The city of San Giovanni Rotondo in Southern Italy takes its name from the Rotondo di San Giovanni- an old building on the edge of the old town. The city is best known for the Shrine of Saint Pio which is concentrated on his tomb inside the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Padre Pio was ordained a priest and was transferred to several sites until 1916, when he arrived in San Giovanni Rotondo, where he remained for the last 52 years of his life. The Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie was built during Padre Pio’s lifetime to accommodate the large number of pilgrims visiting San Giovanni. The Shrine of Padre Pio receives 7 million pilgrims each year.

What will I see when I visit:

• Shrine of Padre Pio and the Saints’ tomb.
• The Monastery and the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza (Home for Relief of the Suffering) a private hospital founded by Saint Pio.
• Padre Pio Pilgrimage Church which was completed in 2004.
• Padre Pio’s cell, confessional and crucifix from which he received the stigmata.
• The spectacular Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) which was begun one day before Padre Pio’s death in 1968 and completed in 1981. The Via Crucis was designed by the Sicilian sculptor Francesco Messina and it is made of granite with bronze and marble sculptures.

For more information please visit our friends – www.conventopadrepio.com.