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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Recurso digital |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Zenodo
2026
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20086980 |
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Table of Contents:
- <p class="MsoNormal">Pilgrimages were among the most significant religious and social activities of the medieval world. Between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries, millions of individuals travelled across Europe and the Near East to visit sacred shrines, relics, and holy cities. While pilgrimage was primarily motivated by spiritual devotion, repentance, and the search for miraculous healing, it also produced important medical consequences. Large-scale movement of populations contributed to the spread of infectious diseases, exposed pilgrims to severe physical hardships, and created pressures that stimulated the development of hospitals, sanitation measures, and organised healthcare systems. Pilgrimage routes also facilitated the exchange of medical knowledge between cultures, particularly between the Islamic world and medieval Europe. This paper examines the medical consequences of medieval pilgrimage through analysis of infectious disease transmission, physical suffering, mental and spiritual healing, hospital development, and broader public health impacts. It argues that pilgrimage played a significant role in shaping medieval healthcare, urban infrastructure, and medical culture.</p> <div class="MsoNormal"> </div>