Mediterranean Europe: Pilgrims and warriors, warrior pilgrims

Abstract

The article begins with an analysis of the relation between space, time and pilgrimage within “various strata and social classes”. From these considerations there first and foremost derives a clear division between on the one hand rural pilgrimage, linked to production from the land, and therefore of a religious nature, and on the other urban pilgrimage, that of merchants related with manufacture, and therefore of a lay nature. There is also a third case, that of judicial pilgrimage, which was particularly common in 14th century Flanders. Secondly, the space is geographically and culturally defined as Mediterranean, determined by the universal character of the Christian religion. Finally, the author deals with the unity of the “Christian space” over the centuries and its repercussion on pilgrimages from the 11th century onwards, when conflict with the Moors and the defence of the unity of the church gave rise to the idea of holy war. During this period the insecurity of the land and sea routes leading to the pilgrim destinations led to the birth of the monastic military orders, with the appearance for the first time of the monacus-miles and the crusader, a phenomenon analysed in the texts by William of Tyre, in Bernard of Clairvaux’s Liber ad milites Templi, and in the Chanson de Roland.

Keywords

• pilgrimage
• mediterranean
• space
• time
• jerusalem
• rome
• santiago
• holy war
• crusaders
• militia christi
• monastic military orders
• “euro-mediterraneity”