Pilgrimage Traditions and the Nature Mystique in Western European Culture

Aspects of nature veneration in the European Christian tradition are reflected in legends associated with San Dominico Abate, a 10th century precursor of Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecologists. An offering of snakes each May in honor of San Dominico at Cocullo, Italy, is interpreted as a Christianized continuation of pagan nature veneration. Other examples of nature veneration rooted in European Christianity are described, such as the involvement of animals and plants in revelations of sacred places as well as the relationship between natural features and the sanctity of religious pilgrimage sites.