Meshullam da Volterra
Von der Toskana in den Orient
Ein Renaissance-Kaufmann auf Reisen
Aus dem Hebräischen übersetzt, kommentiert und eingeleitet von Daniel Jütte
1. Edition 2012
152 pages
ISBN 978-3-647-30035-1
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
PDF eBook
| Book | 19,95 € |
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The travelogue of Meshullam da Volterra reveals to the reader the days of the Renaissance, a fascinating picture of the world of the Near East and its magnificent cities.
“How manifold are the depths of God´s benevolence toward us! And you, sirs, should know all the dangers that exist on the path to Cairo and beyond even to Gaza and how one must proceed. And you should know what every man must beware of when travelling this path. All this I wish to present briefly.”
In 1481 Meshullam da Volterra, a banker and dealer in rare jewels, a reputable Jew from Italy, took off for an adventurous trip to the Near East. On the road for over 6 months, he travelled to many cities such as Alexandria, Cairo, Jerusalem and Damascus. He vividly describes not only the mores and practices of the respective location, he also notes all the dramatic situations he faced during his travels – sea battles, attacks by pirates, shipwrecks, blood-thirsty Beduins. His notes are complemented by numerous illustrations and a map from the era, which make this volume an ideal gift for history lovers.
This is one of the most important historical travelogues to emerge from the era, which Daniel Jütte has translated, edited and commented on for the first time in German. It can easily be compared to the famous writings of Marco Polo.