Mary
in Christian Tradition
Europe
as a Holy Land: 11th - 15th Centuries
The
Muslim conquest of Palestine in the 7th century brought the holy places
under non-Christian rule that became increasingly hostile towards Christian
pilgrims. When the Turks threatened the ancient Christian shrines with
destruction, the Christian nations of Europe sought to reconquer the
Holy Land in the Crusades of the 11th century.
Notre
Dame Cathedral at Chartres, France
During
these disturbed times, the shrines and relics of Palestine were re-duplicated
or transferred to the countries of Europe. In Spain, France, England,
Italy, Germany and the Lowlands, great medieval shrines honoring Mary,
like those in the Holy Land, arose in places like Chartres, Montserrat,
Walsingham, and Loretto. This "European Holy Land" became the setting
for the early medieval Christian's devotion to the Mother of God.
Medieval
devotion to Mary
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