What do we call the Christian idea of going to holy places to gain spiritual benefit?

The story behind the answer

It was a voluntary journey to sacred sites—Jerusalem, Rome, Canterbury, or Santiago de Compostela—undertaken to seek forgiveness, healing, or spiritual merit, often earning indulgences. Unlike a crusade (a military campaign), it was a personal act of devotion and penance, typically done on foot to cultivate humility. Pilgrims visited shrines with saints’ relics, attended Mass, and carried tokens or badges as proof of their journey.

This tradition shaped medieval culture and economies: roads, bridges, and hospices developed along major routes, and marketplaces thrived near famous shrines. The scallop shell became the emblem of the Way of St. James, and literature like Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales captured the diverse voices found on the road. Authorities sometimes granted pilgrims legal protections, underscoring the journey’s recognized religious importance.