Pilgrimige to Maastricht

The Cult of Saint Servatius and the Veneration of the Relics

book will be published on March 14, 2025

By: Sandra Langereis, Pieternel Coenen, Jos Koldeweij, Jip van Reijen, Régis de la Haye, Miriam Paloni, Peter te Poel

For centuries, Maastricht has been a leading place of pilgrimage, whose Pilgrimage of the Relics, held every seven years, attracts over a hundred and fifty thousand visitors. The veneration of Saint Servatius, the sacred treasures of the Basilica of St. Servatius and the Basilica of Our Lady, and the four extraordinary devotions of Maastricht give the city a unique role in an ancient tradition of pilgrimage. Pilgrimage to Maastricht brings the city’s rich religious history to life with stories and illustrated essays by renowned authors and specialists. The book highlights the adventurous pilgrimage to the Holy Land undertaken by Arent Willemsz of Delft in 1525, and explores the meaning of the grave of Saint Servatius for Maastricht as a place of pilgrimage, and the pilgrims’ souvenirs that were distributed throughout Europe in the Middle Ages.

The authors also take a deeper look at the two treasuries in Maastricht where priceless relics are kept, the iconography of the key of Saint Servatius in regional sculpture, and what medieval charters signified for pilgrims. The book ends with the story of Maastricht’s four devotions, the holy statues that reflect the city’s turbulent history, and its many changes of power. This book reveals the deep roots of the cult of Saint Servatius and the Pilgrimage of the Relics in Maastricht. Pilgrimage to Maastricht is an inspiring guide for anyone seeking to understand religious heritage and traditions through modern narratives.

Exhibition: 

March 14 till August 31, 2025, Centre Céramique-Maastricht Museum - Pilgrimage to Maastricht: An inspiring perspective on the history of the Heiligdomsvaart

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