POST ROADS (parts IX - XV)  - Statistics - Legend - Casanova's Travel Routes: 1. The Searoutes  -  (Part X )

I was going to leave the next morning
in dressing gown and nightcap, determined not to leave
my chaise de poste until after fifty-eight stages
on the finest road in all Europe.
Giacomo Casanova, History of My Life.

The Route Nationale 1 and former post road from Paris to Calais, between Flers-s-Noye and Hébécourt. Above that: Casanova's travel routes (map), on land always over post roads. - Photos: PG.

Statistics.
    The distance travelled by Casanova up to 1774 (period of the memoirs) totalled 51,540 kilometres. Using the services of the post he covered 36,835 km, that is 71,5% of the total. This he did along 26,245 km of European post roads, which were operated by 15 states with altogether 1,443 post stations.
    From September 1774 onwards the travelling distances - now always posting - totalled 13,600 kilometres. The number of additional post stages is 93, the additional length of post roads is 2,075 kilometres.

Thus, his life's journeys totalled .... 65,140 km.
Total length of post roads: ........... 28,320 km.
Post stations: ............................... 1,536.

Methodics.
    I have grouped all these journeys and post stations together as follows:
    At first, I show Casanova's routes at sea (1.), then, the most important and famous route of the Grand Tour, the one from London to Naples (2.) over the Mont Cenis Pass, on which we find many of Casanova's frequently used post roads (some of them as many as seven times). The following 15 connections between great cities (3. - 17.) are shown in a certain chronological order. Among these, there are 6 connections which were frequented by Casanova, as a rule, more then twice:
3. Vienna - Venice, 6. Bologna - Augsburg, 8. Vienna - Paris, 9. Paris - Amsterdam, 12. Geneva - Florence, and 17. Vienna - Berlin.
    Mostly, the places (post stations) are listed in the same direction of travel which Casanova took the first time.

Post-map by Hohmann, Nürnberg, 1786. Double lines: all services: public stage coach, private "Extra-Post" (hiring riding or carriage-horses), mail post. Single line: only Extra-Post and mail post. - Photo: PG.

The Roman Casanovist Furio Luccichenti presented me with this original post-order for a sending from Modena to Rubiera. - Photo: PG.

    . 

Probably the most beautiful extant posthouse of all - the Villa Medicea della Posta in Radicofani - built by Grand-Duke Ferdinand I of Florence, 1587 - 1609. Casanova was here on four occasions and once spent the night in June 1770 when he was involved in a dangerous adventure. The building, in good condition, is now a private property though not in use. - Photo: PG.
View from the posthouse to the town and fortress of Radicofani. - W. Leitch, about 1810. Photo from: Brilli, Il Viaggio in Italia, Milano 1987.

Legend.

Place ................ Post station, stage; place with a post station.
PLACE ............. Mentioned by Casanova.
Place ................ Posthouse-building still existing;
(y) .................... earlier (19th century).
(Place) .............. No post station.
Place / place ...... Present / former name.
Place // place ..... Either // or.

Spelling of all places in the language of the country,
except in the headings of chapters.

T&T ..... Thurn und Taxis Reichspost (official post of the Holy Roman Empire);
year ....... first appearing in the T&T - post-archive.

Methods of travelling:
A     Donkey.
B     Sledge (Alps).
C     Casanova's travelling carriages (C1 - C17).
F     On foot.
H     On horseback.
K     Private carriage.
L     Hired carriage.
M     Mule.
P     Stage coach, stage wagon.
R     Boat, ship, on river, lake, lagoon, gulf.
S     Ship, at sea.
T     Hitch-hiking.
V     Carrier, vetturino.
Z     Carried chair (Alps).
No symbol: method of travelling unknown.

6305 ....... May 1763.
(4405) .... Journeys before September 1774, however not mentioned in the  memoirs:
        the first trip to Constantinople in 1741, and Venice - Rome - Venice in 1744/45.
^ ............ Opposite direction.
+ ............ With Casanova in the carriage.
    (Example: C8 6305^ + Marcolina : Casanova travelled with his carriage No. 8 in May 1763
    in the opposite direction to the following section in the company of Marcolina.)

number .... Kilometres: 1. In the title: shortest distance between the two cities.
number ..................... 2. In the list (first column): distance from the last
                                                                         mentioned kilometre.
 Approximately five kilometres.

N ............ Main road.
L ............ Country road.
" , &c ...... continuing the same road.
? ............. In the (second) column "N/L": post station not found.
? ............. In the (third) column "post stations": present name of place not found.

Casanova's Travel Routes.

1. POSTBOAT, FELUCCA AND GALLEY:
The Sea Routes.
3,490 km.

(S 4104) (S 4203^) S 4505 S 4511^
   VENEZIA - MALAMOCCO
   VRSAR / ORSERA
   KORCULA / CURZOLA (passed)
 1000  KERKIRA / KORFU
(S 4105) (S 4106^) S 4507 S 4510^
   KERKIRA
 500  KITHIRA / CERIGO
   DARDANELLEN (passed)
 800  ISTANBUL / CONSTANTINOPLE

Excursion: escape to Casopo.
S 4110 S 4110^
   KERKIRA
   VIDO (direction to...)
 50?  KASSIOPI / CASOPO
Excursion: picking up a troop of actors.
S 4510 Feluke
   KERKIRA
 150  OTRANTO
S 4510^ pursued by pirates
   OTRANTO
 250?  KERKIRA

R 4310
   VENEZIA Piazzetta
 25 Laguna CHIOGGIA
S 4310
   CHIOGGIA
   VRSAR / ORSERA
   VERUDA (port of PULA)
 275  ANCONA

S 7211
   ANCONA
 240  TRIESTE

S 6010+ Rosalie
   ANTIBES
  20  VILLEFRANCHE
S 6010+ Rosalie
   VILLEFRANCHE
 170  GENOVA

S 6304+ Marcolina + la Crosin
   GENOVA
 120  SAN REMO
 30  MENTONE
 50  ANTIBES

S 6011
   GENOVA
 100  LERICI

S 6306+ Aranda S 6308^+ Pauline S 6308 S 6403^+ Daturi
   CALAIS
 50  DOVER

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