San Giovanni Rotondo

San Giovanni Rotondo is the name of a city and comune in the province of Foggia, Puglia region, southern Italy. As of 2006 it had a population of 26,442.
San Giovanni Rotondo was the home of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina from July 28, 1916, until his death on September 23, 1968. The Padre Pio Pilgrimage Church was built in devotion to the saint and dedicated on July 1, 2004. The city is renowned for the important hospital and medical research center Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza (Home for the Relief of the Suffering) founded by Saint Pio of Pietrelcina.
The nearby Sanctuary of Saint Michael the Archangel is also the site of Catholic pilgrimages and was visited by Pope John Paul II in 1987.