Page 78 - Introduction to Tourism

By the end of the Dark Ages, large numbers of

pilgrims were traveling to such popular shrines as

Canterbury in England (immortalized in Chaucer ’

s Canterbury Tales ) and St. James of

Compostela, the pilgrimage to the Cathedral of

Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in
northwestern Spain. Fewer made the long,

expensive, and often dangerous journey to the
Holy Land. Beginning in 1388, England ’ s King

Richard II required pilgrims to carry permits, the
forerunner of the modern passport. Despite

hardship and dangers, they went by the

thousands to pay reverence to hallowed sites, to

atone for sins, or to fulfill promises they had

made while ill.

A fourteenth - century travelers ’ guide gave

pilgrims detailed directions about the regions

through which they would pass and the types of

inns they would encounter along the often

inhospitable routes. Innkeeping had nearly

disappeared except for local taverns, and a few

inns were scattered throughout Europe. They

typically were filthy, vermin - infested warrens.

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