page_title: Pilgrimage of the Relics, Maastricht
section_title: 16th-17th century: Decline of the Maastricht pilgrimage
hierarchical_section_title: Pilgrimage of the Relics, Maastricht / History / 16th-17th century: Decline of the Maastricht pilgrimage
caption_attribution_description: English: Pilgrimage booklets and forms of the Church of Saint Servatius in Maastricht, Netherlands (16th/17th c.).
context_page_description: The Pilgrimage of the Relics or Maastricht Septennial Pilgrimage is a seven-yearly Catholic event in the Dutch city of Maastricht. Originating in the Middle Ages, it developed from a pilgrimage to the grave of Saint Servatius into the present-day religious, historical, cultural and commercial enterprise. Highlights in the programme are the displaying or unveiling of the relics in the main churches and secondly, the processions with the town's main relics. The next pilgrimage will take place in 2025.
context_section_description: The decline of the Maastricht pilgrimage in the 16th century was a result of the Protestant Reformation, as well as the ensuing wars of religion and outbreaks of the plague. This affected Maastricht as much as many other places in north-western Europe. The 1489 and 1552 pilgrimages were cancelled due to threat of war. During the Siege of Maastricht (1579) the three "heavenly cloths" went missing, whereas the reliquary bust of Saint Servatius was largely destroyed. Maastricht became a heavily defended Catholic bulwark. By 1608 attendance to the pilgrimage had dropped to 13,000. After the Capture of Maastricht by the Protestant Dutch Republic in 1632, a ban on processions and other religious manifestations in public was issued, meaning the end of the traditional Heiligdomsvaart. The pilgrimages of 1655 and 1662 took place inside the Church of Saint Servatius. After 1706 no septennial pilgrimages took place until the revival of the tradition in the 19th century.
  During the French Annexation (1794-1814) the religious chapters in Maastricht were abolished. For some years both collegiate churches were used as military arsenals and horse stables. The church treasures suffered great losses in this period. Many objects of gold and silver were melted down in order to pay for war taxes. After the French period neglect continued. Some of the medieval reliquaries were sold to collectors or just given away. The church of Saint Servatius lost the four panels that belonged to the chest of Saint Servatius, as well as its Vera Icon by Van Eyck. Our Lady's lost its Byzantine Cross and various other objects (see above). Few regretted these losses at the time. With the disappearance of the pilgrimages and the religious institutions that had guarded these objects for centuries, they had become meaningless to most.
caption: Pilgrim's booklet and confessional certificates, 16th-17th century
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