What to see in San Giovanni Rotondo, itinerary including the main places of interest related to the figure of Padre Pio, born as Francesco Forgione and then entered the order of the Capuchin Friars.
Tourist information
Famous for the Padre Pio Shrine, San Giovanni Rotondo is a town located in Puglia in the province of Foggia, within the area called the Gargano National Park.
It was founded in 1095 on the remains of an ancient village, of which few signs are still visible, including a circular baptistery and some tombstones.
The recent history of San Giovanni Rotondo is linked to the presence of Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, proclaimed a saint by Pope John Paul II.
The virtuous and beloved Friar Priest, lived in the Convent of the Capuchin Friars Minor of San Giovanni Rotondo, from 28 July 1916, the day he arrived there, to 23 September 1968, the day of his death.
The international fame of San Giovanni Rotondo is mainly due to the figure of San Pio.
Before the foundation of the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza hospital, the local economy was mainly devoted to sheep farming and agriculture.
Subsequently, the tourism sector of Catholic pilgrimages linked to Padre Pio of Petralcina had a great boost, with the presence every year of millions of faithful who come on pilgrimage to venerate this saint.
Padre Pio, whose name before becoming a friar was Francesco Forgione, was born in Pietrelcina on May 25, 1887 and died in San Giovanni Rotondo on September 23, 1968.
The name Pio was chosen by the friar in honor of the Christian martyr, revered in what is now the Church of Sant'Anna in Pietrelcina.
The personality of Padre Pio, described by the people who knew him, was very open and full of great humanity, although the appearances sometimes seemed the opposite, due to the sudden changes in mood.
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San Giovanni Rotondo has a long religious tradition, also found in some periodic city festivals, including the Vestition of the Madonnas, which is held in the streets of the historic center on the evening of August.
Another very heartfelt period of celebration, which lasts three days from 8 to 10 September, is the procession of Santa Maria delle Grazie, an occasion on which, a painting depicting the Madonna delle Grazie, is transported by the Convent of the Capuchin friars, founded by Padre Pio, up to the Mother Church.
What see
The construction of the Convent and the Church of the Madonna delle Grazie began in 1540, on land lying on a hill to the west of the town, donated to the Capuchin Fathers.
The church, built in local Montenero stone, was initially dedicated to Santa Maria degli Angeli, later it was enlarged and on July 5, 1676 it was dedicated to Maria Santissima delle Grazie.
In 1959 a new church was consecrated, always dedicated to Santa Maria delle Grazie, which constitutes a single body with the ancient church.
The construction was made necessary by the growing number of pilgrims who went to visit Padre Pio while he was still alive.
The turnout did not cease after his death and, to contain the thousands of pilgrims who reach San Giovanni Rotondo, a new church was built, designed by architect Renzo Piano, adjacent to the existing convent and church.
The inauguration of the new Church of San Pio took place on July 1, 2004, after about ten years of work.
In the crypt of the church is the saint's body.
Among the places to visit near San Giovanni Rotondo, there is Monte Sant'Angelo, a town located 25 km away, famous for the sanctuary of San Michele Arcangelo, inside which there is the cave of the apparitions to Archangel Michael occurred in the fifth century.
The place has become a destination for pilgrimages since the sixth century, then, starting from the year 1000, the urban center developed around it.
In the historic center there are various places of interest, including the Church of San Giuseppe Artigiano, the Church of San Nicola, with its remarkable copper portal depicting some stages of the life of San Nicola, the Church of Santa Caterina, the oldest of the town, the Mother Church of San Leonardo, the main Church, with an entrance portal where the statue of St. Michael the Archangel stands out, the Church of Sant'Orsola, recently restored and very rich in history, the Church of the Madonna di Loreto, which reproduces the place of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem in real size, the Church of Sant'Onofrio and the Church of San Giovanni Battista, dating back to the second and third century BC
For history buffs, a visit to the archaeological finds located in the ancient village of Sant’Egidio and La Curvara is also recommended.
