Pilgrimage to Rome in the Middle Ages

All aspects of the pilgrimage to Rome examined, from the dangers of the road to the experiences in Rome itself.

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The pilgrimage to Rome was undertaken by vast numbers throughout the middle ages. Drawing on a variety of sources, this book examines a number of related aspects of the pilgrimage, concentrating on the period 1099-1216. It beginswith an analysis of its origins, focusing in particular on the City's two most important martyrs, the apostles Peter and Paul. Consideration is then given to the journey itself: narrative sources are used to illustrate the inherent dangers, and an examination is made of the motives which compelled many individuals to set out on pilgrimage, despite their knowledge of the difficulties. The author goes on to look at how the pilgrims would have spent their time in Rome, comparing the demands and expectations of twelfth-century pilgrims and their earlier counterparts. The book also examines the welfare provisions made for pilgrims in Rome and argues that the provision of charitable services remained an important concern for the papacy in the twelfth century.
The popularity of the pilgrimage to Rome is a central theme; Dr Birch argues that like all pilgrimage centres, it was subject to fluctuations in fashion, and reasons for a decline in its popularity relative to other centres of pilgrimage, notablyJerusalem and Compostela, are analysed. The volume concludes with a survey of the efforts made to reverse this trend, which met withsuch success that by 1300 crowds were so large that some pilgrims were crushed to death.
DEBRA J. BIRCHgained her Ph.D. from Queen Mary and Westfield College at the University of London.