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A CONTRIBUTION TO OUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PILGRIMAGES FROM VENICE TO THE HOLY LAND DURING THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY
Milorad PAVIĆ
Sažetak
During the sixteenth century Venice was one of the most important harbours regarding pilgrimages to the Holy Land. This can be corroborated by numerous sources, among which the most important are Italian travelling accounts that were used for this investigation.
Pilgrims’ routs mostly coincided with trade routs of that time, especially since ships of that time often transported pilgrims together with trading goods. Navigation of that time preferred eastern Adriatic coast. Pace of the sailing depended on the season of year. Thus,
it was not unusual that during summer some ships sailed also along the western Adriatic coast. After leaving the Adriatic Sea, Venetian ships used Venetian emporia placed on the Mediterranean islands. The fi rst one was Corfu, and than Cephalonia (Keefallanía)
and Zante (Zákinthos) in Ionian Sea. On the south of the Pelopónnisios there was Kíthira which was important station on the way to Crete. From this point ships with pilgrims often continued towards Rhodes, Asia Minor and Cyprus – which was major Venetian emporium on Levant. However, there also existed a northern naval route across the Aegean Sea but this way was more appropriate for those who travelled to the Ottoman residence in Jerusalem. In the second half of the sixteenth century the number of the islands kept by
Christians was signifi cantly reduced. Namely, in 1522 knights of St. John (Hospitalers) lost island of Rhodes, which was important station in the pilgrims’ routes. Similarly, in 1570 Venice lost Cyprus. This was an important obstacle regarding pilgrimages to the Holy Land, since Cyprus was harbour from which ships sailed directly to the ports of Palestine and further towards Holy Land and Jerusalem.
Similarly to the naval route from Venice to Levant, pilgrims’ itinerary towards Palestine harbours and Jerusalem was rather uneasy and dangerous. Therefore, one should not be surprised that pilgrims often had numerous spiritual and material preparations before
their trips. Thus, author also investigates pilgrims’ preparations, and problems they came across during their pilgrimages.
Ključne riječi
Pilgrimages; 16th century; naval routes; Holy Land
Hrčak ID:
20281
URI
Datum izdavanja:
25.6.2007.
Posjeta: 3.171 *