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Posts from the ‘Medieval Pilgrimage’ Category

Sep 19

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Codex Calixtinus

The world’s first tourist-guide will go on a tour next year

A year ago one of the most valuable manuscripts in the care of the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, the Codex Calixtinus was stolen. Luckily the manuscript was found unharmed almost a year later. For the last few weeks it has been exhibited at the Palacio de Gelmírez (the Cathedral Museum); at the end of September it will be exchanged with a facsimile.

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The book is also known as the Liber Sancti Jacobi and contains descriptions of the pilgrim route to follow, works of art, which may be seen on the camino and tidbits about the customs of the locals. Apart from that it includes sermons, reports of miracles, liturgical texts and not least very early polyphonic musical pieces. The curious bits of advice about poisonous streams and lousy food along the pilgrims’ path has at some point produced the epithet: the world’s first tourist-guide.

To celebrate the return of the manuscript – and supposedly garner some tourist income from the PR, which the theft created as a side-effect – the government of Galicia has decided to create a traveling exhibition to tell the story about the manuscript and the context in which it was produced: the mentality and the culture of Santiago in the 12th century. The traveling exhibition will showcase a facsimile as well as virtual reconstructions of the cathedral and its interior at that time.

The travelling exhibition will be an extension of a current exhibition at the Palacio de Gelmírez, where the Codex is currently exhibited after its relocation from the garage, where the thief had hidden it. Another inspiration is the  current exhibition at the Museo das Peregrinacións , which tells the story of Santiago in the 13th century using virtual reconstructions plus another exhibition at the e Museo de la Ciudad de la Cultura, which in the near future will showcase 12 famous manuscripts. Normally they reside in the treasuries of the Galician Cathedrals, but will for the first time be shown together.  Exactly when this exhibition is scheduled to open is not as yet known as some of the precious manuscripts are currently being restored, but late September or beginning of October has been mentioned.

Exposición del Codex Calixtinus en Santiago de Compostela

See reproductions at a dedicated blog: Codexcalixtinusfacsimil.com

Codex Calixtinus has its own dedicated page on Facebook

 

Jul 29

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Falkenstein

Falkenstein – a refuge for pilgrims on the road to St. Wolfgang

Between St. Gilger and St. Wolfgang on the lake of Wolfgang (Wolfgangsee) an old pilgrim path winds its way around the lake and into the mountains. Midway lies and old chapel, the so-called Falkenstein Kapelle.

In 2009 archaeologists discovered a hitherto unknown refuge for pilgrims, where two eremites lived permanently in order to care for the travellers, of which it is estimated that more than 300.000 passed by yearly at the end of the 14th century. The refuge was discovered through Aerial Archaeology using modern laser-techniques applied from the air by LBI ArchPro.

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Beneath the foundation an under-structure consisting of two cellars were uncovered, complete with a wooden water-pipe. The pipe led water from the spring, which according to the legend sprang from the rock, where St. Wolfgang in the mid 10th century struck with his crozier. The spring ended up in one of the cellars where the pilgrims were able to fill their vials and flasks with the holy water.

The next-door cellar was obviously used as a store-room for food – salted and smoked meat, speck etc. Here a bonanza of exciting finds were uncovered: fragments of glass, richly decorated pottery together with pieces from at least two potted hearths, pipes for smoking tobacco, a flute carved of bone, a collection of pearls from rosaries and six so-called “Wolfgangihackerl”, miniatures of the axe, which was considered the primary symbol of St. Wolfgang. More than 100 coins dating from the 17th century and later were found in the surroundings, all of which witness to the rather comfortable life at the pilgrimage in Early Modern Europe.

Wolfgangihackerl 300x219 Falkenstein

Modern day “Wolfgangihackerls” may be bought at the small village of St. Wolfgang even today. The axe refers to an event in the life of the saint. After having selected a solitary spot in the wilderness, he prayed and then threw his axe into the thicket; the spot on which the axe fell he regarded as the place where God intended he should build his cell – at Falkenstein. It takes app. three hours to walk from St. Gilgen to St. Wolfgang along the shore of the lake. Whether you set out from one place or the other there is a small ferry, which will take you back

VIAS – Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science

Ludwig Boltzmann Institut für Archäologische Prospektion und Virtuelle Archäologie

Read about Flying Lasers and Archaeology

Photos: Franz Neumayr for LBI ArchPro