The veneration of holy places is one of the oldest forms of expression of popular Catholic piety. A sense of holiness tends to be embodied by the places as well as by some exceptional individuals and every Catholic culture has endeavoured to honour these places, which are considered to be an expression and embodiment of the Divine. The first to be visited with assiduity were the sites in Palestine that have been pilgrimage destinations since the first centuries of the spreading of Christianity. The veneration of saints and martyrs led to the creation of sanctuaries all over the Western world, and since the 4th century these places were increasingly widespread: one such example is Santiago de Compostela in Spain. In the Middle Ages, many of these sites were considered to be surrounded by an aura of grace; visiting was an act of penance and obtained merit in the eyes of God. Today, these places are still significant pilgrimage destinations to millions of faithful in addition to being popular tourist destinations for non-believers because of their vast historical and artistic heritage. This book is dedicated to those believers of the Catholic faith and others who wish to explore the wealth of art and culture found in these places which are important to Catholics the world over. ILLUSTRATIONS: 224 colour photographs
