It was found that many of the pretended interpreters were either imperfectly acquainted with the language of the foreigners, or were knaves in collusion with the priestly confessors, who made the poor pilgrims confess whatever they chose, and pay for their sins accordingly.

A better subject for a scene in comedy could scarcely be imagined.

But, to remedy this abuse, penitentiaries were established at Rome, in which the confessors understood foreign languages.
The number of days fixed for the Roman pilgrims to visit the churches was thirty; and fifteen or ten for the Italians and other strangers, according to the distance of the places from which they came.
Petrarch says that it is inconceivable how the city of Rome, whose adjacent fields were untilled, and whose vineyards had been frozen the year before, could for twelve months support such a confluence of people.

He extols the hospitality of the citizens, and the abundance of food which prevailed; but Villani and others give us more disagreeable accounts--namely, that the Roman citizens became hotel-keepers, and charged exorbitantly for lodgings, and for whatever they sold.

Numbers of pilgrims were thus necessitated to live poorly; and this, added to their fatigue and the heats of summer, produced a great mortality.
As soon as Petrarch, relieved by surgical skill from the wound in his leg, was allowed to go out, he visited all the churches.
After having performed his duties at the jubilee, Petrarch returned to Padua, taking the road by Arezzo, the town which had the honour of his birth.