Colonization and the creation of hospitals: The eastern extension of western hospitality in the eleventh and twelfth centuries

Abstract

Thanks to the growing pilgrimage to the Holy Land and to the foundation of the crusader states at the end of the eleventh century, people from western Europe, prompted by a feeling of helping the pilgrims, the poor and the sick, scattered hospitals in the East. However, this Eastern phenomenon paralleled the numerous hospitals created in the western countries during the twelfth century. Europe abounded with hospices and hospitals and consequently the colonization of Syria adopted the same principles. This revival of hospitality was carried out in a special spiritual background where apostolic life became the rule to follow. The holy land, the land of pilgrimage above all, was the witness of the creation of hospices aimed at taking care of the pilgrims: the Christian West and the Byzantine East took a great part in this enterprise. The Franks concentrated on the holy places. Their activities were quite varied: helping the pilgrims, the poor and the sick, especially lepers. Conversely, the hospitallers of St John's hospital, the most famous in Christiandom, reflected an aspect of the kingdom of Jerusalem onto European history, through their influence on the occidental charitable organization.