The Road to Guadalupe: A Modern Pilgrimage to the Virgin of the Americas

Eryk Hanut’s travel narrative follows a personal pilgrimage to the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico, the second most visited Catholic shrine in the world. Hanut, a photographer, approaches the site with a mix of reverence and skepticism, documenting the intense commercialism and modern spirituality that surround the veneration of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The text moves between the physical reality of the shrine and the historical weight of the 1531 apparition to Juan Diego, drawing on the oldest known manuscript accounts to explore the origins of the icon.

The book is distinctive for its focus on the syncretic nature of Mexican Catholicism. Hanut examines how the devotion to the Virgin intertwines with pre-Columbian Aztec religious practices, a phenomenon often referred to as brujeria. By analyzing the tilma—the cloak bearing the Virgin’s image—and the surrounding cultural rituals, the work offers a nuanced look at how faith, history, and identity converge in the Americas. The writing style is observational and reflective, blending travelogue elements with cultural criticism and theological inquiry.

Description adapted from Open Library ↗.