0:00:02 > 0:00:06For centuries, pilgrimage was one of the greatest adventures.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Epic journeys around the country...
0:00:12 > 0:00:17You're going the wrong way. This is the Pilgrim's Way to Canterbury!
0:00:17 > 0:00:18..and across the world!
0:00:28 > 0:00:30'I'll be retracing the steps of our ancestors.'
0:00:33 > 0:00:34Oh!
0:00:35 > 0:00:40It's the spot where Jesus is said to have been born.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44'Exploring the hidden...'
0:00:45 > 0:00:48Some people might think this is quite macabre.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50'..and the darker side of pilgrimage.'
0:00:50 > 0:00:54What this gives a sense of is the scale of prostitution.
0:00:55 > 0:01:00And discovering why so many modern pilgrims are taking to the road.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Come on, now, that was incredible!
0:01:04 > 0:01:08My journey has taken me from the north of England to Canterbury.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10On this leg, I'm travelling through
0:01:10 > 0:01:13France into northern Spain, Switzerland and on to Rome.
0:01:14 > 0:01:15Rome!
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Then I'll journey east into Turkey, across the Mediterranean
0:01:21 > 0:01:25into the Holy Land, to my final destination...Jerusalem.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30It's a gobsmacker. It's a breath-taker-awayer.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49I was close to the coast in northern France.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53For centuries, pilgrims from the British Isles have arrived here
0:01:53 > 0:01:54on the mainland of Europe,
0:01:54 > 0:01:57and begun epic treks across the Continent.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05They went on arduous journeys in search of shrines
0:02:05 > 0:02:08and holy sites, along well-trodden paths.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14I do LOVE the simple act of walking.
0:02:15 > 0:02:16Much underrated now, when we can
0:02:16 > 0:02:20all just jump in our cars and go anywhere.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25One foot in front of the other, the rhythm soon emerges.
0:02:26 > 0:02:31Many British and European pilgrims were inspired by religious devotion,
0:02:31 > 0:02:35but some were also looking for excitement, romance and adventure.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38In the 9th century, priests were criticised for going on pilgrimage
0:02:38 > 0:02:40just to escape their duties.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44In the 13th century, a French bishop complained people were
0:02:44 > 0:02:48going on pilgrimage out of mere curiosity and the love of novelty.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51They weren't so unlike us.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55The thrill of travelling in foreign lands still draws people
0:02:55 > 0:02:56to ancient pilgrim routes today.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58I met up with Ian Broderick
0:02:58 > 0:03:02who's walked thousands of miles across the Continent.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05I've walked along this coast to Rome and Jerusalem.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07You've walked to Jerusalem?!
0:03:07 > 0:03:09I have, indeed.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13My goodness. That's... I find that very inspiring.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Yes, surprising, isn't it? SIMON LAUGHS
0:03:16 > 0:03:20When you go on your epic walks,
0:03:20 > 0:03:25are you going for reasons of piety and devotion
0:03:25 > 0:03:27or for adventure as well?
0:03:27 > 0:03:30To define pilgrimage is a very complicated thing.
0:03:30 > 0:03:31It can be many things,
0:03:31 > 0:03:36and the modern pilgrim isn't a purely devotional Christian pilgrim.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40We walk with more intention of discovery.
0:03:40 > 0:03:45A lot of people say that pilgrimage mimics life. It's difficult,
0:03:45 > 0:03:47it's tiring and there are events that surprise us,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50but the thing that I think surprises a lot of people
0:03:50 > 0:03:53is HOW they are on a pilgrimage and what happens to them.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57There's absolutely no hiding place on a pilgrimage
0:03:57 > 0:03:59if you're honest with yourself.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Because you're alone with your thoughts and your...?
0:04:02 > 0:04:05And everything. Your emotions, aspirations and hopes.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08It's all there while you're walking. It unfolds with you.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18I found Ian and what he's done really inspiring.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20I think most people -
0:04:20 > 0:04:23if they'd heard there's someone who's walked to Jerusalem -
0:04:23 > 0:04:25would think they're completely bonkers,
0:04:25 > 0:04:26but, of course, Ian's right.
0:04:26 > 0:04:32Travelling over land on foot is by far the most exciting
0:04:32 > 0:04:34and interesting and memorable way
0:04:34 > 0:04:36to engage with a country and a landscape.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42He has had experience and racked up memories the like of which
0:04:42 > 0:04:44most people can't even begin to imagine.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56The 500 years up to the early 16th century are considered
0:04:56 > 0:04:58the golden age of pilgrimage in Europe.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02In some years, a fifth of the population of the Continent
0:05:02 > 0:05:04was either on pilgrimage or directly involved
0:05:04 > 0:05:06in the industry of inns and churches and hostels
0:05:06 > 0:05:08that sprung up around it.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11As pilgrim numbers increased,
0:05:11 > 0:05:15villages near popular shrines developed into towns.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Pilgrimage helped to shape Europe.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22I've reached the small town of Saint-Omer,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25which is probably one of the first places
0:05:25 > 0:05:28that British pilgrims coming to France would have arrived in.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31They'd have headed for the cathedral.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36The town of Saint-Omer is just 30 miles inland
0:05:36 > 0:05:38from the English Channel.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42I followed in the footsteps of medieval pilgrims, who would have
0:05:42 > 0:05:45marked their journeys with regular stops for prayers along the way.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49HE GASPS
0:05:57 > 0:06:00(There are three people here praying.)
0:06:02 > 0:06:05The cathedral was built and added to
0:06:05 > 0:06:08between the 13th and 16th centuries.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13It's since survived the ravages of war and revolution
0:06:13 > 0:06:17and remains a fairly spectacular bit of Gothic architecture.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28There is something awe-inspiring about...
0:06:28 > 0:06:31cathedrals on a scale like this.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35But cathedrals needed to make sure visitors kept coming.
0:06:37 > 0:06:43A church like this would have really benefited from advertising
0:06:43 > 0:06:45the potential and power of its relic.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49Now a relic would be a bit of a saint or even a bit of cloth
0:06:49 > 0:06:51worn by a saint.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55A church wanted to have one that people believed in
0:06:55 > 0:06:56because if they believed in it,
0:06:56 > 0:07:00then they would travel a great distance to witness it,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03to try and touch it, and, of course, pilgrims meant money.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07It meant money for the upkeep of the church, but also the wealth
0:07:07 > 0:07:11and prosperity of the community around it, so relics had
0:07:11 > 0:07:14an enormous religious power, but also an economic power as well.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19The relic here is the tomb of Saint Erkembode,
0:07:19 > 0:07:23a 7th century Irish monk who became the bishop of the area.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26He spent much of his time travelling huge distances on foot
0:07:26 > 0:07:27helping the poor.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31By the end of his life, his devotion had left him unable to walk.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33He became the patron saint of children who have
0:07:33 > 0:07:37difficulties in walking, and pilgrims came here hoping for cures.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39To my surprise, they still do.
0:07:39 > 0:07:44There's a prayer here. It says, "Pray for our little baby."
0:07:45 > 0:07:47He's five-years-old. He's not well.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51He has to have surgery soon on his legs.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59I've got a two-year-old son.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03He has...shoes that are of a similar size to this.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05I find it almost...
0:08:06 > 0:08:08It is heartbreaking to see this.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15And I know that if he had a problem, there is nothing I would not do.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17There would be no lengths I wouldn't go to.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21No God I wouldn't pray to...
0:08:21 > 0:08:23to try and get help for him.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29I can almost sense the desperation
0:08:29 > 0:08:32that accompanies the placing of these shoes.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35We cling to hope at difficult times.
0:08:39 > 0:08:44And I sense that's what a lot of these shoes signify.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56We're speeding across France. It's such a lovely way to travel.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07Got a little map which shows modern pilgrimage routes across Europe,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10but they're all based on ancient routes...
0:09:12 > 0:09:15..and what I find really fascinating is just how they form
0:09:15 > 0:09:19an almost web across the Continent.
0:09:21 > 0:09:28The pilgrimage routes across Europe became our major routes
0:09:28 > 0:09:29and motorways today.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33In Western Europe there are now believed to be
0:09:33 > 0:09:36more than 6,000 pilgrimage sites.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38They attract tens of millions of visitors every year,
0:09:38 > 0:09:40helping to drive tourism and travel.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45I was heading towards a Spanish town that, by the early 12th century,
0:09:45 > 0:09:47ranked alongside Rome and even Jerusalem
0:09:47 > 0:09:49as one of the holiest places on Earth.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54To get there, pilgrims followed an ancient route known as the Camino.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58It stretches over 500 miles.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Starting in France, it climbs over the Pyrenees, winds through
0:10:02 > 0:10:06northern Spain, and finishes in the Holy City of Santiago de Compostela.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12I arrived in the French border town of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15bustling with pilgrims preparing for their epic trek
0:10:15 > 0:10:18along the Camino route to Santiago.
0:10:19 > 0:10:25It's quite ironic, really, how a town like this now makes
0:10:25 > 0:10:29such a living off the new pilgrims who aren't just tourists,
0:10:29 > 0:10:34I suppose, they are adventure hikers in many respects.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37Travelling has never been easier,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40but the Camino is still drawing people from across the world,
0:10:40 > 0:10:44who want to make the journey by foot the old-fashioned way.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49It also seems to attract a certain hardy and determined type.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51I bumped into Lorna Jeanne,
0:10:51 > 0:10:53who as a child was caught in a house fire in her home.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Yeah, my parents...
0:10:55 > 0:10:59The house blew up and I was trapped inside, but...
0:10:59 > 0:11:01Have you had many operations?
0:11:01 > 0:11:06Oh, yeah. In the first nine months, 72. They lost count after that.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09- 72 operations? - In the first nine months.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13That's the first nine... And do you still have to have surgeries?
0:11:13 > 0:11:14I should, but I don't...
0:11:14 > 0:11:17I don't want to take the time out to be laid up.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21- The time out of life?- Yeah. I don't let anything get in my way.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Just look out, here I come! SHE LAUGHS
0:11:24 > 0:11:28The Camino has become one of the most popular long distance
0:11:28 > 0:11:30pilgrimage routes in the world.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Nearly 200,000 hikers and bikers
0:11:33 > 0:11:36completed the 500-mile route in 2012 alone.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Don't let the Toytown train deceive you.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44The rest of the walk to Santiago de Compostelo
0:11:44 > 0:11:47won't be...a theme park ride.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50It's arduous, it's a tough walk.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59We didn't have time for me to trek the entire route,
0:11:59 > 0:12:02which can take a month to six weeks,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05but I was able to get a real sense of the journey,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07which ultimately leads to a shrine
0:12:07 > 0:12:10dedicated to one of the 12 apostles of Jesus.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14In the 9th century, a Spanish bishop made the rather surprising
0:12:14 > 0:12:16announcement that the remains of
0:12:16 > 0:12:20St James had been found in what's now Santiago de Compostela.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Countless pilgrims have since walked this way.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27Just look at the wind playing across the field here.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Most medieval Christians believed their place in heaven
0:12:33 > 0:12:36would be secured if they embarked on journeys of endurance,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38suffering and sacrifice.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Look at the countryside here that you walk through.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48It doesn't entirely strike me as penance.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56By the 13th century, around half a million pilgrims a year
0:12:56 > 0:12:59were walking to Santiago.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01An astonishing figure when the entire population of Europe
0:13:01 > 0:13:03was little more than 70 million.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07The economic benefits to communities along the route were enormous.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09Pilgrimage wasn't cheap.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12There was food, donations, and places to stay to be paid for.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14Most travellers had to pay tolls,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17but the pilgrims were supposed to be exempt.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21It was a system that didn't always work as it was supposed to,
0:13:21 > 0:13:26so sometimes merchants pretended to be pilgrims, and sometimes pilgrims
0:13:26 > 0:13:29were unlawfully charged when they should have been allowed to travel
0:13:29 > 0:13:33for free, but there was a system, even if sometimes it broke down.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39This is the town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada,
0:13:39 > 0:13:41which developed to cater for pilgrims.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45The cathedral adopted a local legend as a real miracle.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48Even today, it encourages pilgrims in through the doors.
0:13:49 > 0:13:54The eye is initially drawn to this incredible shrine here.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56A vision in gold.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58But in reality,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01most people come here to have a look at this over here.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06COCKEREL CROWS
0:14:06 > 0:14:07Chickens!
0:14:14 > 0:14:15This is a bit bonkers.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20There is a long story behind this.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Basically, a young man was unjustly hung
0:14:23 > 0:14:26and even though he was still swinging
0:14:26 > 0:14:29with his head in the noose, his parents realised he was still alive
0:14:29 > 0:14:32and they ran to see the local judge and said,
0:14:32 > 0:14:36"Our son was wrongly hanged and he's still alive", and the judge said
0:14:36 > 0:14:41"Nonsense! Your son is no more alive than this roast chicken that I'm eating here."
0:14:41 > 0:14:43At which point, the chicken came back to life,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46jumped up and walked around on the table.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48COCKEREL CROWS
0:14:50 > 0:14:52It's not a story I really like actually,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55because I tend to think of our ancestors as being not that
0:14:55 > 0:14:58dissimilar from us, and perhaps being a bit wise
0:14:58 > 0:15:02and cynical as well, but this story suggests they'd believe anything.
0:15:08 > 0:15:13It is very relevant to pilgrimage in the spreading of stories.
0:15:13 > 0:15:19It does suggest to me that however unbelievable a tale might be,
0:15:19 > 0:15:24if it has strong religious tones to it,
0:15:24 > 0:15:28then a cathedral will stick with it, go with it,
0:15:28 > 0:15:30and make of it as much as they can.
0:15:41 > 0:15:42Camino!
0:15:46 > 0:15:49By the 16th century, the Camino was in decline,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52caused partly by outbreaks of disease and war
0:15:52 > 0:15:55and the rise of Protestant Christianity,
0:15:55 > 0:15:57which was opposed to pilgrimage.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00But in the last 30 years, the Camino's been revived.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Travellers have increased 100-fold.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05How much weight are you carrying on there?
0:16:05 > 0:16:08I think maybe 15 with the water.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11- 15 kilograms?- Yeah. - How much is Julie carrying?
0:16:11 > 0:16:12Maybe two?
0:16:12 > 0:16:14THEY LAUGH
0:16:15 > 0:16:17I met an Australian couple, Julie and Owen,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20who were ten days into their Camino.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25It's a unique way to see a country.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27The fact that it happens over a span of days,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30it gives you a really different sort of outlook on it.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32It's amazing.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Are you both people of faith?
0:16:35 > 0:16:37No, it's secular.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40It's a bit of a self discovery and a kind of a...
0:16:40 > 0:16:45a...you know, relationship exercise in a way.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48I don't want to be too cheeky, but what do you mean?
0:16:48 > 0:16:49I don't know.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53You know, you're with somebody all day, every day,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56and often completely isolated.
0:16:58 > 0:16:59You know, and it's...
0:16:59 > 0:17:01I guess when you've reached your...
0:17:01 > 0:17:06a bit of a pain threshold, you can get just a little bit testy,
0:17:06 > 0:17:08but that's when the patience needs to come in.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12Yeah, and just go OK, it's all right, we're not on the schedule.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14We can rest if we need to.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Walk with someone and you really, er,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20- you learn a lot about them and yourself.- Mmm.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22- For better or worse.- Yep.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Walking the Camino is about more than just putting one foot
0:17:36 > 0:17:40in front of the other, setting a target and reaching the destination.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46The simple act of walking for hours, even days on end,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49gives you something we don't often get in the 21st century -
0:17:49 > 0:17:50a time to reflect.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56I suppose the most frightening thing for me about it is that
0:17:56 > 0:18:00you are left alone with your thoughts in many cases.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06And personally, I find that frightening.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09It's not that I've got demons in my mind.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12It's just so many things to think about.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15So many life issues,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18so many challenges I'll start to dwell on.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23We occupy ourselves so much now to try and
0:18:23 > 0:18:27perhaps avoid considering aspects of life like that.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31We separate ourselves off from having to think about those
0:18:31 > 0:18:34sort of things, and on a walk like this, on a pilgrimage,
0:18:34 > 0:18:37on a long walk, you're confronted by them.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48Around half those walking the Camino are no longer religious pilgrims.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52At least in the medieval sense of penance and suffering.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54It seemed to me they're often well-off adventure hikers,
0:18:54 > 0:18:57seeking an experience they'll remember for ever.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Many choose to stay overnight at one of the scores of pilgrim
0:19:01 > 0:19:03hostels along the route.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Wow. That's where we're going.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11There's a whole infrastructure along the Camino, catering
0:19:11 > 0:19:15for the needs of modern travellers, just as there was in medieval times.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19- Hola.- Hola.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22This is the hostel of San Nicolas.
0:19:27 > 0:19:28Look at this place!
0:19:30 > 0:19:34Macarrones. Pasta Italiana.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37It's run by a religious charity who provide weary pilgrims with
0:19:37 > 0:19:41a hearty meal and a very welcome bed for the night.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43- Augusto.- Augusto.
0:19:43 > 0:19:44Augusto. Encantada.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46Very nice to meet you. Habla ingles?
0:19:47 > 0:19:49Very bit.
0:19:49 > 0:19:50- Very bit. A little.- Yeah, yeah.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54But you have a good firm handshake and that's what matters!
0:19:56 > 0:19:59BELL RINGS
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Before dinner, the hosts at this hostel gather everyone together
0:20:07 > 0:20:09to perform a religious ritual.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16They're going to wash our feet.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18One foot.
0:20:18 > 0:20:19My goodness.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Cleaning the smelly feet of two dozen hikers struck me
0:20:25 > 0:20:27as an act of extreme penitence by the hosts.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31HOST SPEAKS IN SPANISH
0:20:36 > 0:20:39For me it was a rather humbling experience.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44- Gracias.- Gracias.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47There was an intimate feel to the hostel that I really enjoyed.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50It was a chance to share a meal and stories with fellow travellers
0:20:50 > 0:20:53and discover their reasons for walking the Camino.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Ramina and Natalia had come all the way from South America.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Can you tell us why you're doing this?
0:21:13 > 0:21:16- Are you very religious?- No.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26And it's a big meditation. All day you're walking, and your...
0:21:26 > 0:21:30all your head is doing... remember your family.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Remember your, I don't know, all your life goes through your head.
0:21:34 > 0:21:40All day long, because you're walking and you're alone, and it's good.
0:21:40 > 0:21:45You think about lots of stuff you never did, or questioned before.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50Have you had moments while you've been walking
0:21:50 > 0:21:56when you've been thinking almost too much and the tears start to flow?
0:21:56 > 0:21:59- No tears.- No tears.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Angry! I want to get there.
0:22:02 > 0:22:03It's very brave of you.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07We are brave! It's OK.
0:22:16 > 0:22:22There's a real community along the Camino that I haven't expected,
0:22:22 > 0:22:24and been quite surprised to experience here.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29I can completely see the attraction.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33I think it's a magnificent and completely memorable thing to do.
0:22:34 > 0:22:39I've been blessed with a lot of travel experiences in recent years.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43The last ten years particularly. But I won't forget this.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47I think that's why a lot of people are doing it as well.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50It does provide you with experiences that you're going to remember.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59COCKEREL CROWS
0:23:12 > 0:23:15NEARBY BUSTLE AND CHATTER
0:23:18 > 0:23:20Oh, everybody else appears to be up.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26This lot are all hardcore, aren't they?
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Hardcore by my standards anyway! 07:30.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31They've up and left.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35I think I'd better follow them on the path.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47There are many different reasons to walk the Camino.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50A time to think, religious devotion, or for many,
0:23:50 > 0:23:54the sheer physical challenge of completing an epic journey.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57But everyone shares the same goal.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01The city of Santiago de Compostela, home to the shrine of St James.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:24:05 > 0:24:08In the main square of the town, pilgrims and walkers
0:24:08 > 0:24:11were arriving and celebrating the end of their Camino.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13# And cheer with voices true
0:24:13 > 0:24:15# Rah-rah for Notre Dame (YOU RAH-RAH!)
0:24:15 > 0:24:18# We will fight in every game
0:24:18 > 0:24:23# While her loyal sons are marching onward to victory
0:24:23 > 0:24:29# For Notre Dame. #
0:24:30 > 0:24:33Come on, now, that was incredible!
0:24:33 > 0:24:36Surround sound effect. You cannot buy that!
0:24:36 > 0:24:38Thank you very much.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40If you want to, though, we've got CDs!
0:24:40 > 0:24:42LAUGHTER
0:24:48 > 0:24:51For someone without faith like me, the tale of how St James
0:24:51 > 0:24:54ended up here is frankly pretty unbelievable.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56Apparently James was beheaded in the Holy Land,
0:24:56 > 0:25:00but stories say his remains were put into a crewless stone boat
0:25:00 > 0:25:03that angels helped transport to northern Spain.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06Scallop shells worn by pilgrims testify to one of the miracles
0:25:06 > 0:25:09that followed, when a horse and rider were saved from the sea
0:25:09 > 0:25:11and emerged covered in shells.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18I met up with author Nancy Frey, who guides pilgrims along the Camino.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22She's also studied how the city of Santiago developed around St James
0:25:22 > 0:25:24and how it's still defined by pilgrimage today.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28So is Santiago, then, one of the best examples of a town or city
0:25:28 > 0:25:34that owes its entire existence to a holy shrine and to pilgrimage?
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Absolutely, and what is remarkable is that it was competing with
0:25:37 > 0:25:39thousands of other sites.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42And what is amazing is that it really
0:25:42 > 0:25:45rose to the surface of all of the other ones
0:25:45 > 0:25:50because James is said to be one of Christ's inner circle.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52- He's one of the most important apostles.- Mm.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56He's someone who's referred to at key moments in the ministry of Christ
0:25:56 > 0:26:00and they had his whole body here.
0:26:00 > 0:26:05And that obviously helped to sustain Christianity in Spain, didn't it?
0:26:05 > 0:26:09Absolutely, because it becomes an anchor point for
0:26:09 > 0:26:13this pilgrimage, for Christianity, in the whole north west,
0:26:13 > 0:26:18and at the same time as telling the evolving story of Spain's history.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21In the 8th century,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Spain was invaded by the Moors from North Africa,
0:26:23 > 0:26:27and became predominantly Muslim for more than 700 years.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30But a pocket of Christianity remained in the remote north
0:26:30 > 0:26:33in the area around what's now Santiago.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36So it was rather convenient that the remains of St James
0:26:36 > 0:26:38were discovered here in the 9th century.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40They became a rallying point for Christians
0:26:40 > 0:26:42trying to reclaim the country.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Ironically, James, a fisherman who became an apostle,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50was used in death to encourage Christian soldiers.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54He became a lucky warrior mascot who was said to appear at key
0:26:54 > 0:26:56battles against the Moors,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59but today he's most often pictured as a humble pilgrim.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03He has all of these facets.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06There's this important figure next to Christ as an apostle,
0:27:06 > 0:27:11and then as this figure of movement, of a journey, discovery,
0:27:11 > 0:27:15the spirituality, and then of course used as a military figure.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18And this is one of the reasons why I think it has been such
0:27:18 > 0:27:21a successful image, because it is malleable.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25You can change him and he has been changed and manipulated over time.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27So is he really in there?
0:27:27 > 0:27:28I don't think it really matters
0:27:28 > 0:27:32because people have been believing for more than a thousand years
0:27:32 > 0:27:36that he is there, and it has the consequence, the result of that
0:27:36 > 0:27:39has been the creation of this remarkable way
0:27:39 > 0:27:43and the presence of millions of people over the last thousand years,
0:27:43 > 0:27:48who have believed or who have come here to visit this place or to
0:27:48 > 0:27:52journey, to have their own journey of discovery, and here they are.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55So it doesn't matter whether there are bones or not because it's here.
0:27:57 > 0:27:58Whether the remains of St James
0:27:58 > 0:28:01are here or not, the cathedral to house his legend took more
0:28:01 > 0:28:03than 100 years to complete.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09It was finally consecrated in the early 13th century.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13It was designed to impress. A job it still does today.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Now that is a vision.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20Look at it!
0:28:20 > 0:28:22The light streaming down, it looks ethereal.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26Not of this world.
0:28:30 > 0:28:36I think it's quite hard to imagine how a pilgrim who has trekked
0:28:36 > 0:28:40here would feel at that sight, but surely you would...
0:28:40 > 0:28:45- I- feel, as a person without faith, I feel in the presence of something...
0:28:46 > 0:28:48..something holy.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51CHORAL SINGING
0:28:56 > 0:29:00Thousands of walkers and cyclists were crammed into the cathedral
0:29:00 > 0:29:05for the Sunday Mass, which for many marks the end of their journey.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07There are even some local worshippers.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17As the bags are going around, I can hear all the coins
0:29:17 > 0:29:19and the money jangling.
0:29:22 > 0:29:26A cathedral like this would earn a fortune from pilgrims.
0:29:34 > 0:29:35The finale of the Mass
0:29:35 > 0:29:38involves one of the world's largest incense burners.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42HE SPEAKS IN SPANISH
0:30:07 > 0:30:11They used to do this to fumigate the stench from the pilgrims
0:30:11 > 0:30:13massed into the cathedral.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15Now of course they still do it for religious reasons,
0:30:15 > 0:30:17but it's part of the drama.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20It's part of the theatre of the whole occasion.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23This is what makes it such an event for people
0:30:23 > 0:30:25- finishing their pilgrimage. - APPLAUSE
0:30:25 > 0:30:27Listen to that!
0:30:30 > 0:30:33While these travellers celebrated the end of their journey,
0:30:33 > 0:30:35the next part of my journey would take me
0:30:35 > 0:30:38to one of the most important pilgrimage routes through Europe.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42The route between Britain and the holy city of Rome
0:30:42 > 0:30:44was first mapped in the 10th century.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47Pilgrims following it had to cross one of Europe's biggest obstacles...
0:30:48 > 0:30:50..the Alps.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03I've come to an area where a 12th century abbot
0:31:03 > 0:31:08travelling from Iceland to Rome tells us the different
0:31:08 > 0:31:13pilgrimage routes from Northern Europe to Italy all converged.
0:31:13 > 0:31:19They would have been Scandinavians, English, Franks, French, Flemish,
0:31:19 > 0:31:21all coming through this area.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27Look at this, there's snow just on the road here.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29Almost like a chunk of it has fallen off.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32Can still just get past,
0:31:32 > 0:31:35but I know I won't be able to go for much further.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38And then it's going to be time to walk.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42Most modern travellers now use a boring tunnel under
0:31:42 > 0:31:46the mountain, but for thousands of years, pilgrims, merchants
0:31:46 > 0:31:49and armies all crossed the Alps at the Great St Bernard Pass.
0:31:52 > 0:31:53This must be as far as I can go.
0:31:56 > 0:31:57Oh, stop the car.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02The pass is 8,000 feet above sea level
0:32:02 > 0:32:06and conditions for crossing it are notoriously unpredictable.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12There are numerous accounts of pilgrims crossing the Alps
0:32:12 > 0:32:16who lost their companions to avalanches or exposure.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18The snow here can be 10 metres deep in winter
0:32:18 > 0:32:22and the temperature drops to minus 30 centigrade.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25In the 10th century, even an Archbishop of Canterbury
0:32:25 > 0:32:28froze to death here while making a pilgrimage to Rome.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34Even in summer time, as it is now, when the sky is blue,
0:32:34 > 0:32:36it's still snowy up here.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39Imagine the conditions in winter.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41People still crossed then.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50To provide shelter and safety for pilgrims and travellers,
0:32:50 > 0:32:54an 11th century monk founded a hostel at the top of the pass.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58He was St Bernard, the apostle of the Alps.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03Look, there he is. Just round there. At the top.
0:33:03 > 0:33:04Come round the bend.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08It's a hostel, a refuge, a monastery,
0:33:08 > 0:33:10and a very welcome sight!
0:33:15 > 0:33:19A medieval manuscript describes this place as one of the three columns
0:33:19 > 0:33:22built by God for the support of his poor people.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28Today, the hostel is run by three canons and two sisters from the
0:33:28 > 0:33:32Augustine order, who provide food and shelter for passing pilgrims.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35Oh, it's lovely. Look at this!
0:33:37 > 0:33:38What a lovely mountain room.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41Brother Raphael showed me to my room for the night.
0:33:41 > 0:33:43Oh, yes.
0:33:43 > 0:33:48If you want to see where are the toilets and the douche...
0:33:48 > 0:33:50I'm sure I'll find them.
0:33:50 > 0:33:55If you want anything, you ring the bell and somebody will answer.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58Assist. Thank you very much indeed, sir.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02I pray... I wish you a good stay here.
0:34:02 > 0:34:03That's lovely of you.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07BELL RINGS
0:34:11 > 0:34:13To look after visitors,
0:34:13 > 0:34:16the canons have a small team working behind the scenes.
0:34:16 > 0:34:17I offered to help out.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23That's the first time I've ever served soup to anyone.
0:34:25 > 0:34:26- Back in here?- Yeah.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30Pascal has worked here for the last three years.
0:34:33 > 0:34:38Does it feel like you're continuing the spirit of St Bernard?
0:34:38 > 0:34:39Yes, yes.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43For sure, it's really touristic here, but sometimes,
0:34:43 > 0:34:47and especially in summer, we have people come here with nothing.
0:34:47 > 0:34:53I remember last year, a guy who came here with nothing, and we...
0:34:53 > 0:34:56he didn't pay anything, and we gave clothes.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00Everything. It's not a problem. We really welcome everybody.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03This is a very special... a special place to work, isn't it?
0:35:03 > 0:35:06Which you get pilgrims coming to as well.
0:35:06 > 0:35:11Yes, we get pilgrims. Over and...more and more every year.
0:35:11 > 0:35:12- More and more are coming.- Yes. Yes.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15They always say it's for spirituality, you know?
0:35:15 > 0:35:18Just to walk and...
0:35:18 > 0:35:20just don't think about my job,
0:35:20 > 0:35:22don't think about my life.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26Just to do other things, and don't think about anything.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29- Get on the road.- Yes, exactly.
0:35:32 > 0:35:33You haven't eaten enough!
0:35:33 > 0:35:36It was good! I was full!
0:35:36 > 0:35:37You were full. OK!
0:35:39 > 0:35:41Thank you!
0:35:41 > 0:35:43My aim is just not to break a plate.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56This ancient Christian refuge hasn't closed its doors
0:35:56 > 0:35:58for a thousand years.
0:35:58 > 0:36:02It's open to everyone, no matter what their religion or philosophy.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06To stretch out the muscles after the long climb up the mountain,
0:36:06 > 0:36:10I joined other visitors at a yoga and meditation class.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13Just check in with your body. What's your body doing?
0:36:14 > 0:36:17How does it feel in your legs? How do your shoulders feel?
0:36:19 > 0:36:22These design students from the University of Utah
0:36:22 > 0:36:24are on a European pilgrimage visiting holy sites
0:36:24 > 0:36:27and places that inspired works of literature.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33How was the yoga for you?
0:36:33 > 0:36:36Oh, I loved it. I cried a little, to tell you the truth.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38- Did you?- Yes, I was being a baby.
0:36:39 > 0:36:44For 19-year-old Ricky, it's his first experience of pilgrimage.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48I actually...I love walking, hiking. I've been athletic my whole life.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51Sports, and so I decided I have to do it.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55Was it the history, the promise of special experiences
0:36:55 > 0:36:56that drew you in?
0:36:56 > 0:36:58I kind of...spiritually, I wanted to do it.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00I've got to get some meaning in my life.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02Is that what this is going to help you with, do you think?
0:37:02 > 0:37:05I hope so. I believe.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11The majority of the students are Mormons.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13They were being put to work around the hostel,
0:37:13 > 0:37:15apparently so they could learn about the life
0:37:15 > 0:37:18of St Bernard and the value of service.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22Oh, my goodness.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28What are you doing?
0:37:29 > 0:37:32Hard to reach spaces, I guess.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35You be careful!
0:37:35 > 0:37:36Oh, I'm good.
0:37:37 > 0:37:43- Avec de l'eau.- Ah, OK, oui. - C'est tout. OK?- OK. Je comprends.
0:37:43 > 0:37:47- Simon, one for you. - Oh, you are so kind!
0:37:49 > 0:37:52Do you think there is a deeper meaning to doing things like this,
0:37:52 > 0:37:55or is it just learning to do things
0:37:55 > 0:37:57you don't necessarily want to do?
0:37:57 > 0:38:02In a way, we get to see the monks' perspective of service.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05Maintaining the cleanliness of the church
0:38:05 > 0:38:07is a service for the monks.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10We are repaying them for what they do for the pilgrims.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13It's kind of like what goes around comes around.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15Good karma and all that, right?
0:38:15 > 0:38:17- Good karma?- Yeah.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22Yoga, karma, Mormons.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26I was surprised by this very modern mixing of cultures and religions.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28In the hostel museum I talked to Alex,
0:38:28 > 0:38:31one of the leaders of the group.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35We come from a highly concentrated Mormon background,
0:38:35 > 0:38:36where it's a bubble.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39I mean, it's a different world.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41All of us are culture shocked when we go out into the world
0:38:41 > 0:38:43and see that not everybody is Mormon
0:38:43 > 0:38:46and everybody does the same things we do.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48So to come to Switzerland?
0:38:48 > 0:38:50To come to Switzerland is a big eye-opener,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53because we're involved with a lot of things,
0:38:53 > 0:38:54like we went to Mass yesterday.
0:38:54 > 0:38:5898% of the students that we have have never been to a Catholic Mass,
0:38:58 > 0:39:01and so it's easy just to write that off as,
0:39:01 > 0:39:04"Oh, this is foreign to me and so this is useless,"
0:39:04 > 0:39:07but what we're trying to do is show the students that, no,
0:39:07 > 0:39:10this has the same amount of value to the people here
0:39:10 > 0:39:12as what we do back home.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15Do you feel like this is a part of a pilgrimage?
0:39:15 > 0:39:17Yes, I do. I think... I don't know.
0:39:17 > 0:39:22I define pilgrimage simply as a journey that an individual
0:39:22 > 0:39:25just feels like he or she needs to take.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28A pilgrimage is not so much an escape in my opinion,
0:39:28 > 0:39:30at least not for me.
0:39:30 > 0:39:34A pilgrimage is a time for you to try to find a reality
0:39:34 > 0:39:35to the human condition
0:39:35 > 0:39:38that you may not have tapped into before in your life.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40That's good.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45It was time for me to head south
0:39:45 > 0:39:48to the centre of Catholic Europe, Italy.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02I'm really zipping around on this journey. France, Spain, Switzerland.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05I'm now driving through Italy, across Italy in fact,
0:40:05 > 0:40:08to a town on the eastern side of the country,
0:40:08 > 0:40:11which has seen a massive boom in the number of people and visitors
0:40:11 > 0:40:14and pilgrims who have been heading there in recent years.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21San Giovanni Rotondo was once a small sheep farming town.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24It's now a booming pilgrimage destination.
0:40:28 > 0:40:33The pilgrims are here because of Padre Pio, an Italian friar
0:40:33 > 0:40:35who became famous for his miraculous powers
0:40:35 > 0:40:37and Christ-like suffering.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41Padre Pio died in 1968.
0:40:41 > 0:40:46San Giovanni reportedly now gets more than two million visitors every year.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53This is a pilgrimage site unlike anything we've seen
0:40:53 > 0:40:56anywhere on this journey so far.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58Very modern.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01Ludicrously so, to a certain degree.
0:41:01 > 0:41:05Personally I go for old and old-fashioned,
0:41:05 > 0:41:07but this is...
0:41:07 > 0:41:10This is very 20th and 21st century.
0:41:18 > 0:41:24This cathedral opened in 2004 and can hold up to 8,000 pilgrims,
0:41:24 > 0:41:27reflecting the mass appeal of what many see as the cult of Padre Pio.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31It's a mega-church, eh?
0:41:31 > 0:41:34Proof of the old adage,
0:41:34 > 0:41:36perhaps, if you build it, they will come.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46Followers of Padre Pio believed he had the ability to read souls
0:41:46 > 0:41:49and appear in two places at once.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52It's claimed he could miraculously cure people,
0:41:52 > 0:41:53help the blind to see,
0:41:53 > 0:41:56and even rose into the sky to protect this town
0:41:56 > 0:41:59from American bombers during the Second World War.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05Beneath the cathedral, a 75-metre corridor is adorned
0:42:05 > 0:42:07from floor to ceiling
0:42:07 > 0:42:09with Padre Pio mosaics that promote his legend.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14The gold has come from tonnes of jewellery donated by devoted pilgrims.
0:42:18 > 0:42:22It's almost overwhelming to see all this imagery of him.
0:42:22 > 0:42:23Goodness me.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27This is "Padre Pio answers the mail" on this side.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34Padre Pio, Padre Pio, Padre Pio,
0:42:34 > 0:42:36doing everything, being everywhere.
0:42:38 > 0:42:39Quite bizarre.
0:42:42 > 0:42:47I suppose one of the main things that's made Padre Pio so popular...
0:42:47 > 0:42:50He had the stigmata.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54A stigmata is when a person appears to develop identical wounds
0:42:54 > 0:42:58to those of Christ on the cross suffering crucifixion,
0:42:58 > 0:43:01so blood seeping from hands,
0:43:01 > 0:43:03just the same as those of Christ.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09The imagery here is completely mind-blowing.
0:43:11 > 0:43:15It looks very much like an attempt to turn Padre Pio
0:43:15 > 0:43:17into not just a saint
0:43:17 > 0:43:21but somebody worthy of almost divine veneration,
0:43:21 > 0:43:24somebody akin to Jesus.
0:43:25 > 0:43:29This is unlike any other veneration of a Christian saint
0:43:29 > 0:43:32I'm aware of anywhere in the world.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34It's more extreme, more intense,
0:43:34 > 0:43:36and frankly more over the top.
0:43:39 > 0:43:40An Italian historian has claimed
0:43:40 > 0:43:45Padre Pio kept his stigmata wounds open by using carbolic acid.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48The Vatican was suspicious of Padre Pio.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50Two popes had him investigated and twice banned him
0:43:50 > 0:43:53from performing priestly duties.
0:43:53 > 0:43:57But after he died they couldn't control his popular appeal,
0:43:57 > 0:44:01and in 2002 he was given the highest honour possible bestowed by the Catholic Church...
0:44:01 > 0:44:03a sainthood.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09His body is now kept on display in a purpose-built crypt.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21Rarely in the history of Christianity has the cult of a saint
0:44:21 > 0:44:23expanded so rapidly and so powerfully
0:44:23 > 0:44:26as it has around Padre Pio.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28After the Vatican,
0:44:28 > 0:44:32this is claimed to be the second largest pilgrimage site in Europe.
0:44:55 > 0:44:59Well, that was unlike any Christian church or building, shrine
0:44:59 > 0:45:02or sanctuary I've been to anywhere in the world.
0:45:03 > 0:45:07It's extraordinary how important Padre Pio's become.
0:45:07 > 0:45:12He went from being a fairly small-town friar
0:45:12 > 0:45:17to a figure of national importance and then global significance.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30The adoration of saintly figures isn't unusual, of course,
0:45:30 > 0:45:32but here it's big business.
0:45:38 > 0:45:40To help spread the word further,
0:45:40 > 0:45:43there's a global media operation which bears his name.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52Wow.
0:45:52 > 0:45:57Padre Pio TV station transmits live from the cathedral
0:45:57 > 0:45:59five times a day, every day.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02This is what you call a feed, isn't it? This is your...
0:46:02 > 0:46:05- Yes. This is the Mass. - This is the Mass.- Yes.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08- And where is...?- Live. - Live, OK.- OK?
0:46:08 > 0:46:11The channel's watched around the world, including across Asia
0:46:11 > 0:46:13and North and South America.
0:46:13 > 0:46:16Stefania is a producer at the station.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18Do you have any viewing figures for how many people
0:46:18 > 0:46:21will be seeing the Mass at the moment?
0:46:21 > 0:46:25We have an average of 300,000 people every day.
0:46:25 > 0:46:28- 300,000?- Yes. Yes.
0:46:28 > 0:46:30- And that's around the planet? - Yes.
0:46:30 > 0:46:32The TV station is run by monks.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35The president is Padre Mariano Devito.
0:46:35 > 0:46:39Is it a little bit unusual for an order of monks
0:46:39 > 0:46:42to be involved in television?
0:46:42 > 0:46:44Or is it just the 21st century?
0:47:09 > 0:47:14There is almost an industry around Padre Pio.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36Coach-loads of visitors arrive here daily.
0:47:36 > 0:47:40In this poor region of Italy, the town and its 30,000 residents
0:47:40 > 0:47:43earn more than £100 million a year from visiting pilgrims.
0:47:47 > 0:47:50It's fascinating how the economy of a place like this can become
0:47:50 > 0:47:54dependent on, but can exist in the first place, because of pilgrimage.
0:47:54 > 0:47:58I've seen it elsewhere on my journey, but never quite so starkly.
0:47:58 > 0:48:02We've got a hotel here just on this street, hotel here,
0:48:02 > 0:48:06hotel, hotel, restaurant, cafe, restaurant, cafe.
0:48:07 > 0:48:09All the way down this street
0:48:09 > 0:48:15there are now scores of hotels in this town, which, frankly,
0:48:15 > 0:48:18if the cult of Padre Pio wasn't here,
0:48:18 > 0:48:21would probably deserve just a couple of little guest houses.
0:48:23 > 0:48:27The town actually has more than 120 hotels serving
0:48:27 > 0:48:29the 21st-century pilgrim industry.
0:48:30 > 0:48:33I went to one to meet the owner, Franco, who's lived
0:48:33 > 0:48:37all his life in San Giovanni and has seen the town transformed.
0:48:38 > 0:48:40Have your family always been hoteliers?
0:49:02 > 0:49:09Do you find it slightly astonishing that you have opened a hotel,
0:49:09 > 0:49:10you've had great success,
0:49:10 > 0:49:14and now the story of Padre Pio's spread so far?
0:49:40 > 0:49:42'Franco employs over 100 staff,
0:49:42 > 0:49:45'serving an increasing number of guests.'
0:49:45 > 0:49:49You seem to have an Olympic-size swimming pool out here!
0:49:49 > 0:49:53'Modern pilgrims who come here, even for just a weekend,
0:49:53 > 0:49:56'often expect a certain level of luxury.'
0:49:56 > 0:49:57There is this line, isn't there?
0:49:57 > 0:50:00This sort of divide where people are called pilgrims or they're
0:50:00 > 0:50:04called tourists, but maybe the two are becoming one now,
0:50:04 > 0:50:06and certainly in a place like this.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33Thank you.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36Prego. Grazie a voi. Thank you!
0:50:46 > 0:50:49I think what this town represents
0:50:49 > 0:50:52is the globalisation of pilgrimage.
0:50:52 > 0:50:56I think I'd have expected that in the 21st century,
0:50:56 > 0:50:59people would have been turning away from religious belief
0:50:59 > 0:51:02and pilgrimage to places like this, but quite the opposite.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05They've now got people coming from around the world here,
0:51:05 > 0:51:08and as long as they continue to come,
0:51:08 > 0:51:11the locals here are going to keep raking in the money.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16Pilgrimage trips were the forerunner of the modern holiday.
0:51:16 > 0:51:20Even the word is ultimately derived from "Holy Day."
0:51:20 > 0:51:24European pilgrimage had been in decline, but in recent decades,
0:51:24 > 0:51:27as we've become wealthier with more spare time, it's booming.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30We're softies compared to hardy medieval pilgrims,
0:51:30 > 0:51:32but we still have belief.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34Now many want to combine holiday and Holy Day -
0:51:34 > 0:51:36a pilgrimage, but with a swimming pool.
0:51:43 > 0:51:47An ancient pilgrimage route took me towards my final destination.
0:51:50 > 0:51:52Travellers from Britain and Northern Europe walked this way
0:51:52 > 0:51:56for centuries to get their first glimpse of the eternal city.
0:51:58 > 0:52:01- HE LAUGHS - Flipping 'eck!
0:52:03 > 0:52:05Look at that!
0:52:07 > 0:52:08Rome!
0:52:11 > 0:52:15This would have been the first chance that hundreds
0:52:15 > 0:52:19of thousands of pilgrims would have had to see this extraordinary
0:52:19 > 0:52:23city coming over the hill, and there it is in front of you.
0:52:24 > 0:52:26Vatican down there.
0:52:27 > 0:52:32Imagine coming here and really believing in your very core
0:52:32 > 0:52:35that your soul would benefit from this journey,
0:52:35 > 0:52:38from arriving here.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41You think what's wrapped up in that.
0:52:41 > 0:52:45The history, the culture, the power, the civilisation,
0:52:45 > 0:52:46the religion.
0:52:49 > 0:52:53Not just generations of it, but century after century.
0:52:53 > 0:52:58It's been one of the planet's great destinations.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07And still today,
0:53:07 > 0:53:11Rome pulls in the crowds like no other pilgrimage site in Europe.
0:53:17 > 0:53:20People come to Rome now in their millions for all sorts of
0:53:20 > 0:53:24reasons, but what really drew people in the past, pilgrims particularly,
0:53:24 > 0:53:28was the incredible collection of relics that were housed here.
0:53:28 > 0:53:32For hundreds of years, Rome had the finest collection of relics
0:53:32 > 0:53:35in the world, including the Ark Of The Covenant,
0:53:35 > 0:53:38the tablets of Moses and even, apparently,
0:53:38 > 0:53:40Jesus' foreskin and his umbilical cord.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46It would have taken Medieval pilgrims months
0:53:46 > 0:53:48to walk here from Britain.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51They would have been exhausted, but the city that awaited them
0:53:51 > 0:53:52had its disappointments.
0:53:54 > 0:53:56Many of the buildings were in ruins.
0:53:56 > 0:54:01Some of them were being quarried and mined for building material.
0:54:01 > 0:54:05It would have been a huge shock to pilgrims arriving here.
0:54:05 > 0:54:07They'd heard tales of this grand city,
0:54:07 > 0:54:11but the glory days of the Roman Empire were long past.
0:54:35 > 0:54:37The Tiber in those days as well
0:54:37 > 0:54:41wasn't the pleasant, flowing river that it is today.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44In fact, it was a bit of a mosquito-infested swamp.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49That was another great threat to pilgrims and travellers
0:54:49 > 0:54:52because, of course, mosquitoes often carry disease
0:54:52 > 0:54:59and Italy wasn't declared malaria-free until 1970.
0:54:59 > 0:55:03Pilgrims who came here contracted it, and speaking of somebody who
0:55:03 > 0:55:07also managed to get it, although in Africa, I can assure you
0:55:07 > 0:55:10it's about the most unpleasant thing you can go through in life.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24Despite all the threats and the challenges that faced them
0:55:24 > 0:55:26on their long journey, and even when they got to Rome,
0:55:26 > 0:55:30pilgrims kept coming, and they came for one thing in particular.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38St Peter's and the Vatican is where the apostle Peter was martyred,
0:55:38 > 0:55:40crucified upside down.
0:55:41 > 0:55:43This is the perfect time to be here.
0:55:43 > 0:55:46It's 10:45 on a Sunday morning,
0:55:46 > 0:55:48and people are gathering.
0:55:49 > 0:55:52I've come to St Peter's Square at a time when
0:55:52 > 0:55:56pilgrims arrive in their thousands to be blessed by the Pope.
0:55:57 > 0:56:00People have come here from all over the world.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03I can see the flags of Brazil,
0:56:03 > 0:56:06India over there, Poland, Argentina.
0:56:06 > 0:56:10They're here for the Pope, they're here for the Vatican,
0:56:10 > 0:56:11and Rome, of course, is still
0:56:11 > 0:56:14the biggest pilgrimage destination in Europe.
0:56:17 > 0:56:19Travelling across the Continent,
0:56:19 > 0:56:22I'd seen the powerful effects holy places had on pilgrims,
0:56:22 > 0:56:25but this was a much jollier gathering.
0:56:25 > 0:56:28We weren't seeing yet another bit of bone belonging to a saint
0:56:28 > 0:56:30who lived hundreds of years ago.
0:56:30 > 0:56:31For Catholics in the Square,
0:56:31 > 0:56:35the living father of their church was about to appear.
0:56:35 > 0:56:37Look at the tiny little figure up there!
0:56:37 > 0:56:39CROWD CHEERS AND APPLAUDS
0:56:39 > 0:56:41It is astonishing how many people are here,
0:56:41 > 0:56:45but this is an audience - not a very private audience -
0:56:45 > 0:56:49but one nonetheless, with a man who's close to God,
0:56:49 > 0:56:52but somebody who is a very big celebrity as well.
0:56:55 > 0:56:58CHEERING
0:57:13 > 0:57:15CHEERING
0:57:15 > 0:57:17This was the end of a journey that had taught me much
0:57:17 > 0:57:21about the history and beliefs of the Continent.
0:57:21 > 0:57:23I really feel I've come to understand how pilgrimage
0:57:23 > 0:57:28has helped to define routes and towns and cities across Europe
0:57:28 > 0:57:31and how it continues to define them today.
0:57:35 > 0:57:38I'd learned that European pilgrimage has always been a challenge,
0:57:38 > 0:57:41but a great opportunity for adventure.
0:57:41 > 0:57:44And clearly, for those who follow a pilgrim's path,
0:57:44 > 0:57:46it's about what they discover on the way,
0:57:46 > 0:57:50and about themselves, and not just about racing for the journey's end.
0:58:01 > 0:58:03CHEERING
0:58:08 > 0:58:10'Next time, on the final leg of my travels,
0:58:10 > 0:58:12'I go from Turkey to the Holy Land...'
0:58:13 > 0:58:15I can't quite believe it.
0:58:15 > 0:58:18The Church of the Nativity! I'm in Bethlehem.
0:58:18 > 0:58:22'..and finish my journey in the city of Jerusalem.'
0:58:24 > 0:58:26It's...utterly overwhelming.
0:58:50 > 0:58:54Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd