Turaida Pilgrim Badges in Tallinn
In the heart of Tallinn’s Old Town, the Niguliste Museum, housed in the former St. Nicholas Church, is hosting the exhibition “Back and Forth: The Pilgrimages of Livonians in Medieval Europe” from March 8 to September 8.
“In Livonia, as in the rest of Europe, pilgrimages were an integral part of medieval life. Livonian pilgrims visited holy places both near and far from home, while pilgrims from abroad went to pilgrimage centres in Livonia. All these activities left their mark on the local material culture of the time, from the symbols used in art and on everyday objects to the clothing and souvenirs pilgrims brought back from their journeys. The exhibition, which provides an overview of this phenomenon, is the first opportunity for the public to see most of the currently known material artefacts from Estonia and Latvia, as well as the written and artistic heritage of the Livonian pilgrimages. There is now ample evidence to show that our pilgrim culture, rooted in personal devotion, was much richer than previously thought, citing only the number of destinations and the variety of pilgrimage practices.”
Several antiquities from Latvian museums will be on display as well. They include the pilgrim badges found during archaeological excavations in the ruins of the Turaida Castle – a half of Mediterranean Scallop shell with sewing holes, a lead-tin alloy crucifix with loops at the ends of the arms that came from Lucca Cathedral in Italy, and a small mother-of-pearl cross pendant that was brought from Palestine or the Holy Land in the Middle East in the late 12th or 13th century. These are small souvenirs that could be bought at the shrine visited and worn with clothing on the way back.
More information on the above-mentioned exhibits from Turaida can be found in the previous year’s publication of the Turaida Museum Reserve: Catalogue. 13th -18th Century Dress Accessories Found at Turaida Castle. Compiled by Ieva Ose. [Rīga]:Zinātne, 2023.
Check out the Museum’s website to read more about the exhibition.
