Thomas Hoby's Life and Travels 1547-1564

Thomas Hoby's Life and Travels 1547-1564, the first text of The Grand Tour. This is a rare autograph journal preserved in the British Library, recording the experiences of the 16th-century traveller, scholar, and diplomat Sir Thomas Hoby. Beginning his travels at 17, Hoby documents his studies in Paris and Padua, his journeys across Italy as far as Sicily, and his engagement with European culture, language, and diplomacy. His account combines detailed itineraries, observations of people and places, and insights into major political and religious events of the time. It also reflects his intellectual interests, including classical sources and contemporary Italian literature, as well as his early work translating Castiglione's Book of the Courtier. Rich in historical and social detail, the journal offers a valuable record of mid-16th-century Europe and is considered a precursor to later Grand Tour narratives.