Roads of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
in the 16th and the 17th centuries:
French and Italian experience
Rūstis
Kamuntavičius
The article discusses travel conditions and the
most frequently used roads in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania of the 16th
and the 17th centuries. The
sources of the investigation are contemporary French and Italian texts. They
include relations and correspondence of diplomats, papal nuncios and
ambassadors, as well as, other references and descriptions of the Grand Duchy
in memoirs.
The topic has not been investigated. Italian and
French sources on the history of the Grand Duchy are almost unknown in
Lithuania and Belarus. Foreign historians, French, Italians and especially
Poles (one of the most famous being T. Chynczewska–Hennel), have been working
intensively on the western descriptions of Poland–Lithuania and produced many
publications. All of them, however, regarded Lithuania as a part of Poland and
have not paid attention to its unique traits. As a result, specific Lithuanian
image, travel conditions, most frequently used roads and visited regions have
not been studied by any of these nations.
Early modern French and Italian literature was
chosen because of several reasons. Firstly, these nations had not been direct
neighbors of the Grand Duchy and their viewpoint was less neutral and concerned
compared to that of Russians, Germans or Poles. Secondly, through the 16th
and the 17th centuries cultural
and political contacts between Lithuanians on one side, and French and Italians
on the other side were the most intensive compared to any other period. It is
calculated that Italian and French diplomats, ambassadors, nuncios and military
men were producing correspondence that referred to Lithuania and were
publishing descriptions of this country much more intensively than all other nations
put together in this period.
Similar to Poland, roads and travel
infrastructure of the Grand Duchy seemed to Europeans inferior compared to
those in Western European countries. There were no inns, the roads were awful
and the distances great. In winter, a voyage was the most rapid, because
rivers, fields and swamps were covered by ice and snow. In fall and spring,
rains and mud made travels long and almost impossible.
Different from Poland, there was nothing
interesting for the Europeans to look at in Lithuania because of its
comparably poor cultural life. The result was obvious, Italians and French
traveled to Lithuania only when they badly needed it.
Most of Italian and French voyageurs visited
Lithuania accompanying the King of Poland during his voyages to Vilnius or
Hrodna. The most frequently, they used Kraków — Hrodna — Vilnius or
Warsaw — Hrodna — Vilnius roads. Cities remote from this road were visited and
described much rare. The only exception could be the course through the Grand
Duchy to Moscow, which crossed Minsk and Smolensk. It can be concluded that the
region of Black Rus’ (today south–west of Belarus, including such cities as
Brest, Hrodna, Nieswiž and Navahradak) was known the best for the
travelers. The reason was its proximity to the route leading to Vilnius,
presence of the Hrodna which was an important political center of the state and
high density of mansion houses of the most important Lithuanian magnate
families, such as Radziwill and Sapieha
The period of time needed to travel from Warsaw
or Kraków to Vilnius can not be exactly calculated. The voyage could
last from less then one week to several weeks. It depended on many factors,
such as the period of the year, weather conditions and the means of transportation.