Tomasz, Michal, and Marcin Zamoyski’s Grand Tour from the turn of the 17th and 18th century

Abstract

In the second half of the 17th century travels of the Grand Tour type became very popular. Englishman Richard Lassels, as first, used designation the Great Travel (French Grand Tour). He named in this way journeys of countrymen to France, Italy, Netherlands and Germany. Trips of this kind combined educational aspects and cognitive advantages. Travelers was descended mainly from gentry and aristocracy, studied privately or at universities and went sightseeing many cities, and admired works of art and architecture. This type of traveling arose in Western Europe, particularly in England. Also in Poland journeys called Grand Tour won the recognition very quickly. Many representatives of Polish nobles and aristocracy sent their sons into abroad travels. The main purpose of this article is to describe a course of travel of three brothers, sons of Marcin Zamoyski, province governor of Lublin and treasurer of crown, and Anna Gnińska, in the end of 17th century and in the beginning of 18th century. After the death of father, the mother took care for upbringing of sons. Tomasz Józef, and younger brothers, Michał Zdzisław and Marcin Leopold Zamoyski set off in the year 1697 on the four-year journey. They traveled to Silesia, Czech, Austria, Germany, France, England, Netherlands and Italy. They studied in Prague, Paris and Ingolstadt, and visited Vienna, Augsburg, Stuttgart, Strasbourg, Brussels, Amsterdam, Hague, Paris, Rome, London, Naples and many other cities. They came back to Poland in the end of 1701.