of transport, weather conditions, accommodation, provisions, security arrangements, ceremonial etc. What were the impressions the foreign liveworlds left on the travellers themselves? What observations did they record in the travel accounts about urban and rural areas, customs and mentalities, art and music? In what ways did religious factors affect the undertaking of the expedition and the perception of the places visited? These questions are addressed by a rich body of contemporary sources. The project examines more than 30 mostly unpublished travel reports by ecclesiastical diplomats and situates them in a broader cultural-historical context.

Prof. Dr. Alexander Koller
Deputy Director, Responsible for Early Modern History, Editor of the Series "Online-Schriften des DHI Rom. Neue Reihe | Pubblicazioni online del DHI Roma. Nuova serie"
Biography
Publications
+39 06 66049225
koller[at]dhi-roma.it

Publications related to the project

Santacroce auf der Reise nach Prag. Die Diarien des Pompeo Vizani von 1581 im Kontext vergleichbarer Reiseberichte. Text, Übersetzung, Kommentar, Wien: Böhlau 2025 (Quelleneditionen des Instituts für Österreichische Geschichtsforschung 23).

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