Padre Pio, Pietrelcina and Benevento

An excursion out of the usual ordinary tourist itineraries but will be an unbelievable experience, we first visit  the city of Benevento, there you will meet your guide.
Located at confluence of Calore and Sabato rivers; originally  founded by Samnites; later became an important Roman town on the Appian Way and a base for the expansion in Southern Italy; it was destroyed by Totila the Ostrogoth in AD 452; and later ruled by Lombards, Byzantines (11th cen.) and finally by the pope.
Many monuments are worth to be visited, : the Traiano Arch, the Rettori Palace, the monumental church of Santa Sofia with its unique medieval cloister and the Roman Teathre.
Near Benevento, there is the  little town of Pietrelcina, where Padre Pio was born on 25 May 1887 . His parents were Grazio Forgione, known as "Razio" or "Zì Razio", a farmer who lived on his own work and Giuseppina Di Nunzio, a woman of great mercy. He was baptized after few hours his birth in Santa Anna, the ancient parish church located in the upper part of Pietrelcina called the 'Castle'.
His name was the name of his brother, Francesco, who died in early infancy. Since young he helped his parents with their work in the fields, but, above all, he was the shepherd of the flock.When he felt the calling to priesthood, his father willingly undertook all the expenses needed to let him study and emigrated to America. At the age of twelve he received the Sacrament of Confirmation and made his First Holy Communion.
When he was about 30 years old, he left Pietrelcina and moved to S. Giovanni Rotondo where he spent the rest of his life.