During the romanesque period, people showed their piety to god and atoned for their sins by

embarking on pilgrimages.

A pilgrimage is a journey in search of spiritual meaning. In Christianity, the Holy Land is a particularly important site of pilgrimage, as this is the location with the closest connection to the life of Jesus Christ.

However, pilgrimages were also made within Europe to places such as Rome.  Other popular sites included the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Spain (along the Way of St. James), Maastricht, Aachen and Kornelimünster (the Pilgrimage of the Relics) and Canterbury Cathedral (as described by Chaucer).

when the united states took over

answer; overt behavior;