(upbeat music)
(cheery music)
- Children, take a look at this postcard.
The Himalayas, isn't it remarkable this little card
comes from so far?
- Yeah, so what, it's only a postcard.
We got it in the mail.
- And you think that's nothing?
You think that there's nothing special about it?
But before it was thought of, there was no mail.
- It was a great idea, whose was it?
- Go ahead, tell us the story, Maestro
- Yeah Maestro!
- How did it all get started?
Well children, long ago it was traveling ballad singers
called troubadours.
Or traveling merchants who delivered letters
and parcels if they happened to be going
in the right direction to deliver them.
And sometimes it was monks, or butchers,
or by the end of the 15th century,
there were some 100 million people living in Europe,
trouble was brewing.
But nobody understood geography.
It was a big secret, in fact a state secret.
No, it wasn't taught, even the rulers knew nothing
about the realms that they governed.
They were unknown, the rulers expected
the messengers who traveled everywhere
to know the country.
(horse neighs)
- Oh well John Tassis, you're growing up.
- Franswa, glad to see you.
Franswa, come in your meal is ready!
I don't see enough of you children.
Being a messenger is really a hard job.
You off to Rome, John going to Venice,
Roger to Australia, everywhere.
- We come as often as we can mother.
As they say, the mail must get through,
and we do get our gold.
This is for you, mother.
- Oh, a golden florin!
It's been so long since I've even seen one.
- I have to be going, mom.
- [Mom] Already?
- Got to go, look at this, I have a message
from the Pope for Emperor Frederich of Austria, wow.
- [Mom] That's true, it's the seal of the holy C!
It's from the pope!
And it's addressed to the emperor!
- You see, it's very important.
- It's also important to have a good meal
and take a new blanket.
You musn't catch cold in the mountains.
- [Franswa] Yes mother.
- Franswa, can I come with you?
I have this donkey, and he can walk all day long!
And I'm a good rider!
Can I?
- Not this time John Tassis.
You will one day, I promise.
We're going to visit lots of countries together.
- Now you be careful.
Good bye my son!
- So long, see you soon!
Remember what you said.
(playful music)
(dramatic music)
- Oh, at least!
Now the emperor's palace.
(horse neighs)
Oh, you're looking well John.
- Hey, it's wonderful to see you again.
I'll get your brothers to come join us.
I have something very important to say.
Now Leonard, Roger.
Look here, children.
Europe is changing.
We the Tassis family, we can together
start a mail delivery across Europe,
and become very rich.
- Only why exactly will Europe change?
- Yes, you're kind of a fortune teller,
tell us why they'll be those changes in Europe,
and how come?
- Yes, the explanation is easy.
Marie, the daughter of the Duke of Burgandy
is going to marry Archduke Maxamillian,
and I predict they will have a son
and call him Philip the Handsom.
He will marry Wanita, heiress to the Spanish throne.
A greater empire will then results,
and unite, well Germany, Burgandy, and the Netherlands.
- It's complicated, all these dukes and emperors.
- The important thing is, they will write letters.
Many, many letters.
No end to them!
We haven't enough riders.
We'll have to reorganize.
I'm appointing you to make deliveries to Venice.
Leonard, Costa Milan.
And you Franswa to Brussels.
I've hired a man who says he knows the roads,
and he's going to accompany you.
- The roads to Brussels I know like the back of my hand.
Follow me.
I know a lot of first time things.
(dramatic music)
Not a bad job, all expenses paid.
Here we are, I know a good place to eat.
I can already taste it.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Whoa, where are the roads from here on out, I forget.
We better ask a peasant.
Whoa, the road to the Netherlands, that way?
Huh?
- Huh?
No, no that way.
Be careful there are robbers there.
- Your pass, give it up.
- You're wasting your time, we've got deliveries.
(horse neighs)
- If you don't wanna run into robbers,
you just turn left when you get to the fork.
(dramatic music)
- I thought we'd be to the Netherlands by now.
- Well if you're not sure.
- Well we better ask.
Are we on the way to the Netherlands right now?
(traveling music)
(discussing directions)
- I bring a letter from the Emperor Maximilian
- 20 days, it took you a long time.
Have you been in the inns wasting time?
- Oh no, my lord.
It was that we ran into robbers,
and the muddy roads with all the rain, and the horse
you know, our horses are very very tired.
Grandfather, our system is too slow.
A courier takes 21 days going from Austria to Holland,
and it takes him more than three weeks going to Spain.
- And sending a letter costs too much.
- Yes, but how can we change it.
Think about it, there's a limit to the speed
a horse can gallop, and all men have to sleep.
- Let's set up relays then.
- Set up what?
- Like this.
Between Inssbruck and Gand, we set up 35 relays,
every 10 links or so.
- Do you realize how many men that would require?
And we would need additional horses.
We would have to change our operations.
- No, at every relay station we have a rider
who will be a local man,
never has to be far away from his home.
I'll bet we can make the journey Innsbruck to Gand
in five, six days.
- In six days?
Surely you're exaggerating.
It takes two weeks now, and that's when the roads are dry.
- Alright, we'll test out the system with John and me.
He's a good rider and reads map.
- Isn't your nephew a bit too young?
- I'm 15 now.
And on my next birthday I'll be of age.
(bright music)
- Is there anybody around here who might
have a couple horses?
- Well there's the Jude the blacksmith.
His house is right over there.
- I have a proposition that might interest you.
- So you'll pay me six pieces for every trip?
- That's right, and we'll pay more when you ride at night.
- Yup, I got a real fast horse,
and you'll pay me to ride him?
- What a question.
Do I have a horse?
Take a look around, yeah I'll do it.
- Yeah, why not.
- Alright, now we can try it.
You ride to the first place on Thursday,
and when the sun's directly over head,
and without a relay it can seem long and tough,
meantime we will be in the country.
- Okay you got it.
This is it.
Hey!
Blacksmith, blacksmith, listen!
Here's the first letter.
You have to take it to the next relay post.
- Where's my horse?
Where's my horse.
That's right, my son took it for a little run.
You stay here, I'll go get it.
(blacksmith arguing)
Well, I found my horse, now I'll have my lunch
and then I'll carry that letter.
- Oh no, no delays.
For what we're paying you, you've got to go now.
- Well you'd better hurry.
Whoa.
Hey, here's that letter for your relay.
- Oh yeah, I best have it.
Darling where's my boot?
- Hold your horses, I haven't got it repaired yet.
(upbeat music)
- Open up, I've got a letter
you're supposed to help deliver.
- Well, it's pretty late.
I guess I'll get paid,
they said I'd get paid more if it was at night.
- How about one for the road?
- Well here's the letter for the next one.
- The next what?
- The next relay.
(laughing)
Hi there!
I've got that letter for you, and we're in a hurry.
- Let me help.
That's too heavy for you little girl.
(whistles)
Let's go.
Hey, you.
Here's the letter for the next relay.
- Well, just wait until I got my sheep in.
Okay, I'll be right there.
- Listen, you're supposed to be on your horse.
Come on, there's no time.
- Will you make some lunch for me?
I've got to make a delivery.
It's a long ride up to the next relay.
Oh come on, I get paid more when I work at night.
- We've been waiting for two days.
(mumbles)
- Here I am!
You'll pay me now?
Here's your letter.
- What if it had been from the emperor?
The system's good but doesn't work out in the long run.
Ridiculous.
- Listen, don't give up.
I've got an idea.
As soon as you hear this horn off in the distance,
be ready.
When the rider arrives, then you have this in your saddle.
He'll hand you this bag when he rides up,
and don't waste time.
- I don't understand, last time there was no problem.
- It's going to work!
I'm sure it's worth a try.
- Yeah, I'll go ahead and wait at the last relay.
- It's noon, here I go.
(horn sounds)
- Ah ha.
Already, let's go.
Here ya go.
(horn sounds)
- I'm delivering a letter today.
- [Girl] Next time?
- Okay.
(mumbling)
- Here ya are the first letter.
- It's a success!
With the new system using the warning horn,
the letter has the speed of a galloping horse
day and night,
and the horseman don't stop and rest.
Broke all records.
- A single rider takes 15 days for a journey
all the way to the Gand, and that's minimum.
How long did this take?
- About a week?
- Exactly, five days.
Every ride they cover a distance of 10 leagues.
Locals know the best roads,
and they don't stop at the inns.
- In just a very few years, the Tassis had established
a genuine postal network.
From Innsbruck to to Antwerp, from Naples to Brussels,
all the way to Madrid.
- Your majesty.
- Proceed.
- We have arranged for your marriage.
(noble music)
You will be journeying there with a great many gifts.
- 50 pounds of smoked meat, 100 thousand barrels of wine
(continues talking)
- I want to see the head courier.
- Your majesty.
- Enrique I want you to use your best horseman.
You will inform Philip of Wanita's arrival,
so that she is welcomed in a suitable fashion.
Now go.
- Yes your majesty.
Juan, Juan, get out your best horse.
You're going with me to Flanders.
- You know Flanders is?
You're crossing the Pyranese
- Better hope somebody maintains this boat.
- The captain's a friend of mine.
Let's do it.
(dramatic music)
- [Maestro] There was a lot of storms at sea.
The journey was to last for two months.
- You'll soon be arriving in the Netherlands, princess.
- You have to inform Prince Philip that she'll be arriving
tomorrow, and they will be there very very soon.
- Why didn't you inform us about this sooner?
It's too late.
The prince is with his father in Austria, just now.
- Well, it was a very arduous trip.
- Yes, very arduous.
- I never saw such slow horses.
- Yeah, they wouldn't run.
- And those mountains.
- And that snow.
- You're good for nothings.
You are worse for nothing.
Useless, lazy failures.
You are disgraciados,
and you're going to get punished.
(chanting)
- An urgent message for prince Philip.
- Your majesty, Princess Wanita
is waiting for you in the city.
- So, let's head that way, then.
(greeting)
- Your highness.
- What about, I mean, this is done.
- You will marry us, father.
- Yes, where and when.
- Right here, right now.
- I now pronounce you man and wife, here and before God,
and for better and for worse,
highnesses, your highnesses,
the ceremony is not complete
(wedding music)
- All's well that ends well.
Now I suppose they might listen.
(bell tolls)
- On this day, on the 24th of February
in the year of our lord 1500,
is born a child to their highnesse Philip and Wanita.
Let us all rejoice.
- Top priority for this week, is for the emperor.
(fast paced music)
- Special dispatch.
It's for the emperor.
- Special delivery, make way, make way.
- I've a grandson, Charles.
He will reign over all of Europe.
It's yours, for bringing me the good news.
- My friends, I will be needed a regular delivery service
to Spain when I shall rule.
He will pass through Paris and viola the residents
with the king of France, he has agreed,
but the Spanish couriers may attempt to hinder you.
Now France is behind us, and ahead of us awaits Spain,
and pretty soon Pamplona.
- Hey Philip's the couriers on there way here.
Two of them.
And they're gonna set up the rapid relay system right here.
- And that will steal all our customers.
- It will ruin us.
- We'll put a stop to all that.
- Yeah, at any price.
And I know just what to do.
Tomorrow, at the feast of Pamplona,
we'll take care of them.
- This will do.
(snoring)
(laughing)
(yelling)
- This will get them.
(groovy music)
(muttering)
- Let's check.
- It's really hot.
Yes.
(horse neighs)
- There we are.
- You know, one day, there can even be an air mail.
- You're not very good at this.
- What do you mean, you're supposed to be the clever one.
But you know what?
You're pretty dumb.
(trumpet fanfare)
- Philip, my son in law requests I grant him
authority to establish a regular postal service in Spain.
- But your majesty, we don't need couriers,
we have them.
We have served you faithfully for many years.
- We've established a service that is international.
- Just what we were planning, sire.
- I do not wish to offend either of my loyal servants.
Or our most honored guests.
I have an urgent message for my daughter Wanita in Flanders.
Chamberlain, have an exact copy made.
- Immediately, sire.
- Whoever is able to deliver this message first
will receive the license.
- Let's go.
- Yeah, we'll win.
(groovy music)
- Here.
Good luck.
- This really is delicious.
(horn blows)
- [Maestro] The magnificent Spanish steeds are in league,
oh wait, the Tassis horses is closing up,
he's passed the other one.
It's unbelievable, he's nearing the finish,
he's won.
- Wait for the answer.
Here is it.
- Your majesty, here's the answer to your letter.
- And you?
- Your majesty, I'm sure that my horseman is on his way.
He won't be long.
- And will he bring an answer?
- Oh yes your majesty, he will.
- Well done, Tassis.
Will you guarantee delivery time?
- Sire, from Toledo to Brussels, 12 days in the summer,
14 in winter.
- Hmm.
And are you sure?
- I guarantee it sire, pledging my person
and all worldly goods.
- Fine chamberlain, will you draw up a license,
giving the Tassis sole authorization for a postal services
in our provinces of Castille and Aragon.
- By the grace of his emperor Maximilian the Tassis brothers
are here elevated to rank of peers of the empire.
The coat of arms will entail the royal eagle,
peacock feathers, and a sky blue and silver insert.
All these to be added to their family shield.
- They're moving to the 16th century
and the world's changing,
Guttenburg and the printing press are already there.
And Christopher Columbus has discovered America,
and we're on the threshold of the Renaissance.
Soon Charles the Fifth will exceed to the throne,
and under his rule the Tassis service will expand,
and the Tassis will become barons and counts,
and yes even princes.
In 1867, prince Maximillian of Turn and Tassis
was to relinquish his rights,
together with horses, stages, coaches, relay posts,
and everything.
And ever since the postal service has,
well you know the rest.
(upbeat music)