Turner's itinerary, 1659-1662.

Marlborough, Wiltshire : Adam Matthew Digital, 2009.

1 online resource : maps (black and white), plans (black and white).

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The manuscript has copies of both the narrative of the journey of Turner and the maps made by him. There is a long account of travel through France via Rouen, Paris, Orleans, the Loire, Tours, Bordeaux, Poitiers, and Lyons, and then to Geneva before returning to Avignon and Marseilles. Turner then sailed to Italy, landing at Genoa and continuing through Florence, Rome (where he visited many churches not on the usual tourist itinerary, as well as the catacombs), Bologna, Milan, Venice, and Turin. He crossed through France and continued on to Brussels, Antwerp, Amsterdam, etc. before sailing back to England. His narrative discusses both large cities and small towns en route and describes the physical situations, geography, and fortification of cities. He also gives notes on monuments, buildings (especially churches), gardens, roads, antiquities, curiosities, works of art, etc. The author is Thomas Turner of Westley Hall in Cambridgeshire, who married Cecilia Chester, the daughter of Sir Samuel Edward Chester. Her family pedigree is found at the beginning of the manuscript. Nothing else is known about Turner, although his focus on fortifications (and his drawings of them) suggest that he is a solider. His comments on churches and their contents suggest that he is possibly a Catholic.

Grand tour.

Books / Online

English

October 25, 2023

Grand tours (Education) > History > 17th century.

Itineraries

Adam Matthew Digital (Firm), digitiser.