Without a doubt, most pilgrims travel to Rome to visit the famous basilica of St. Peter’s as well as the ancient Roman ruins. St. Peter’s is situated in the Vatican, a separate sovereign state to Italy. The Vatican is the world’s smallest independent city-state with its own post office and stamps, a judicial system, railway station, television station and a special police force, the Swiss Guard. In this course we look at the continuing attraction that Rome held for medieval pilgrims and still holds for contemporary Christian pilgrims. We look at the evolution from the great pagan city to a great Christian centre, and time permitting, visit the seven pilgrim churches in Rome.
- John Ure, Pilgrimage: The great adventure of the Middle Ages (Constable 2006)
- John Evangelist Walsh, The Bones of St. Peter (Victor Gollancz 1983)
- John Carroll, Constantine’s Sword (Houghton Mifflin 2001)
- Rome – the continuing attraction for pilgrims; Why is Rome so important?
- Foundation of Rome; The Colosseum; The Pantheon
- Milvian Bridge; The Catacombs
- St Peter’s Basilica; The Swiss Guards
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Have a greater understanding of Rome for medieval and contemporary pilgrims.
- Be confident of planning a journey to visit Rome and its pilgrim sites.
