Transportation and
Communication

During the Renaissance, both merchants and governments depended on the regular flow of goods and information. In general, sea transportation was quicker and more efficient than land transportation. However, advances in both land and sea travel occurred over the course of the Renaissance. Communication also improved significantly during this period with the appearance of the first postal networks in Europe.

People traveled for a variety of reasons during the Renaissance. Explorers sailed far from Europe to discover new territories for their monarchs and to win glory and riches for themselves. Most voyages, however, were far more routine in nature. Business, politics, and diplomacy* accounted for much, if not most, travel at this time. Other reasons for trips included pilgrimages (journeys to sacred places) and pleasure travel.

Land and Sea Transportation. The poor state of roads throughout Europe made overland travel slow and difficult, especially in winter, when many roads could not be navigated by wheeled vehicles. Most people traveling overland went on foot or rode mules or donkeys. Rich people tended to ride horses, although many of them preferred well-trained mules. Wealthy or sickly individuals might ride in litters or sedan chairs, carried either by animals or by several servants. People of all classes also accepted rides on carts carrying goods to market. Several models of wagons and carts existed for different road conditions. Pack animals, such as horses, mules, and oxen, were used to transport goods as well.

The first passenger coaches appeared in Hungary in the early 1400s. These were essentially heavy wagons pulled by two or more pairs of horses. More advanced coaches, which were easier to turn, came into use during the 1500s. These new models could carry up to eight people with luggage. Smaller and lighter coaches also became available at this time. They often had the passenger compartment suspended on straps to provide a more comfortable ride. In the 1600s private carriages became fashionable among the upper classes. Despite their relative comfort, however, coaches often moved more slowly than foot traffic on Europe's poor roads. Overall, the speed of overland travel changed little until the late 1700s.

Sea travel increased during the Renaissance. Shipbuilders produced a variety of ships of different types and sizes for transportation, trade, fishing, exploration, or warfare. Ships ranged from single-person fishing vessels to large carracks that could hold 1,000 passengers and up to 2,000 tons of cargo. Travel time was difficult to estimate. The length of time it took to sail from one port to another varied according to the season, the weather, the tides, the cargo, the crew, and a host of other factors.

Communication. The merchants of the Middle Ages established the earliest communication networks in Europe. The Hanseatic League, an association of trading towns in northern Europe, set up regular courier services among its members in the 1200s. Venice also had a well-established trading network, and its couriers connected the Christian and Islamic worlds. By 1400 universities often ran their own messenger services to deliver letters for professors and students. Louis XI of France may have created the first national postal service in 1464. Spain founded its own national post not long afterward.

During the reign of Maximilian I, the Holy Roman Empire* established an imperial postal service. This courier network, perhaps the most famous of its time, linked the far-flung territories of the Habsburg family in Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy. The papacy* also ran its own postal service, which supplemented that of the Habsburgs. In the late 1550s Rome became the most important communications center in Europe.

Despite the existence of these established services, both governments and individuals often used private messengers. Independent couriers were more flexible than the official services and sometimes faster as well. Providing fresh horses at regular intervals helped speed couriers on their way. By changing to a new horse every 12 miles, the average courier could cover about 35 to 50 miles per day; a fast messenger might travel 75 miles or more per day under exceptional conditions.

(See alsoEconomy and Trade; Exploration; Ships and Shipbuilding; Travel and Tourism. )

* diplomacy

formal relations between nations or states

* Holy Roman Empire

political body in central Europe composed of several states; existed until 1806

* papacy

office and authority of the pope