German-speaking Pilgrims in Rome at Goethe's Time
Reconstruction and Digital Edition of a Lost Source
Along with the Campo Santo Teutonico, Santa Maria dell'Anima has been a hub for pilgrims from north of the Alps or the Holy Roman Empire, ever since the late Middle Ages. Finding food and shelter there for up to three nights on average, the pilgrims' names were registered in the respective books. Until very recently, one of these books for the time from 1778 to 1819, with most entries from the 1780s, was available for consultation. Meanwhile, this source has to be declared lost. Thanks to older black-and-white images, the pilgrimage registry could be reproduced and inserted into an online database, where international scientists can analyse it. This allows for follow-up studies on pilgrimage in the late 18th century, possibly from a cultural historic perspective, and also linking data to the respective local or regional source.
