The Age of Pilgrimage: The Medieval Journey to God by Jonathan Sumption

HiddenSpring. Soft cover. New/No Jacket. In a fascinating work of history, Sumption brings alive the traditions of pilgrimage prevalent in Europe from the beginning of Christianity to the end of the 15th century.We are apt to forget how much people travelled in the Middle Ages. Not only merchants, friars, soldiers and official messengers, but crowds of pilgrims were a familiar sight on the roads of Western Europe. In this engaging work of history, Jonathon Sumption brings alive the traditions of pilgrimage prevalent in Europe from the beginning of Christianity to the end of the fifteenth century. Vividly describing such major destinations as Jerusalem, Rome, Santiago de Compostela and Canterbury, he examines both major figures -- popes, kings, queens, scholars, villains --and the common people of their day. Number of Pages: 567