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Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

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PLAZA DE ZOCODOVER

August 13, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

PLAZA DE ZOCODOVER

Toledo, Spain During the latter years of the 15th century, the Plaza de Zocodover in Toledo, Spain was ground zero for the most infamous, if not the worst, persecution of the Jewish people in European history prior to the Holocaust: the Autos de Fe of the Spanish Inquisition.  From 1485 to 1492, Toledo was the headquarters of Tomas de Torquemada, the Grand Inquisitor of … [Read more...]

LEGACY OF THE SPANISH GOLDEN AGE

August 13, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

LEGACY OF THE SPANISH GOLDEN AGE

Several Locations, Spain During the centuries when the Moors ruled the Iberian Peninsula, southern Spain, or Andalusiam, became the most important center of Jewish life in Europe.  The various Islamic dynasties which ruled in Spain were, on the whole, more tolerant of Jews than in other places, and the Jewish community rose to a level of political and cultural influence that … [Read more...]

SANTO TORIBIO DE LIEBANA MONASTERY

June 8, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

SANTO TORIBIO DE LIEBANA MONASTERY

Cantabria, Spain The Santo Toribia De Liebana Monastery, tucked quietly away in a northern corner of Spain, has long harbored one of Christianity’s most coveted artifacts: the largest extent piece of the True Cross that Jesus was crucified upon.  Although critics have expressed pessimism at the authenticity of the True Cross as early as the 4th century AD, there is little … [Read more...]

MEZQUITA MOSQUE CATHEDRAL

June 8, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

MEZQUITA MOSQUE CATHEDRAL

Cordoba, Spain The Mezquita of Spain is one of Christianity’s greatest architectural oddities.  That is because it is, in fact, a converted mosque.  But not just any mosque; it was built by the Umayyads during their occupation of Spain, and was at the time of its construction the largest and grandest mosque in the world outside of Mecca.  After the Reconquista of Cordoba in … [Read more...]

CONVENT OF THE ORDER OF CHRIST

June 8, 2014 By Howard Kramer 1 Comment

CONVENT OF THE ORDER OF CHRIST

Tomar, Portugal When the Templars arrived in Western Iberia in 1160 AD, they built a string of fortresses to help secure their territories from the Moors.  The greatest of these, the Convento de Christo, is the finest surviving medieval castle in Portugal and one of the finest surviving Templar fortresses anywhere.  After their dissolution, most of what survived of the … [Read more...]

SANCTUARY OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA

June 7, 2014 By Howard Kramer 2 Comments

SANCTUARY OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA

Fatima, Portugal The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima is the most revered Catholic site in Portugal.  It stands on the site where a trio of young children witnessed an apparition of the Virgin Mary in 1917.  Small compared to the much larger Marian Shrines at Lourdes and Aparecida, it is nevertheless one of the finest 20th century cathedrals in Europe.  Although it is perhaps … [Read more...]

CATHEDRAL OF SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

June 1, 2014 By Howard Kramer 1 Comment

CATHEDRAL OF SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

Santiago De Compostela, Spain The city of Santiago de Compostela is one of only a handful of cathedrals generally recognized to be the site of an apostolic tomb: that of James the Greater.  According to a somewhat confusing tradition, the remains of James were brought here following his martyrdom at the hands of King Herod around the year 44 AD.  The first cathedral was … [Read more...]

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THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

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Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

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