The re-sacralization process of contemporary pilgrimage. A phenomenological study of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela

The paper aims to shed light on the phenomenon of contemporary pilgrimage investigating the sacred and secular components of pilgrims’ experience. The study adopts both qualitative and quantitative research techniques using content analysis and text mining to analyze the narratives of ten Italian pilgrims who spontaneously shared their experience uploading their diaries on a dedicated website after taking the Camino of Santiago de Compostela. Results show that during the journey pilgrims implement a re-sacralization process of the Camino where religiosity plays a very limited role.