Interest

San Giovanni Rotondo is the most important place of the religious tourism in Apulia. The influx of tourists is  steady during all year, but the hospitality is often problematic mostly if you don’t know the mode of access to places of tourist interest; so I suggest you to read carefully this short guide.

Guide service

The visit of San Giovanni Rotondo requires at least half day.

For the tourist guide service contact me

Mr Giampaolo Nanula +39 333 2637942

or send me an email at info@jumpytravel.it

The visit of San Giovanni Rotondo is very often combined with that of Monte Sant’Angelo as both are fully part of the religious tourism destinations.
Furthermore, it was Padre Pio himself who suggested visiting Monte Sant’Angelo before going to San Giovanni Rotondo

Half day itinerary

The meeting with the guide takes place at the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, in the immediate vicinity of which stands the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Hospital built thanks to the tireless efforts of Padre Pio and inaugurated by him in May 1956.
During our journey we will be able to visit all the places related to the life and works of Padre Pio. We will first visit the large complex of Santa Maria delle Grazie which includes both the ancient seventeenth-century church which first welcomed the prayers of the Saint of Pientralcina on his arrival in San Giovanni Rotondo in July 1916, and the large complex built at the end of the years. 50 when the saint’s great fame required adequate spaces to welcome the many pilgrims who arrived in the hope of being confessed by the famous Capuchin friar.
Once in the crypt of the Santa Maria delle Grazie complex we will be in front of the body of our beloved Padre Pio, where we will allow ourselves a few minutes of recollection and prayer.
After visiting the two churches we will go on a guided tour through the Convent of the Capuchin friars where Padre Pio lived for almost 50 years to be able to almost relive the moments of everyday life. We will also be able to see the cell in which Padre Pio lived and died.
Our visit ends with the Grand Shrine designed by the famous Italian architect Renzo Piano and inaugurated in 2004. We will have the opportunity to admire the beautiful works of art housed in it, including the Ambone by Giuliano Vangi, and the mosaics by Marko Rupnik.

Bus Parking

Caution!

In San Giovanni Rotondo you have to pay a € 50.00 checkpoint for the large coaches and € 30.00 for minibus.

The checkpoint it is including bus parking.

The checkpoint must be paid by all coaches: whether  the group sleeps in San Giovanni, or if it is just a daily excursion .

Tourist coaches can not enter the city because the whole city is ZTL (restricted traffic zone).

. It’s possible to have the permission to load and unload luggages. For further information I suggest ask for clarification at the hotel where you have booked.

For one day trip, (so no overnight staing in the city) you have to pay the checkpoint, leave the bus at the  parking lot and reach the Sanctuary and other places of interest using a shuttle that cost of 1,00 € each way (so € 2.00 total)

Toilet

There are pay toilets in the bus parking lots, but better use the free washing room in the Sanctuary. In case of emergency you can use the hospital ones.