Medieval Italian pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela: New literary evidence
Gloria Allaire
This paper offers literary evidence of the interest in cult St James on part late medieval Italian pilgrims. While extant written itineraries are few, occasional references demonstrate this without furnishing precise details route to Santiago de Compostela. Compostela holds a special place chivalric literature: legendary wars against Muslims Spain and status warrior Roland as popular saint derive much their impetus from piety centred Santiago. One episode widely-circulated romance Guerrino il Meschino by Florentine Andrea da Barberino displays its genre's concern with Spanish shrine Rome Andrea, known for his verisimilar style, incorporates virtuoso display contemporary geographical knowledge which gives fiction texture chronicle. The author's inclusion towns not found corpus argue reliance maps or testimonies returned Places named tally those actual pilgrim accounts. passage furnishes pilgrimages early fifteenth century, period no historical accounts remain.
Journal of Medieval History