Cultural Tourism
5. Religious tourism
...where we found rest in thee from the fever of the world
(Saint Augustine)
What drives one to undertake a pilgrimage, a long journey that is hard both on the body and the spirit? The phenomenon is in constant growth, particularly in Europe. "Ich bin dann mal weg", by the comic and now acclaimed writer Hape Kerkerling, became a literary success in Germany. In a fantastic style, it describes six weeks walking to St. James of Compostela in search of a break, of God and, of course, of himself (Shirley Maclaine's book The Camino: A Journey of the Spirit, which the author cites, is also very well-known). It was one of those extraordinary literary successes that convinced thousands of people to take the Walk, and which saw the pilgrimage phenomenon increasing exponentially throughout the country. In the cinema, "Die Grosse Stille" was also a surprising success: a film which follows the life of monks and their rhythm, all in rigorous silence.
(Saint Augustine)
What drives one to undertake a pilgrimage, a long journey that is hard both on the body and the spirit? The phenomenon is in constant growth, particularly in Europe. "Ich bin dann mal weg", by the comic and now acclaimed writer Hape Kerkerling, became a literary success in Germany. In a fantastic style, it describes six weeks walking to St. James of Compostela in search of a break, of God and, of course, of himself (Shirley Maclaine's book The Camino: A Journey of the Spirit, which the author cites, is also very well-known). It was one of those extraordinary literary successes that convinced thousands of people to take the Walk, and which saw the pilgrimage phenomenon increasing exponentially throughout the country. In the cinema, "Die Grosse Stille" was also a surprising success: a film which follows the life of monks and their rhythm, all in rigorous silence.
Video. Die Grosse Stille
What are the most famous pilgrimages in Europe and what makes them so poplular?
In Spain, the Way of St. James of Compostela is the most crowded religious pilgrimage route. It was unknown until the 1970's and then exploded, in this case also thanks to a book, The Pilgrimage, Paulo Coelho's first book in 1987. It tells of the travels of the narrator, Paulo, along the pilgrims' path leading to Santiago through a series of trials, insidious dangers and threatening temptations which put to the test the faith and final objective of the protagonist. The book is considered to be a spiritual, esoteric re-reading of the journey, typical of the "new age" climate of those years, but it is still a success. Less well-known is the history of the Santiago pilgrimage, which includes moments of crisis and of rebirth in a number of different periods. Today, it is also interesting because it is connected to the theme of the construction of European identity. A number of texts and oral traditions concern the figure of Saint James, his supernatural powers, his iconography as a saint, a pilgrim and as Santiago Matamoros ("Saint James the Moor-slayer"). He is also beloved in Latin America, even though the Saint is supposed to have fought alongside the conquistadores against the natives of the new continent. The "Guide to the Pilgrimage of Saint James", or the fifth chapter of the Liber Sancti Jacobi, is an exemplary case of religious travel literature.
La via Francigena
The quintessential pilgrimage in Europe is the Via Francigena (Franciscan Way) a very important itinerary in medieval times for the opening of communication throughout Europe. It leads from England to Rome, crossing towns like Canterbury, Calais and Reims, the Great Saint Bernard Pass through the Alps, before arriving in Vercelli, Pavia, Lucca, San Gimignano, Siena, Viterbo and finally Rome, to the tomb of Peter. It is the path of paths, but today it represents a great number of difficulties from an organizational point of view. It has been included among the European itineraries of off-road trails.
Video. Road to Santiago, by Robert Santiago (2009)
A brillian comedy about a couple's difficulties in an exceptional context: the Santiago de Compostela Way.
Way of the Kings
From Milan to Cologne is the "Cammino dei Magi" or Way of the Kings, protectors of voyagers and titular saints of intelligent tourism. It is a journey which was created based on historical reports, traces and clues which are linked one of the most beautiful basilicas in Milan, Sant'Eustorgio. According to the legend, the Magi stopped here. When Milan fell to the Emperor Barbarossa, it is said that in 1164, his lieutenant, Rainald von Dassel, took the relics of the Magi to Cologne - not to just any place, but to the point on which the city's cathedral (which remained miraculously untouched by the Second World War bombings) was later built. In this case also there is a reference book, Le livre des trois mages [The book of the three Magi], which so excited the lord mayor of Milan and the parish of Sant'Eustorgio that they decided to continue researching this pilgrimage, both "theoretical" and "magical", together. It is a pilgrimage which is reputed to be amazingly beautiful, as Sergio Daneluzzi, in charge of politics of identity and tourism for the Commune of Milan, explains, if you opt for the path that arrives in Renans through France and Switzerland. From Milan, it crosses almost all of Piedmont, up to the Mongenèvre Pass (which apparently Hannibal also crossed), visiting the lovely towns around Lyon, then Besançon, monasteries in France and Germany, and finally the valley of the Rhine and its castles, and Mainz, Koblenz and Cologne.
However, why so much interest in pilgrimages - not only for believers but also for laypeople?
We ask Monsignor Buzzi, the Prefect of the Ambrosiana in Milan and a noted theologist and germanist: "The pilgrimage, the walk in itself, represents a built-in dimension for human beings: we are in movement."
The pilgrimage is a formative experience because it is a symbol of existence, as a journey from one point to another.
"Every point of arrival can be used as a point of departure and in a pilgrimage, we find the most intimate nature of our journey through existence".
Share your opinions on this argument and meet international fans of Milan on the Facebook group, Milano è turismo
Other articles in the enews
- 1. The ten most beautiful castles in the world An exclusive classification with photos and videos. From Africa and Europe.
- 2. Italian regional cuisine Where to eat it in London, Paris and Berlin. Great chefs in Milan and Shanghai.
- 3. Historical thrills Video: Berlin Year Zero, Venetian passion, British pride...
- 4. Museum houses Where art is at home. In America and Europe. Feature: Milan's top 4
- 5. Religious tourism Saint James of Compostela, the Franciscan Way, the Augustinian Way
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