E00511: The Piacenza Pilgrim records his visit to a church in Memphis (Lower Egypt), formerly a pagan temple, into which *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033) stepped with the young Jesus. Account of an anonymous pilgrim, written in Latin, probably in Placentia (northern Italy), c. 570.

Pilgrim of Piacenza, Itinerarium 44

First recension
In Memphi fuit templum, quod est modo ecclesia, cuius una regia se clausit ante Dominum nostrum, quando cum beata Maria illic fuit, et usque hactenus non potest aperiri. Ibi enim uidimus pallium lineum, in quo est effigies Saluatoris, quem dicunt tempore illo tersisset faciem suam in eo et remansisset imago ipsius ibi, quae singulis temporibus adoratur. Quem adorauimus et nos, sed propter splendorem non potueramus intendere, quia, quantum intendebas, inmutabatur in oculis tuis.

'In Memphis was the temple, which is now a church, which has a door which shut before our Lord when he was there with the blessed Mary, and until this day it cannot be opened. We saw there a piece of linen on which is the image of the Saviour. They say he then wiped his face with it, and that his image remained on it. It is venerated at various times and we also venerated it, but because of its splendour, we could not fully comprehend it, since, however hard one tried, it changed before your eyes.'


Second recension
In Nymphy fuit templum, quae est modo ecclesia, cuius una porta se clausit ante dominum nostrum, quando beata Maria cum ipso fuit in Aegyptum, et adhuc non potest aperiri. Ibi uidimus pallium lineum, in quo dicunt illum tempore illo tersisse et idcirco ibi eius remansisse uestigia. Quae imago singulis temporibus adoratur. Sed et nos adorauimus, sed propter splendorem non potuimus in eum intendere.

'In Memphis was the temple, which is now a church, which has a door which shut before the Lord when the blessed Mary was with him in Egypt, and until this day it cannot be opened. We saw there a piece of linen on which they say he then wiped his face, so that his trace remained on it. It is venerated at various times and we also venerated it, but because of its splendour we could not fully comprehend it.'


Text: Geyer 1898, 188 and 216. Translation: using Wilkinson 2002, 149.