Bálint Ugry's book explores the early modern European study tours of young Hungarian aristocrats, known as Kavalierstour. The Kavalierstour was part of many young noblemen’s studies in early modern Europe or represented its final stage. Its unparalleled popularity shows that it was a suitable reflection of the changes that began in the sixteenth century and repositioned the place of the high nobility in society and the courts of the aristocracy, the Church, and the monarchs.
The young men taking part in the Kavalierstours pursued both theoretical and practical studies: language, law, and arithmetic, as well as riding, dancing, and music. One of their main tasks was to get acquainted with members of their social stratum (from the highest positions to their peers), practice the manners of court society, learn about international politics, and explore the spaces of culture and representation. The aim of the present volume is to familiarise international readership with the study tours made by the aristocrats of the Kingdom of Hungary – since the Kavalierstour was a pan European phenomenon.
