Basilica de Luján Brooch, Manuscripts Artifact Collection, Mss 2012.302.01a
What does it mean to be a pilgrim? The word “pilgrimage” evokes very different images depending on your beliefs, culture, and upbringing. For some, a pilgrimage means setting out for a specific religious site, while others undertake journeys for sightseeing, self-fulfillment, or civil rights. The sacrifice and hardship of the journey itself is an expression of commitment and can be as meaningful as the experience once the destination has been reached. On The Road features the quests of selected pilgrims from around the world through books, documents, images, and artifacts.
This exhibit was created in conjunction with the first annual symposium for Pilgrimage Studies, entitled "Traveling Traditions: Pilgrimage across Time and Cultures." The symposium is sponsored by William & Mary’s Institute for Pilgrimage Studies and the International Consortium on Pilgrimage Studies, and will take place on campus from October 12-14, 2012.
Images of the exhibit are available from Special Collections on Flickr.
Curator: Jennie Davy, Burger Archives Specialist with curatorial assistance on the Camino de Santiago from George Greenia, Professor of Hispanic Studies and Coordinator of the Institute for Pilgrimage Studies; Exhibit design and installation: Jennie Davy with installation assistance from Zach Woodward, Undergraduate Student Assistant. Front page exhibit photo of pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago by Tom Wood.