Medieval European Pilgrimage: The Weird World of Relics, Saints, and Martyrs with Chandi Wyant
Regular price $36.50 Save $-36.50
Leave your modern stress behind and dive into the world of the medieval pilgrim. On this captivating journey through the sacred shrines of Christian Europe, we will examine the destinations and purpose of pilgrimage from Late Antiquity to the close of the Middle Ages.
Pilgrimage has been an important aspect of Catholic faith since the fourth century when inquisitive peoples of Europe began to visit the locations of early Christian martyrs. As the popularity of pilgrimage grew, intrepid pilgrims covered enormous distances and took great risks to reach their destination. We will ponder their motivations, examine the clothing they wore, explore the dangers they faced, and engage with the stories they told. Along the way we will examine the cult of relics and saints, pilgrimage architecture, and 14th-century pilgrimage-inspired literature.
Led by Chandi Wyant, a passionate history instructor with a focus on 15th century Florence, this interactive seminar will prompt participants to enter the world of the pilgrims who traversed Europe hundreds of years ago and ponder differences and similarities between our world and theirs. Designed to inform curiosity as well as future travels, participants will come away with knowledge and insights about significant shrines and locations of pilgrimage in Europe, and about the weirdly wonderful cult of relics and saints.
Chandi Wyant, originally from California, is an accredited guide to Italy's museums and currently lives in Florence. She has taught history for colleges in the US and the Middle East and is the author of a memoir about her solo long-distance walk on Italy’s pilgrimage route. Chandi holds masters' degrees in both international education and renaissance history and has a particular interest in the intersection between humanist and artistic innovations in 15th century Florence.
This conversation is suitable for all ages.
90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.
What a delightful seminar. Not only did I learn about why people do/did pilgrimages and the famous pilgrim routes but all the fun and fascinating trivia like foods, clothing, companions, and safety issues.
I thoroughly enjoyed this seminar. The speaker has a very pleasant manner and the material was very well organised and nicely illustrated. I learned a lot and it gave me some new travel ideas. Recommended!
The Weirdly Wonderful World of Relics, Saints, and Medieval Pilgrimage with Chandi Wyant was fascinating and captivating! Chandi is an engaging instructor who provided historical context and keen insights to medieval belief systems, culture and traditions. This is the second course I've taken from Ms. Wyant. Because of her vast knowledge and passion for history I would love to take more classes from her.
A very nice overview of the first Christian pilgrimages defining the motivations and, particularly interesting, the early literature. Wyant presents us with a whole cast of characters.
I found Chandi's presentation of the history of pilgrimages fascinating and the stories made relevant through the voices of those who undertook a perilous journey to seek miracles, salvation and healing down through the ages.
Chandi gave detailed historical accounts through her research of 12 centuries of pilgrims, showing parallels to today's travelers seeking quietude and having a wanderlust for adventure.
My quest for a deep immersion into the cultures of past and present day, and a desire to seek answers to life's mysteries & challenges, led me to read Chandi's book, "Return to Glow." I was so intrigued, I began to search to learn more, which led me to discover this class and an abundance of resources in the Context Learning curriculum.
I'm learning from the masters, past and present, and am encouraged to forge my own path ahead. I got a lot from just one seminar, and can't wait for the next one.
I am compiling notes for an upcoming pilgrimage next spring. Thank you Chandi for being a beacon of light, and sharing your GLOW!