Hot on the Trail: Pilgrimage and Crime in Early Modern Spain.

This article examines the complexities of identifying and verifying the identities and intentions of pilgrims in early modern Spain, focusing on a 1636 case involving Don Pierre de Praxelier, an epileptic French priest suspected of espionage while traveling to Santiago de Compostela. Drawing on secular and ecclesiastical court records from Navarre, Aragon, and Gipuzkoa, it highlights the sophisticated forensic and legal methods—such as blind lineups, linguistic and medical evaluations, and itinerary verification—used by diocesan and royal courts to distinguish genuine pilgrims from imposters, criminals, or spies amid widespread suspicion of travelers. The study situates pilgrimage within broader social and economic contexts, revealing how poverty, illness, and marginalization blurred the lines between sacred travel and criminality, and how legal authorities adapted emerging evidence-based practices to manage these ambiguities. Ultimately, the article underscores the challenges faced by early modern communities in balancing hospitality with security, and the role of legal institutions in shaping the social category of the pilgrim.