Urban Piety & Camino de Santiago: Impact of Medieval Cities on Pilgrimage Devotion

Abstract

Pilgrims traveling to Santiago carried with them new forms of saint worship observed along the way, while also maintaining their religious customs from their hometowns. During the Middle Ages, it was often urban dwellers who embarked on these pilgrimages. En route to Compostela, they found support in the cities they passed through, receiving hospital care and accommodations, and participating in city life, particularly during festivities. However, they also faced challenges such as dishonesty, exploitation, and temptation. Additionally, they encountered a distinct urban piety associated with brotherhoods and religious formations, which influenced their approach to pilgrimage. In the paper, while examining the life of medieval cities and their devotional practices, as well as the material evidence of pilgrim presence such as badges, I will explore how this urban experience shaped the mentality of pilgrims. Furthermore, I will investigate the role of cities in the development of the pilgrimage movement to Compostela, with a focus on Toruń and Gdańsk