French stories of travellers-pilgrims in Spain at the end of the 19th century: a historical and ideological testimony

Abstract

Stories written in French about travels to Spain in the 19th century that include pious visits to Compostela are very scarce. Only four of them have been discovered to date. They were written at the end of the 19th century. The analysis of the peregrination to Compostela has been the starting point that has led to the discovery of the same ideological tenets the authors of the above mentioned five works share. All of them express a very conservative point of view with regard to religious believes, politics, culture, economy, and even literature. The representation of lived experiences and the description of the places visited in Spain (not only in Galicia) are accompanied by sorrowful reflections (such as the criticism of the bad situation of Catholicism and the clergy throughout the Third Republic in France) or by excited and belligerent declarations in defense of the faith (like the praise for the Catholic confession in Spain). Therefore, it can be concluded that these writers are not mere travellers-pilgrims. They are also reactionary witnesses of their times.