1579    BERNARD, Jean

 

The earliest Itineraria were travel guides designed for pilgrims and may, or may not, include useful information for travellers and merchants. In Professor Limor´s short article, she describes some of the earliest which were written (usually in Latin) with descriptions of the Holy Land and which date from 333 (the Bordeaux Pilgrim) to the Commemoratorium de casis dei, a report on Christians and Christian institutions in Jerusalem and other places, probably written for Charlemagne in 808. Thus, travel itineraries published before those of Charles Estienne in the mid-1500s were aimed solely at pilgrims on their way to Rome, Jerusalem or Santiago de Compostela.

 

Estienne's work, Nouvelle guide des chemins pour aller & venir par tous les pays & contrées, du Royaume de France. Plus Le chemin de Jerusalem, Romme & autres lieux de la terre saincte, is the first secular travel guide, designed both for merchants and businessmen, and for the humanists traveling from one printing center to another to correct the proofs of their works. The Guide was a huge success, with some 28 editions published between 1552 and 1668. Editions of the Guide are extremely rare today, and only around fifty copies have survived.[1]

When Jean Bernard continued this work and published his Discovrs des plvs memorables faicts des roys & grãds seigneurs d'Angleterre depuis cinq cens ans... in 1579, included was a section on England, La Guide des chemins d'Angleterre with its own separate title page. Sets out nine roads in England and Wales, including Saint Burien to London. The other routes are (according to Fordham): Dover to London; London to Berwick; London to Walsingham; Carnarvon to Chester and London; Cockermouth to Lancaster and London; Yarmouth to Colchester and London; Bristol to London; and Saint David´s to London.

 

La Guide des chemins d'Angleterre, fort necessaire a ceux qui y voyagent, ou qui passent de France par Angleterre en Ecosse. Paris 1579.[2] (RGS, CUL Trinity, B).

An edition of 1583 was on sale 2024. (P[3]).

Another edition in 1587. (B?).                                        

 

 

Another work by Bernard was focussed only on France:

Nouvelle guide des chemins pour aller & venir partous les pays & contrées, du Royaume de France published Paris, Nicolas Bonfons, 1583. 

Novvelle gvide des chemins povr aller & venir par tous les pays & contrees, du Royaume de France 

A Paris. : Par Nicolas Bonfons, ruë neuue nostre Dame, à l'enseigne S. Nicolas. 1586. (BL, B).

 

 RETURN to Book II Introduction - Almanacks and Itineraries

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[1] See Professor Ora Limor´s article on Early Pilgrimage Itineraries (333-1099); 2009. https://www.openu.ac.il/personal_sites/download/ora-limor/Limor_Early_%20Pilgrimage_%20Itineraries%20(333-1099).pdf. Also description of itineraries at Livres Rare Books.

[2] Full title: La gvide des chemins d'Angleterre : fort necessaire à ceux qui y voyagent, ou qui passent de France par Angleterre en Ecosse:ayant ordõné le chemin par le mile, à la mode du pays, faisant deux mile vne lieuë Françoyse. L'ay aussi rapporté certaines particularitez dignes d'estre cogneuës à ceux qui passeront de ville en ville: Auec le long & le large compas d'Angleterre, le no(m)bre des parroisses, eglises, villes & eueschez. A Paris : Chez Geruais Mallot, à l'enseigne de l'Aigle d'Or, ruë Sainct Iacques. Taken from description of volume at Glasgow University Library.

[3] Online catalogue of Amélie Sourget, Livres et Manuscrits, Paris (2024).