The devotional dimension of Brother Diego de Mérida’s Journey to the East: «Itinerarium ad Loca Sancta»
Juan Miguel Araya Corraliza
Faculty of Humanities
University of Huelva
ORCID: 0009-0004-4531-2443
Published: 22/12/2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31338/ahi.2023.2.1
ABSTRACT: In 1507, Fray Diego de Mérida embarked in Venice with the firm intention of making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and concluded his journey – or at least his narrative – in 1512 on the island of Crete. The journey has accompanied us throughout our history, where it has been shown to us as something intimately linked to perfecting the spirit that unites humankind, even in its quest with God. In the Christian sphere, this desire for improvement in the Holy Scriptures is linked to various biblical figures of enormous symbolic importance as they are presented as pilgrims of life who seek to perfect their unity with God. This dimension was not limited to individuals, as geography also played a role in pilgrimages, given the shrine’s importance as a destination. Places that had witnessed the divine presence were a focus of attraction for pilgrims eager to be imbued with that divinity.
KEYWORDS: pilgrimage, Holy Land, travel books, relics, Brother Diego de Mérida.
