Sławna pielgrzymka do Jerozolimy ciągnąca się przez trzy znakomitsze części świata

Abstract

The Polish translation of the Latin description of the journey by Tomasz Stanisław Wolski (born 1700, died probably after 1766) was based on the printed version of his account ("Illustris Peregrinatio Ierosolimitana latius protracta per tres insigniores mundi partes...,"), which first appeared in print in 1737 in Lwów, and then it was published three more times: in 1748, 1764, and 1766. Wolski came from the Sieradz Voivodeship nobility, and it is known that he was born in Uniejów. The source presents a brief outline of the author's life until 1725, and more extensive descriptions of his travels abroad from 1724 to 1731. First, in 1724-1725, he travelled to Italy, then he made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Egypt in 1725-1726. In 1728, he travelled to France and England. Finally, in 1729-1731, he gave an account of his journey through several cities in Italy, the Aegean Sea and Istanbul, from where he returned to Poland. He also recorded his next journey to Vienna and Rome, and then back to Vienna. Wolski's narrative is an example of travel prose of the 18th century, a typical Old Polish account of a journey. It contains many interesting descriptions of events, including sensational threads and observations made about people encountered along the way. The author presented a lot of information about sailing in the Mediterranean Sea and the hardships encountered by travellers in the Holy Land. His book also provides a lot of information on religious issues in the places visited around Europe and the Middle East.