In the first centuries of the Middle Ages the already existing Roman roads began to change to be adapted to new political-military needs and to a peculiar phenomenon of the time, the practice of devotional pilgrimage (there was also a penitential one). The itinerary drawn up by the English Archbishop Sigeric in 990 now reveals an already structured path that wound along a 'equipped axis' through large cities, 'village-roads', paths, roads, connecting Rome to Canterbury. Later, in the Europe of the XII-XIV centuries it was not only the street network that changed, but, of course, also the type of travelers who traveled with a wealth of figures that corresponded to the greater articulation and complexity of the same European social structures since then. Interesting are the relationships between pilgrims and businessmen also characterized by possible, periodic interchanges of roles, as the sources reveal at times. Even Bruges, the major economic center frequented by various European nations and a city buzzing with foreign merchants, also knew the flow of pilgrims devoted to one of the most important relics of Christendom, that of the Precious Blood of Jesus still preserved in the Basilica of the Holy Blood: the procession that is celebrated on 3 May was declared by UNESCO as an "intangible world heritage". Therefore, on the paths of the Francigena there were both the spiritual tensions of men and women who faced the pilgrimage as a way to conquer salvation in the hereafter, and the most earthly interests, linked to daily needs or the business world. And these two dimensions ended up meeting new horizons of knowledge across Europe.
Nei primi secoli del medioevo i percorsi viari romani già esistenti si iniziarono a modificare per essere adeguati a nuove esigenze politico-militari e a un fenomeno peculiare del tempo, la pratica del pellegrinaggio devozionale (esisteva anche quello penitenziale). L’itinerario redatto dall’arcivescovo inglese Sigerico nel 990 rivela ormai un percorso già strutturato che si snodava lungo un ‘asse attrezzato’ attraverso grandi città, ‘villaggi-strada’, sentieri, strade, collegando Roma a Canterbury. In seguito, nell’Europa dei secoli XII-XIV non si modificò solo la rete delle strade ma, ovviamente, anche la tipologia dei viaggiatori che le percorrevano con una ricchezza di figure che corrispondevano proprio alla maggiore articolazione e complessità ormai delle stesse strutture sociali europee di allora. Interessanti sono i rapporti tra pellegrini e uomini d’affari caratterizzati anche da possibili, periodici interscambi dei ruoli, come talora ci rivelano le fonti. Anche Bruges, il maggiore centro economico frequentato dalle varie nazioni europee e città brulicante di mercanti stranieri, conobbe anche il flusso dei pellegrini devoti a una tra le più importanti reliquie della cristianità, quella del Preziosissimo Sangue di Gesù conservata ancora nella Basilica del Santo Sangue: la processione che si celebra il 3 maggio è stata dichiarata dall’UNESCO «patrimonio mondiale immateriale». Sui percorsi della Francigena quindi si muovevano sia le tensioni spirituali di uomini e donne che affrontavano il pellegrinaggio come cammino per conquistare la salvezza nell’aldilà, sia gli interessi più terreni, legati ai bisogni quotidiani o al mondo degli affari. E queste due dimensioni finirono per incontrarsi in nuovi orizzonti di conoscenze attraverso l’Europa.
La Francigena, un itinerario attraverso l'Europa fra pellegrini e mercanti
Galoppini
2019-01-01
Abstract
In the first centuries of the Middle Ages the already existing Roman roads began to change to be adapted to new political-military needs and to a peculiar phenomenon of the time, the practice of devotional pilgrimage (there was also a penitential one). The itinerary drawn up by the English Archbishop Sigeric in 990 now reveals an already structured path that wound along a 'equipped axis' through large cities, 'village-roads', paths, roads, connecting Rome to Canterbury. Later, in the Europe of the XII-XIV centuries it was not only the street network that changed, but, of course, also the type of travelers who traveled with a wealth of figures that corresponded to the greater articulation and complexity of the same European social structures since then. Interesting are the relationships between pilgrims and businessmen also characterized by possible, periodic interchanges of roles, as the sources reveal at times. Even Bruges, the major economic center frequented by various European nations and a city buzzing with foreign merchants, also knew the flow of pilgrims devoted to one of the most important relics of Christendom, that of the Precious Blood of Jesus still preserved in the Basilica of the Holy Blood: the procession that is celebrated on 3 May was declared by UNESCO as an "intangible world heritage". Therefore, on the paths of the Francigena there were both the spiritual tensions of men and women who faced the pilgrimage as a way to conquer salvation in the hereafter, and the most earthly interests, linked to daily needs or the business world. And these two dimensions ended up meeting new horizons of knowledge across Europe.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
