The paper examines the characteristics of Christian pilgrimages in Slovenia in the 17th and 18th centuries. Initially, believers visited places of Christ’s Passion and graves of the first martyrs because they believed that the relics possessed special power. Thus, the three most important Christian pilgrimage centres were formed: Rome, Jerusalem and Santiago de Compostela. Already in the Middle Ages, these were important pilgrimage sites visited also by Slovenes. Pilgrims travelled alone or in groups, and the aim of a pilgrimage was to achieve spiritual well-being and prepare oneself for heaven. This type of pilgrimage was temporarily interrupted by the Reformation. However, the Counter-Reformists saw the pilgrimages and pilgrim processions as an important instrument of strengthening the faith, thus they revived old pilgrimage centres and built new ones. In each parish, several pilgrim processions were held every year; their destinations were nearby churches a couple of hours’ or at most couple of days’ walk away. In these places of pilgrimage, believers increasingly sought assistance in overcoming their worldly worries and problems, and asked for healing and help in making life choices. Several days’ pilgrimages were banned as early as the second quarter of the 18th century by Karel Mihael Attems, the Archbishop of Gorica, but his instructions were disregarded in many places. In 1771, pilgrim processions that lasted for more than one day were banned by the then Bishop of Ljubljana Leopold Petazzi, and a year later also by the state. The 1783 royal decree abolished processions, brotherhoods and many holidays, and the 1784 decree provided for the closure of all pilgrimage churches. Nevertheless, pilgrimages did not cease completely, but continued in the 19th century. However, many churches lost their role as pilgrimage centres and have remained forgotten ever since.
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