Following in the Apostle’s Footprints in the Andes: Traces as Relics and Vestiges of Historic Presence

Abstract

The footprints left by Jesus Christ and some saints, whether on earth or on stones, are indices of historical presence, and are generally associated with those figures who did not leave bodily remains. Unlike bodily fragments, footprints and other traces, as well as the surface on which they are inscribed, were in close proximity with sacred matter and because of this they are considered contact relics. In the seventeenth century, colonial accounts that argue about the evangelization of Spanish America prior to the conquest highlight the importance of footprints and other traces allegedly left by Saint Thomas or one of his disciples as evidence of their presence and apostolic work in the region. Focusing on Antonio de la Calancha’s Crónica Moralizada (1638), this article discusses such narratives as part of an effort to build a Christian topography on the Andean landscape. I argue that the evocative language employed by the author evidences his interest in heightening the sacred aura of the stones where the saint had left traces of his presence. By doing so, Calancha transforms them into objects of contemplation while reaffirming their status as relics. Focusing on the materiality of the stones, and directing the reader’s attention to detail, Calancha replicates the spiritual experience of pilgrims, arresting their pace to piously examine and touch the sacred places, as well as the reverence that devotees offered to reliquaries.