Religious Tour - Italian Sanctuaries
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The italian religious center that beakons the most visitors, after the roman basilicas, is the Santuario di San Givanni Rotondo, in Puglia. In visiting the complex convent of S. Maria delle Grazie, where Padre Pio worked and died, the 23rd of September 1968, every year 6 to 7 milion pilgrims gather. A number which is destined to grow for the Jubilee. |
In the crypt of the church, are watched over, the garments of the fryar for which the process of blessedhood has begun; on side a new church is rising up that will be inaugurated in the year 2000.
The pilgrims waiting at Padova for the Italy holy year will have at least one million more than other years, being around 5 million. In order to pray to the Saint that died in 1231, for centuries crowds of faithful meet in Veneto, where the religious traditions go hand in hand with the culture, that find the highest testimony in the pitture of Giotto.
A consistent increase of visitors is forseen also at the Santuario di San Gabriele dell'Addolorata on the island of Gran sasso, the favorite goal of the faithful coming from the central and Southern regions. The Abruzzi center welcomes about 2 million pilgrims anually, pushed by the tradition of miracles whitch occured around the tomb of the saint, died at only 24 years in 1862.
Still in Abruzzo, will be important pilgrimages to the monumental complex of the Miracolo Eucaristico di Lanciano, that has 400,000 visitors yearly and should welcome about one million in the year 2000.
In the year of the Jubilee, the number of pilgrims will multiply also in the Santuario della Madonna del Rosaio di Pompei; where, around 4 million faithful pray every year towards the image of the virgin, invoking thanks and miracles. An important role will be carried out in Northern Italy the Santuario della Madonna del Rosario di Pompei; in Bergamo, goal of many faithful to the cult of Mary to all of the Europe. The Sanctuary has been raised up in 1432 where the Madonna appared to Giovanneta Varoli.
In Piemonte, the itineraries of faith pass for the Sacri Monti di Varallo Sesia e di Oropa: the Basilica dell'Assunta was erected in the 15th century of padre francescano Bernardino Caimi with the intent of creating a "new Gerusalem", when the Palestine was in the hands of the muslims.
Finally, in Torino, douring the Saint Year, will repeat the "Ostensione della Sacra Sindone", that is beakoning, millions of faithful from all the world.
Other religious center inserted in the program of the pilgramage of the Jubilee are the Basilica di San Marco a Venezia, the Basilica di Aquileia, the Santuario di Monte Berico a Vicenza, the abbazia di Montecassino, the Chiesa della Madonna delle Lacrime a Siracusa.