Filip Wolański

University of Wrocław

The Religious Experience of the Inhabitants of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in Marian Sanctuaries in Italy, France, and Spain in the Light of Eighteenth-Century Travel Accounts

Travel accounts are an important type of egodocuments. Their writing convention allows for insights into the reflections of the traveler regarding their individual religious experiences, which are often deeply personal, and sometimes even intimate. Analysis of the accounts of the residents of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth provides significant information about their religious mentality. Through the lens of descriptions of religious experiences, one can analyze perceptions of the otherness of the Romance countries with their strong cultures and compare the understanding of religious cults, particularly Marian devotion, which is very important for Catholic religiosity.

The aim of the presentation is to highlight these phenomena and issues in the light of the accounts of the 18th-century residents of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, including those from sanctuaries in Loreto, Montserrat, and Rome, as well as lesser-known places of the Marian cult in the Romance countries. Accounts from clergy and laypeople (including women) of various ages and social standings will be utilized. An attempt will be made to answer the question of how much the travel accounts of residents of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth can be considered as egodocuments.