The Complete Pilgrim Guide to Italy

Land of Saints and Sanctuaries, Miracles and Mystics

De: Bret Thoman

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

Italy is one of the most popular pilgrimage destinations in the world. No other country features as many basilicas, cathedrals, miracles, martyrs, saints, incorruptibles, stigmatics, and Marian sanctuaries. From Papal Rome to Franciscan Assisi, from St. Anthony of Padua to Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo, from Our Lady of Loreto to the Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano, it is impossible to visit Italy and not appreciate the richness of the country’s long Christian history.

The Complete Pilgrim Guide to Italy is the most comprehensive guide in the English language to date that explores Italy’s rich religious heritage. Written by veteran pilgrimage guide Bret Thoman, this guidebook is chock-full of information. It brings to life every major pilgrimage site in Italy, as well as many lesser-known ones.

Drawing on his two-decade career leading and organizing pilgrimages and thirteen years living in Italy, this book is thorough. It begins with a long section on Rome, the “Head of the World” and seat of the Catholic Church. The rest of the book traverses the peninsula, exploring the rest of the country’s religious sites. A significant amount of space is dedicated to the saints, and Italy has the giants: Francis and Clare, Padre Pio, Anthony of Padua, Augustine and Ambrose, Benedict and Scholastica, Maria Goretti, Rita of Cascia, and Gemma Gargani, as well as future saints like Luisa Piccareta and Don Dolindo, to name a few. Other sections are dedicated to Eucharistic miracles, apparition sites, Catholic history, and more.

Each chapter begins with a photograph, continues with a thorough overview of the historical and religious background of the saint or site, and concludes with practical information to plan your visit. The book is divided into three sections: Central, Southern, and Northern, which are subdivided into the country’s twenty regions. Pilgrimage sites are presented in chapters, beginning with the region’s capital city or most important pilgrimage site. In this way, readers can use the main city as a hub for visiting other sites. Sites are listed based on proximity to the previous one in order to create a flowing itinerary. (See below for a list of the cities included the book.)

There is a certain mystique to Italy that draws people from all over the world. They come to experience its natural wonders, bustling cities, and historic and cultural sites. For those who come with an open heart and soul, Italy’s rich spiritual traditions can make for a more lasting (even eternal) experience. Whether you are planning a pilgrimage to Italy or prefer to explore the richness of these extraordinary sites from your armchair at home, this comprehensive guidebook will bring these sites to life.

Cities included:
Central Italy:
Rome
Subiaco
Rieti
Farfa
Viterbo
Nettuno
Montecassino
Assisi
Perugia
Foligno
Montefalco
Spoleto
Cascia
Nursia
Gubbio
Città di Castello
Collevalenza
Orvieto
Terni
Florence
Laverna
Camaldoli
Lucca
Pisa
Siena
Poggibonsi
Chiusdino
Cortona
Loreto
Osimo
Campocavallo
Macerata
Camerino
Corinaldo
Monteprandone
Offida
Lanciano
Manoppello

The South:
L’Aquila
Isola del Gran Sasso
Castelpetroso
San Giovanni Rotondo
Monte Sant’Angelo
Bari
Corato
Otranto
Taranto
Matera
Naples
Pompei
Amalfi
Montevergine
Mugnano del Cardinale
Pietrelcina
Calabria:
Paola
Paravati
Sicily
Sardinia

The North:
Turin
Oropa
Aosta
Genoa
Milan
Mesero
Pavia
Sotto il Monte
Brescia
Mantua
Trent
Aquileia
Trieste
Venice
Padua
Vicenza
Schio
Verona
Bologna
Ravenna
San Marino