Cnut makes pilgrimage to Rome
1026
The Anglo-Danish king walked barefoot through the Lateran and prostrated himself at St. Peter's tomb. He used the journey to extract trade and toll concessions for English merchants crossing the Alps. It was the first such pilgrimage by a reigning English monarch, and it startled the papal court. His letter home, written with genuine piety, promised to rule more justly upon his return to England.
In context
Also in 1026 (3 other events on record)
- Mahmud of Ghazni raids Somnath temple · South Asia · War
- Rajendra Chola builds Gangaikonda Cholapuram · South Asia · Culture
- Song canal system reaches peak extent · East Asia · Technology
Before and after in Europe
Before and after in Religion
Era
High Middle Ages (1000–1300), one of 1,306 events from that era on Saeculum.
Sources