(Villagers on Their Way to Church from Book of Hours, about 1550, courtesy Getty Museum)

If you think traveling can be complicated now, imagine making a journey in the Middle Ages.

Going Places: Travel in the Middle Ages, a new exhibition coming to the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles this fall, will present images of voyages, journeys and excursions of all kinds through medieval illuminated manuscripts depicting many reasons and modes for travel.

The exhibition has three sections and primarily highlights religious travel, but it also looks at other reasons for travel, such as diplomacy, war, trade, and tournament fighting.

The Distant Lands section focuses on trade and warfare as other reasons for travel during the period, as well as journeys of the imagination sparked by manuscripts of world histories, romances, and encyclopedias depicting mythical beasts and exotic lands.

Medieval Modes of Travel showcases both real and imagined modes of travel.

And Following in the Footsteps of Christ highlights the pilgrimages that were the primary form of medieval religious travel. 

“Travel doesn’t necessarily involve great distances and can mean something different to everyone, both in the Middle Ages and today,” says Larisa Grollemond, associate curator of manuscripts at the Getty Museum.

The exhibition is on view at the Getty Center from September 2 through November 30, 2025, and features manuscripts from the Museum’s permanent collection, many of which are rarely seen.

Admission to the Getty Center is always free, but a reservation is required for admission and there is a charge for parking.

All images courtesy of the Getty Museum