Want to visit Padre Pio Shrine in San Giovanni Rotondo in Italy? I visited the Sanctuary of St Padre Pio in Italy on my Puglia road trip.
San Giovanni Rotondo with its Padre Pio Shrine is one of the best places to visit in Puglia for believers, spiritual seekers, and alike. And, here’s my guide on how to visit Padre Pio Shrine, what does Shrine of Padre Pio looks like, how to get to San Giovanni Rotondo, and where to stay in San Giovanni Rotondo.
THIS POST MAY CONTAIN COMPENSATED LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLAIMER FOR MORE INFO.
Are you planning a trip to Padre Pio Shrine last minute?
If you are traveling to San Giovanni Rotondo last minute, I prepared for you a short summary of how to get to San Giovanni Rotondo, the best hotel in San Giovanni Rotondo, and more!
GETTING TO PADRE PIO SHRINE IN SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO
Fly to Bari, and drive to Padre Pio Shrine. Check out car rentals at Bari Airport
Fly to Brindisi Airport, and drive. Check out car rentals at Brindisi Airport.
Fly to Rome Airport, and drive. Check out rental cars at Rome Fiumicino Airport!
Fly to Naples Airport, and drive. Check out car rentals at Naples Airport.
BEST TOUR FROM ROME TO PADRE PRIO SHRINE
Padre Pio Shrine in San Giovanni Rotondo Private Tour from Rome
BEST TOUR OF PADRE PIO SHRINE IN SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO
San Giovanni Rotondo: Spiritual Experience of Saint Pio tour
BEST PLACE TO STAY IN SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO:
Hotel Vittoria – a 4-star hotel is a 5-minute walk from the Sanctuary of Padre Pio and next to the Home of the Relief of Suffering hospital.
Contents
- PADRE PIO SHRINE IN SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO
PADRE PIO SHRINE IN SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO
1. Where is Padre Pio Shrine in Italy
Padre Pio Shrine, also called Padre Pio Pilgrimage Church, is in the small town of San Giovanni Rotondo in the Puglia region in southern Italy. Lecce and Bari are the most famous cities close to San Giovanni Rotondo in Puglia.
Padre Pio Shrine in San Giovanni Rotondo is a famous Catholic pilgrimage site in Italy. The official name of the shrine is the Sanctuary of Saint Mary, Our Lady of Grace. However, it is popularly known as Padre Pio Shrine since it keeps the remains of St Padre Pio of Pietrelcina.
The impressive Padre Pio Shrine is the second largest church in Italy, after Milan Cathedral. The Sanctuary of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina covers an area of about 65,000 ft2 (6,000 m2). It receives up to 16,000 people. There is seating space for 6,000 people and additional space for 10,000 people to stand in the sanctuary. In addition, there is a space in the courtyard for 30,000 people.
The Padre Pio Shrine is the third most visited Catholic pilgrimage site, after the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France. 6 million people a year visit the Padre Pio Shrine in San Giovanni Rotondo.
2. Who was Padre Pio
Saint Pio of Pietrelcina is one of the most worshipped and beloved Catholic saints in Italy and afar. It is the second most honored saint in Italy, after St Francis of Assisi (the saint patron of Italy).
Padre Pio is called ‘the greatest mystic of the 20th century. He was a humble and quiet Franciscan Capuchin friar who spent most of his life in poverty, obedience, and chastity in the Capuchin convent of San Giovanni Rotondo in Italy.
Padre Pio was a mystic and stigmata who had bleeding stigmata wounds for 50 years until the end of his life. Many miracles and mystical phenomena happened thanks to the intercession of Padre Pio. He had many spiritual gifts like the gift of bilocation, levitation, healing, prophecy, miracles, the gift of tongues, and the gift of reading hearts.
Padre Pio lived in San Giovanni Rotondo from 1916 until 1968 when he died.
He died on September 23, 1968. So, Padre Pio Feast Day is September 23. About 100,000 people attended the funeral of Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo on September 26, 1968.
On June 16 2002, Pope John Paul II proclaimed Padre Pio ‘Saint Pio of Pietrelcina’. 300,000 people were at the canonization of St Padre Pio in Vatican City in 2002.
You can read more about Padre Pio: Pray, Hope, and Don’t Worry: True Stories of Padre Pio Book 1 and Pray, Hope, and Don’t Worry: True Stories of Padre Pio Book II.
3. Where is San Giovanni Rotondo
San Giovanni Rotondo is a small town in the region of Puglia in southeastern Italy.
Foggia is the closest big town to San Giovanni Rotondo. San Giovanni Rotondo is 27 mi (43 km) away from Foggia.
San Giovanni Rotondo is in the Foggia province in the Gargano Mountains on the Gargano peninsula in Puglia.
Monte Sant’Angelo, another famous pilgrimage site and one of seven sanctuaries in honor of Saint Michel in Europe, is also close to San Giovanni Rotondo. Monte Sant’Angelo is only a 30-minute drive from San Giovanni Rotondo.
4. How to get to Padre Pio Italy
The nearest airport to San Giovanni Airport is Bari Airport. Bari is the capital of Puglia, the region to which San Giovanni Rotondo belongs.
There is no train station in San Giovanni Rotondo.
4.1 How to get from Bari to Padre Pio Shrine
Bari to San Giovanni Rotondo: 87 mi /140 km; 1 h 50 min
San Giovanni Rotondo is 87 mi (140 km) from Bari, the capital of the Puglia region. It takes only about one hour and 50 min by car from Bari to Padre Pio Shrine in San Giovanni Rotondo.
Check out car rentals at Bari Airport. PS: You might get surprised by how affordable rental cars are!
There is no train station in San Giovanni Rotondo. Trains from Bari Centrale train station run to Foggia daily, and buses go from Foggia to San Giovanni Rotondo. A train ride from Bari to Foggia takes one hour and 10 min on average, and a bus ride from Foggia to San Giovanni Rotondo takes one hour.
4.2 How to get from Brindisi to Padre Pio Shrine
Brindisi to San Giovanni Rotondo: 155 mi/250 km; 2 h 50 min
San Giovanni Rotondo is about 155 mi (250 km) from Brindisi in Puglia. It takes less than 3 hours by car from Brindisi to San Giovanni Rotondo.
I flew to Brindisi Airport, rented a car at the airport, and visited Padre Pio Shrine in San Giovanni Rotondo on my Puglia road trip. Check out car rentals at Brindisi Airport, too!
Trains from Milano Centrale train stations run to Foggia several times a day, and from Foggia to San Giovanni buses run several times a day as well. There is no train station at San Giovanni Rotondo. A train ride from Brindisi to Foggia takes four hours on average, and a bus ride from Foggia to San Giovanni Rotondo takes one hour.
There are no direct buses from Brindisi to San Giovanni Rotondo. Buses run from Brindisi to Foggia and from Foggia to San San Giovanni Rotondo daily. A bus journey from Brindisi to San Giovanni Rotondo lasts 3 hours and 40 min on average.
4.3 How to get from Naples to Padre Pio Shrine
Naples to San Giovanni Rotondo: 135 mi/218 mi; 2 h 30 min
San Giovanni Rotondo is 135 mi (218 km) away from Naples. It takes only 2 hours and 30 min by car from Naples to San Giovanni Rotondo. Check out car rentals at Naples Airport.
There is no train station in San Giovanni Rotondo.
Trains from Napoli Centrale (the main train station in Naples) and Naples Garibaldi train station run to Foggia daily. And, from Foggia to San Giovanni buses run several times a day. An average train ride from Naples to Foggia takes four hours and a half. A bus ride from Foggia to San Giovanni Rotondo takes one hour.
There are no direct buses from Naples to San Giovanni Rotondo. Buses run from Naples to Foggia and from Foggia to San San Giovanni Rotondo daily. A bus journey from Naples to San Giovanni Rotondo lasts 3 hours and 45 min on average.
4.4 How to get from Rome to Padre Pio Shrine
Rome to San Giovanni Rotondo: 236 mi/380 km; 4 h
San Giovanni Rotondo is about 236 mi (380 km) southeast of Rome. It takes 4 hours by car from Rome to San Giovanni Rotondo. Check out rental cars at Rome Fiumicino Airport!
Pilgrims can visit Padre Pio Shrine from Rome on a private guided tour. Check out Padre Pio Shrine in San Giovanni Rotondo Private Tour from Rome (Viator). This tour lasts from 10 to 12 hours on average. Visiting Padre Pio Shrine on a guided tour from Rome is among the best day trips from Rome.
Direct buses run from Rome to San Giovanni Rotondo daily. A bus ride from Rome Tiburtina bus station to San Giovanni Rotondo takes 5 hours and 35 min on average.
There is no train station in San Giovanni Rotondo. Trenitalia trains go from Rome to Foggia rain daily. And, SITA buses go from Foggia to San Giovanni Rotondo daily as well. A train ride from Roma Termini train station to Foggia takes 2 hours and 45 min on average. A bus ride from Foggia to San Giovanni Rotondo takes one hour.
5. Padre Pio Shrine Church
Padre Pio shrine is one of the most impressive churches in Italy.
The world-renowned architect Renzo Piano designed the church. The shrine is a masterpiece of ultra-modern architecture. The shell-shaped shrine, made from the local Apricena stone from the Gargano peninsula, is among the most remarkable churches in the world.
The St Padre Pio Shrine was built only by donations from the faithful. Padre Pio shrine in San Giovanni Rotondo was constructed in 10 years and inaugurated on July 1st, 2004.
The shrine has three main parts: the liturgical hall, the chapel of the Eucharist, and the sacristy.
Arnaldo Pomodoro, a famous artist, designed the altar in the liturgical hall. The altar with the huge octagonal tabernacle is the central point of the liturgical hall. The pulpit, made of a single stone block, is near the altar.
A handmade organ with 5,800 pipes is on the left side of the altar. On the right side of the altar is a colorful stained glass window with the scenes of the Apocalypse of St. John in 84 panels is one the right side of the altar.
The Chapel of the Eucharist has beautiful resurrection-themed frescoes and some scenes depicting Padre Pio’s life. The stunning tabernacle made of a single lava block from the Mt Etna volcano is in the middle of the chapel.
Spectacular mosaics adorn the ramp that leads to the crypt chapel.
Fr Ivan Marko Rupnik created the timeless mosaics along the ramp and in the crypt chapel.
Fr Rupnik is a renowned artist whose extraordinary works adorn many Catholic churches (including the Church of Our Lady in Fatima and the Church of Our Lady in Lourdes).
The mosaics on the right side of the ramp are related to Padre Pio, and the mosaics on the left side relate to St Francis of Assisi.
The crypt with the glass coffin of the intact body of Padre Pio is the most beautiful part of the church.
The Crypts mosaics portray scenes of the life of Christ and the Biblical scenes that inspired Padre Pio and St Francis of Assisi.
The spacious churchyard in front of the church can take up to 30,000 people.
There is a fountain and 24 olive trees in the churchyard. The fountain represents the Jordan River, and the 24 trees represent the 12 prophets of the Old Testament and the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ.
The Shrine of Padre Pio of Pietrelcina in San Giovanni Rotondo in Italy is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day.
If you decide to visit San Giovanni Rotondo independently, you might like the San Giovanni Rotondo: Spiritual Experience of Saint Pio tour (Get Your Guide)
6. Padre Pio Shrine complex
The Padre Pio Shrine complex includes the ‘original church’, the ‘old church’, and the modern shrine.
The ‘original church’ and the ‘old church’ (Chiesa Antica) stand next to the shrine. The ancient church is the small and modest church where Padre Pio prayed and celebrated Mass in the first years of his spiritual life in San Giovanni Rotondo.
Over time, the holiness of Padre Pio attracted many people who started coming to San Giovanni Rotondo. Therefore, the ancient church was enlarged. Today the enlarged Our Lady of Grace Church is called the old church.
The intact body of Padre Pio was originally in an underground tomb and then in a crypt in the old church, but later it was moved to the new shrine.
Padre Pio celebrated Mass on a side altar of the old church for four decades. In this church, he heard confessions and prayed. In the adjacent Capuchin convent, Padre Pio lived, prayed, and answered numerous letters written to him during his lifetime in San Giovanni Rotondo. Today visitors can see the small conventual chamber of Padre Pio.
A hospital called Home of the Relief of Suffering (Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza) stands next to the old church and the shrine. Padre Pio founded the hospital built with donations from his followers. The Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza opened in 1956 and had 300 beds. Today the hospital has over 1000 beds, and it is one of the most reputed scientific research hospitals in Europe.
Way of the Cross (Via Crucis) on the hillside near the hospital is a notable site for visiting in San Giovanni Rotondo.
7. Where to stay in San Giovanni Rotondo
Hotel Vittoria – a 4-star hotel is a 5-minute walk from the Sanctuary of Padre Pio and next to the Home of the Relief of Suffering hospital.
instructions:8. Additional info on visiting Padre Pio Shrine in San Giovanni Rotondo
Pilgrims can request Holy Mass for their intention in the pilgrims’ center of Padre Pio Shrine in San Giovanni Rotondo.
On my visit to Padre Pio Shrine in San Giovanni Rotondo, I requested a Holy Mass for my intention, gave a modest contribution, and filled out a short form. I wrote my name, surname, home address, and the mass intention as required on the form.
Since then, I have been unexpectedly receiving beautiful greeting cards and gifts from San Giovanni Rotondo every few months. They bring a special joy to my heart, along with feeling connected to St Padre Pio.
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9. Q&A
When did Padre Pio die?
Padre Pio died in San Giovanni Rotondo in Italy on September 23, 1968. So, Padre Pio Feast Day is September 23.
Where was Padre Pio born?
Padre Pio was born in a small village called Pietrelcina in the Campania region in southern Italy. Pietrelcina is a 2-hour drive from San Giovanni Rotondo, where Padre Pio lived most of his monastic life.
Where did Padre Pio live?
Padre Pio spent most of his life as a Capuchin friar in a convent in the town of San Giovanni Rotondo in southern Italy. St Padre Pio lived in San Giovanni Rotondo from 1916 until 1968.