A large modern structure where the remains of Padre Pio rest
The Church of San Pio da Pietrelcina is the quintessential reference point for devotees of Padre Pio, beatified by John Paul II in 1999 and proclaimed a saint by the same pontiff three years later.
The large church, designed by architect Renzo Piano and completed in 2004, stands in San Giovanni Rotondo, where the Capuchin friar died after residing there for many years.
The imposing building was commissioned by the same Capuchin Friars Minor to whom Padre Pio belonged. Its purpose was to house the saint's relics and easily accommodate the thousands of faithful who choose to visit San Giovanni Rotondo as a pilgrimage destination, offering them an almost mystical experience.
The Church of San Pio is a large modern structure, surrounded by a huge churchyard and composed of an upper church, dedicated to liturgical celebrations, a smaller lower church, and a crypt, which houses the saint's remains.
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