Tra fede e devozione popolare: il pellegrinaggio "raccontato" al santuario di San Michele del Gargano

Abstract The St. Michael’s cave (Puglia, Italy) is the most important place for St. Michael’cult in Western Europe between Late Antiquity and Middle Ages. The sanctuary, which was the destination of pilgrims since the 5th century, represents an extraordinary perpetuated historical-cultural witness up to present days. The pilgrimage is reconstructed through historical, literary, archaeological, epigraphic, iconographic, hagiographical, topographical, liturgical, and juridical sources, all interpreted in an interdisciplinary way. This documentation establishes the role of the sanctuary and the cult of the Angel in the political and religious history, both national and European, in the Middle Ages. The pilgrimage to St. Michael’s sanctuary continues today, adapting to the changes of the times, especially in May (8) and September (29): two dates also related to the rhythms of the work in the fields and the sheep transience, to underline the indissoluble link among the cultual dimension, the religious experience and the social context of the territory.