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.

History Maastricht as a pilgrimage town

Maastricht had been an important destination for pilgrims centuries before the first recorded septennial pilgrimage. The first to mention pilgrims paying tribute at the grave of Saint Servatius was Gregory of Tours in the late 6th century. It was at that time that bishop Monulph replaced the wooden grave chapel with a stone basilica.Gregory of Tours (587): Liber in gloria confessorum ("The Glory of the Confessors"), chapter 71 (online text in Latin). Calendars of saints from the 8th and 9th century make mention of miracles happening at the saint's grave.Koldeweij (1990), pp. 97-98. As the number of pilgrims increased, the original church became too small. It was replaced by ever larger structures, until the current church was built in the 11th century. Throughout the centuries the Church of Saint Servatius acquired many relics, which were housed in precious reliquaries. The indulgences connected to these relics brought in more pilgrims. A French pilgrim calculated in 1453 that in one year in Maastricht one could earn about 800 years reduction of purgatorial punishment. At the same time, it was assumed that a completed Maastricht pilgrimage was rewarded with a plenarary indulgence (full remittance of punishment).Koldeweij (1990), pp. 91-92.

The other collegiate church in Maastricht, the Church of Our Lady, possessed important relics too. After the First Crusade (1096-99), two major relics of the True Cross were acquired from Constantinople. One was the so-called Pectoral Cross of Constantine, which was set in a small golden triptych. The other was the Byzantine double cross or Patriarchal cross, presented to the church by Philip of Swabia. Both reliquaries were donated to the pope by a former canon in 1837. They are now in the Treasury of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Another reason for pilgrims to visit Our Lady's was the relic of the girdle of the Virgin Mary, which remains in the church today.The nowadays much venerated 15th-century statue of Our Lady, Star of the Sea only arrived in this church in 1837, and thus prior to that date had no role in attracting pilgrims to Our Lady's. Koldeweij (1990), p. 98.

There was great rivalry between the two principal churches when it came to attracting pilgrims. More pilgrims meant more income. The Chapter of St Servatius, considering itself the oldest and more powerful institution, made sure that no relics were shown in the open air at Our Lady's. It has been suggested that the ambulatory gallery in the choir of Our Lady's was used for this purpose. Whichever way they showed their relics, it was almost certainly less effective than the spectacular open-air displays at St Servatius'. Over the centuries several disputes arose from this, some were fought at the highest level at the Papal Tribunal., 'Geschiedenis van de Maastrichtse Heiligdomsvaart'. In: Van Rensch/Koldeweij/De la Haye/De Kreek (1990), pp. 116-117. The differences culminated in 1495, when the Chapter of Saint Servatius commissioned a copy of the Patriarchal Cross of Our Lady's.

For the benefit of the pilgrims two hospitiums were built on the south-west corner of Vrijthof. The Hospitium of Saint Servatius is first mentioned in the 11th century. Next to it stood the Hospitium of Saint James, which was specifically built for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. Due to dwindling numbers of pilgrims, both institutions took on other tasks in the 17th century. They were demolished in the early 19th century.Koldeweij (1990), pp. 98-99.

Middle Ages: Apogee of the Maastricht pilgrimage

The Dutch word heiligdomsvaart (German: Heiligtumsfahrt) means "journey to the holy relics". It is probably derived from the older German terms Römerfahrt and Aachener Fahrt, the medieval journeys or pilgrimages to Rome and Aachen. The Maastricht heiligdomsvaart was long held simultaneously with Aachen and Kornelimünster Abbey. Together they offered some of the best relics to be seen in Europe. A papal bull of 1249 is the oldest document referring to the Maastricht pilgrimage around the traditional dates in mid-July, although the name heyldomsvaert is not mentioned until 1440. The term used in 1391 was heiligdomskermis ("fair of the holy relics"). The popularity of the Maastricht-Aachen-Kornelimünster pilgrimage reached its zenith in the 15th century when up to 140,000 pilgrims visited these towns in mid-July.De la Haye (1990), pp. 107-113.

The septennial pilgrimage in medieval Maastricht was centred around the Church of Saint Servatius, although Our Lady's and other churches undoubtedly benefitted with their indoors activities. The traditional date was one week before and one week after 16 July, the feast of the holy bishops Monulph and Gondulph.In Aachen the pilgrimage centred around 17 July, the dedication of Aachen Cathedral. It remains unclear whether this was a coincidence or planned. It was certainly hugely beneficial to both. Later Kornelimünster joined in. It is not known when this date became the focal point of the Maastricht pilgrimage but in 1289 auxiliary bishop Bonaventura of Liège offered an indulgence to pilgrims visiting the grave of Saint Servatius around this time of the year. The year in which a septennial pilgrimage took place was a Jubilee, which meant that extra indulgences were granted. The majority of pilgrims aimed to earn indulgences by visiting the grave of Saint Servatius, drinking holy water from the cup of Saint Servatius and attending at least one of the daily relics displays. No indulgences could be obtained without going to confession and doing penance. After fulfilling the requirements pilgrims received a pre-printed confessional certificate. A chaplain would fill in the name of the pilgrim and attach the seal of the church.De la Haye (1990), pp. 113-115.

In Maastricht the Collegiate Church of Saint Servatius had the sole right of showing relics in the open air. During the septennial pilgrimage this took place once a day at Vrijthof Square. In the 15th-century so many pilgrims gathered there, that the walls around the square had to be taken down.: 'Het graf blijft warm' on website NRC Handelsblad, 12 September 2003. After celebrating an open-air mass, a selection of the church's relics were shown from the dwarf gallery, the arcaded gallery just below the apse's roof. The dwarf gallery was decorated for the occasion with cloths printed with angels and Saint Servatius' keys.

The showing of the relics must have been a theatrical event during which many pilgrims were overcome with emotion. Throughout the ceremony loud cries could be heard.Van Os (2000), p. 84. Some pilgrims were sitting on rooftops around Vrijthof to get a better view of the relics and to benefit from their exposure.: 'Maastricht in de ban van de Sint Servaas' in NRC Handelsblad, 24 August 1990. Many took bread, meat and personal objects with them in order to be blessed by the relics. The relics were shown in four groups. Each group was announced with a formula that started with: "Thou shall be shown...", followed by a brief description of the objects and a prayer. The fixed order was: 1. the sudarium of Saint Servatius (one of the three "heavenly cloths", lost during the Siege of Maastricht of 1579) along with his crozier; 2. the red shroud of Saint Servatius along with his pilgrim's staff; 3. the white cloth that covered the sarcophagus of Saint Servatius, along with his chalice and paten; 4. the reliquary bust of Saint Servatius, the reliquary arm of Saint Thomas and the silver pectoral cross made by Saint Luke for the Virgin Mary.Kroos (1985), pp. 353-355. The pilgrims were then invited to visit the grave inside the church and see the other relics on display there.Many did visit the tomb of Saint Servatius, some lying on top of it and confessing their sins, as described by a pilgrim from Geraardsbergen in 1433. Koldeweij (1990), p. 94. The ceremony was concluded by bell ringing and pilgrims blowing their pilgrim horns.De la Haye (1990), pp. 116, 121.

Throughout the Middle Ages tens of thousands visited Maastricht during the septennial pilgrimage.There are no exact visitor numbers available. In Aachen 142.000 pilgrims visited in 1496. It is assumed that most of them visited Maastricht as well. De la Haye (1990), p. 113. Monasteries, hospitals, alms houses and individual citizens offered shelter, as only a limited number could be admitted to the town's official pilgrims' hospitiums.Koldeweij (1990), p. 99. Pilgrims came from all over Europe, notably from the Low Countries, France (Normandy and Brittany in particular, where Saint Servatius was venerated much), England, the Holy Roman Empire (Germany, Austria and Bohemia), Hungary and Scandinavia. After visiting Maastricht many carried on to Aachen and Kornelimünster, or to other pilgrimage sites.Maastricht pilgrim badges have been found in most of the afore-mentioned countries. Five badges from Maastricht as well as French and Italian sites, stuck together as a result of oxidation, were found in a grave at Selje Abbey in Norway. It may be assumed that all five were collected during a single pilgrimage. Koldeweij (1990), pp. 90-91, 100-101. The pilgrims were vital for the town's medieval economy. During the septennial pilgrimage the usually strict rules for trading were relaxed. Every citizen could sell food and drink or change currency.Ubachs/Evers (2005), p. 566: 'Vrijheid van Sint Servaas'. Pilgrims were offered a range of religious souvenirs: pilgrim horns made of clay, pilgrim flasks made of white pipe clay and, most of all, pilgrim badges made of tin or lead. In the 16th and 17th century these were gradually replaced by printed images, pilgrim's forms, booklets, medals and flags. The objects were often decorated with images of relics from Maastricht, Aachen and Kornelimünster, which made it easy to sell them in all three places.Koldeweij (1990), pp. 102-104.

The fourteen days of the Maastricht pilgrimage were known as the "Freedom of Saint Servatius". It was a period when normal rules did not apply, resulting in more freedom for citizens and visitors but also in more crime. The start of this period was announced by the town watchmen blowing their buisines. From that moment on no-one could be tried for past offences. There was always a number of pilgrims who had been sent on a pilgrimage as part of a penalty.Koldweij (1990), p. 89. Breaking the rules during this time was punished with forced pilgrimages (e.g. to Santiago de Compostela) or fines. Magistrates and guilds formed militia that patrolled the streets, especially in areas where many pilgrims gathered. The large concentration of people in the relatively small city of around 15,000 also posed threats of fire and disease. Citizens were obliged to have a bucket of water on their doorstep to help prevent major conflagrations.Ubachs/Evers (2005), p. 219: 'Heiligdosmvaart'.

16th-17th century: Decline of the Maastricht pilgrimage