'Beschreibung der Reise von Konstanz nach Jerusalem' [1487] (Description of a journey from Konstanz* to Jerusalem] records in diary form the pilgrimage undertaken by the German knight (as well as town mayor and architect), Konrad von Grünenberg*.
'Beschreibung der Reise von Konstanz nach Jerusalem' is hosted by the Badische Landesbibliothek (thumbnail links a third of the way down the page) Bibliographic references are in the box at the end.
I'm 100% sure the last full city illustration above is Jerusalem and I would bet someone's good money that the first city above is Rhodes (the stylised windmills give it away: compare to Hartmann Schedel's illustration of Rhodes from a few years later from the famous 'Liber Chronicarum' {a book that will one day be the subject of its own post on BibliOdyssey}).
In other words, the pilgrimage diary of von Grünenberg ("green mountain") is a very significant manuscript both in terms of historical urban geography and also because it is an early form of travel literature, a genre that would rise to prominence some two centuries later. [via]
wow,thanks so much for posting.these are amazing!
ReplyDeleteMany thanks indeed. Yes isn't that "Rodis" written in red ink in the first city picture - Rhodes?
ReplyDeleteJ'étais à Constance cet été chez des amis, je leur indique de suite votre blog si passionnant. Un grand merci.
ReplyDeleteI'm an avid follower of your blog and wanted to thank you for the riches you share here.
ReplyDeleteWith my best,
Karima
Just absolutely wonderful! I marvel at all things I would never see, except for your blog. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteindeed it looks like Jerusalem
ReplyDeletetell me, how did you find this book?
have you seen the original?
it is absulut beauty
This post is great inspiration! We take aerial views for granted, but back then, before planes & satellites, it was imagination...
ReplyDeleteI'd be glad if you could send me some valid information about the library, signature and provinience of this manuscript. I'm working together with a historian with some deep interest for Konrad Grünenberg. Although I'm quite sure she's already seen this I can't know for certain and would like to pass the information on to her.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
And by the way, yes, it is beautiful. Where did you get those professional scans from? Anyone working with mansucripts knows how hard it can be sometimes to get a clear shot of them, and those are perfectly done.
Oh. Maybe I should make the text bigger. The relevant paragraph from above:
ReplyDelete'Beschreibung der Reise von Konstanz nach Jerusalem' is hosted by the Badische Landesbibliothek (thumbnail links a third of the way down the page) Bibliographic references are in the box at the end.
Felicidades: Es de lo mejor y más bello que llevas publicado este año.
ReplyDeleteGracias!!
'
Definitely Jerusalem...I love how so much emphasis in much medieval art was placed on imagination rather than accuracy, and yet there's such a compact, concise "feeling" of each city. Long before you pick out the different details, you get a clear sense of place.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and inspiring. Thank you.
Why yes, the first city is Rhodes, since it bears the name "RODIS" in red letters (a term also used in middle english sources).
ReplyDeleteThe second city is very probably Jerusalem: a first glance reveals not only references to the jews (center bottom: "fliehhend (?) die Juden" "sie ward mit gefangen" — translation: "fleeing: the Jews" "she was captured alongside");
moreover, the church to the right of the crest (right of the minaret bearing the crescent moon) is labeled "der heilig Tempel darin das heilig Grab ist" (the holy temple wherein the holy grave lies) — a clear reference to the holy grave in the Curch of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
As far as I can tell. . .
ReplyDeleteRhodes
Ragusa?
Parenzo
Jaffa
Modone
Ramala
Jerusalem
Holy Sepulcher
San Marco in Venice
Stunning!
ReplyDeleteCan a transcript in German or English be found anywhere?