This guide looks like a travelogue that lists how to plan and plan a relatively modern trip, but in fact the history of this travel guide goes back to the 15th century. The earliest travel guide was written in 1486 by von Brain von Bach and is now on display in the British Museum. Writing this guide began after Bach’s pilgrimage to the Holy Land in Oppenheim, Germany, and included images of Venice.
The name of this book is in Terram sanctam, Peregrinatio, which means pilgrimage to the Holy Land. This was the first time that many people in Western Europe were exposed to the illustrations in this book. “Great panorama photos of the famous cities in this guide are what make this work so remarkable and valuable that it has become the best-selling book of the fifteenth century,” says Julia Barthrom, German publisher at the British Museum.
Before the creation of this book, seeing images of places like Venice for most people was completely out of mind. Many people in Europe haven’t visited these places before, so if this amazing guide isn’t detailed, the audience won’t have a clear picture of those places. The images in this travel guide still amaze everyone, as the details have been carefully mapped out so readers can imagine themselves in those places.
