Pilgrim Badge

In medieval Europe, the souvenirs and remains of holy men and women were widely venerated, supported by the belief that these objects possessed the power to perform miracles and serve as intercessors with God. Pilgrims travelled far and wide to visit famous relics, bolstering a thriving tourist industry, complete with souvenirs. Pilgrim badges like this one occasionally show up on the foreshore of the River Thames, mostly in the London Bridge area. In some cases, they are bent in half. In the Middle Ages, London pilgrims would typically start or end their journey at a chapel located in the middle of the Old London Bridge. It is believed that some pilgrims would throw their badges into the water in an act of thanksgiving for their safe travel home. The pewter badge with Madonna and Child resembles the images of Our Lady in Willesden, whose shrine was located in north-east London, although it could be a souvenir from a pilgrimage to another place. Even relatively short pilgrimages required determination and luck, as they would often lead through woodlands, with bandit groups operating in some areas. Some medieval pilgrims decided to travel even further afield. The most popular long religious journeys included Santiago de Compostela in Spain and other pilgrimages to Rome or Jerusalem.