The travels, excursions, and distant views of the humanist pope Pius II (1458–1464), often described by himself in his autobiographical Commentarii, are a characteristic feature of this original man, even though it has sometimes been suggested that his descriptions of nature were not personally experienced but rather copied from ancient writers. However, the numerous letters from his entourage, which are extensively utilized in this volume, confirm how much the pope was drawn to the landscape: cheerful picnics in the greenery, afternoon naps by shady springs, studying documents in the mountain forests of Monte Amiata, visiting ancient ruins amidst dense vegetation, and modest accommodations – all serve as direct evidence of the life experience of the Italian early Renaissance, which also perceived nature anew in its landscape painting. The Greek island world, now a popular travel destination, received little attention in travel reports for a long time, especially since the route of the Jerusalem pilgrims passed along the Aegean. It was not until the 15th century that Italian travelers entered this space without political or commercial intentions and reported on it: standing in awe before Greek statues on a lonely island, tracing ancient city walls through difficult terrain, deciphering Greek inscriptions for the first time, searching for Troy and Homer’s grave. They speak of the rustling of the wind in the bushes over vast ruins, describe encounters with farmers and merchants, and the dangers of seafaring between cliffs and corsairs. Sheep rest in the shade of crumbling temples, feral pets roam abandoned islands, ancient harbors are filled with sand, rural folk festivals, thyme and honey on Crete. A brief, intense encounter, until the Turkish conquest largely closed off the island world.