Ignatian Pilgrimages
Where did the Jesuits of the past make their pilgrimages? What destinations did they have? In times of Jubilee, pilgrimages are more numerous, not only to the Basilicas where the Holy Door has been opened but also to the various religious shrines.
Ignatian pilgrimages are still practised today, and the Society of Jesus organises various types: for the faithful, for MEG boys, for schools. In the archives, there are many sources about pilgrimages throughout history. The most evocative are certainly the photographic ones. The images of today’s episode come from the newly reordered photographic series of the Maximus Institute and were taken precisely on the jubilee in 1950.
What about the long centuries without photography? What sources can we consult in that case?
The source
There is a source, which has featured several times in this column. It is the register of customs of St. Andrew’s at the Quirinal, which in the past has already provided us with valuable information on food, on the rules in force in the novitiate in the early centuries of the Company. It is one of the oldest sources preserved in our historical archive, and was written between the end of the 16th century and the first decades of the 17th.
This reminds us that the same source can provide information and research leads for several fields of historical investigation. In the last part of this volume, there is a section on pilgrimages. For each destination, corresponding to a sanctuary or a church, the route to be taken was minutely indicated with all intermediate stages.
People did not travel alone, but at least in threes or in groups, for various reasons. Travelling outside the walls of cities in the modern age could represent a very real risk. For several miles outside Rome, brigandage was a constant danger for travellers and pilgrims who could be robbed or attacked. For this reason, some roads were safer than others were and it was always a good idea not to travel alone.
Furthermore, according to the Constitutions of the Company and in general customs, Jesuits never travelled alone but at least in twos or threes, so that the brothers could exercise mutual control.
At a time when it was not possible to activate the satellite navigator, these pages of the St. Andrew’s customs must have been particularly valuable. For each route, not only the intermediate stages are specified but also the return route, sometimes the same as the outward journey, sometimes another route is preferred.
The novices’ destinations
There were several possible destinations for the novices’ pilgrimages: Loreto, Our Lady of Florence, Our Lady of Lucca, Assisi, Clare of Montefalco, Orvieto, Montecassino, Viterbo at Our Lady of the Oak, to L’Aquila, Subiaco, Todi, Carsoli, Fossanova, Gubbio.
The journey north
All the stages are given for each of these destinations. The longest one is to Florence, starting from the “Porta del Popolo”, the one that still stands after Piazza del Popolo and from which you continue north to Rome and make the first stop at the Storta. Here stood a chapel dedicated to the vision of the Madonna by St Ignatius. The original chapel was bombed during the Second World War and later rebuilt and still stands today. We then continue northwards to the hostaria di Baccano in Campagnano terra. This is probably a refreshment point, a safe place to refresh oneself. Such places also functioned as post stations for horses for those who travelled by carriage or on horseback, but in the case of novices, the route was taken on foot.
The following destinations are all touched upon:
Monterosolo Castello, Ronciglione Terra, Viterbo, Montefiascone, Bolscieno, S. Lorenzo Castello, Acquapendente, Pontecenteno hosteria, Radicofani, Scala hosteria, S. Quirico Castello, Tornieri hostaria, Buonconvento castello, Siena, Staggia, Poggibonsi, Barberino, Tavernelle, S. Casciano Castello and finally Florence.
The person compiling the volume tells us that 138 m were completed. Obviously, this is not the unit of measurement we know, it is not our “metres” but the distance seems to be expressed in miles. On the return journey, we are advised to proceed back along “the same route”.
The journey south
Not all pilgrimages were so long. There are also shorter ones like the one to Subiaco. In this case, one exited Rome through Porta S. Lorenzo heading “to the oven”, then to Tivoli and then directly to Subiaco.
A route shifted to the south-east was the one leading to Fossanova, this time exiting through Porta S. Giovanni heading to Frascati, then on to Velletri, then to Cisterna, to Sermoneta, to Sezza and finally to Fossanova.
To reach Loreto, on the other hand, one passed through Porta del Popolo, but then the route headed north-east: Prima Porta, Castelnovo, Rignano, Borghetto, Otricoli, Narni, Terni, Strettura, Spoleto, Verchiano, Riandedignano, Muccia, Valcimarra, Tolentino, Macerata, Recanati and then Loreto.
Maria Macchi
