The Church of St. Maria delle Grazie - S. Giovanni Rotondo

THE CHURCH OF ST. MARIA DELLE GRAZIE 

SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO 

 

The history of the complex that has developed around the religion of St. Giovanni Rotondo start from a small monastery in 1540 with an annexed  little ancient Church. Here Padre Pio lived from September 4, 1916 to September 23, 1968, the date of his death.

Today's Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, was consecrated instead in 1959 and was born from a project by the architect Giuseppe Gentile from Boiano.

The central nave leads to the altar and a beautiful mosaic that represents the Madonna with the Child, a choir of angels, and at the base another angel and Father Pio himself.
Along the side naves you can see various altars and precious marbles.

Downstairs the crypt where the body of Padre Pio was placed under a monolithic block of green marble shaped like a  sarcophagus before it was translated to the new church dedicated to him.

 

The path then leads through the corridor of the convent, to his cell, very spartan, and to the Crucifix of the Stigmata, by an unknown sculptor of 600.

It is hoisted over the baluster of gallery, in the choir: it is said that here, staring at the crucifix, Padre Pio received the stigmata.

In particular appeared to him a "mysterious character" with hands, feet and side dripping with blood ...; over the apparition, he found himself in the same situation, ie hands, feet and side bleeding.
It was September 20, 1918.