Medieval travel

Author: Jean Verdon
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: The author, Jean Verdon, is a professor of medieval history at the University of Limoges. With delicate penwork, he presents the nuances of medieval travel to readers, covering the methods, mindset, sights, and experiences of travelers in the Middle Ages. The way medieval people traveled, their attitudes during journeys, and their observations and feelings will captivate readers. Using simple and accessible language, along with detailed examples and engaging travel stories, the author allows readers to understand medieval society and culture through enjoyable reading. There is a notion that a stagnant Middle Ages lay between ancient Ulysses (the legendary Greek king and hero of the Trojan War) and the great explorers of the Renaissance. Jean Verdon has changed this perception with vivid examples and illustrative documents. Jean Verdon paints a broad world, from farmers whose horizons didn’t extend beyond their own parish, market, mill, or the nearest town, to "travelers," and then to great explorers like Marco Polo (who traveled to Asia and Black Africa) and Ibn Battuta, as well as those who traveled in fantasy worlds. He writes about all kinds of people. The individuals he depicts in this vast world were not limited to pilgrimages and the Crusades in their activities.