From Crema to Bari, between sacred and profane
A trip by car to Bari, with stops in Loreto, San Giovanni Rotondo, Bari, Pescara, Riccione
Winter holidays arrive, a few days of well-deserved rest, and the usual desire to pack your suitcase and leave for a new destination, in search of new knowledge and sensations to breathe. It is the turn of the machine, which makes us freer and more independent, quieter and more agile in relation to time, health and needs, which gradually become increasingly felt with age.
Considering the fact that we have already had the opportunity to visit many holy places before, in Italy and elsewhere, why not continue with this trend?
So we decide that the first stop of our tour will be the town of Loreto, in the Marche region, which we reach on 28 December in about four hours of motorway, without impossible traffic. In short, we find a hotel that seems to meet our needs,"la Collina", which is located on the road that leads to Recanati, a nearby town famous for having given birth to Giacomo Leopardi, from which you can enjoy a wonderful view of the surrounding valley and, as they explain, you can also see the house of Beniamino Gigli, famous opera singer of the early 1900s. The room is basic, but we are satisfied, satisfied with the wonderful view and excellent location. And so we leave, at the time of the Basilica of the Holy House, imposing and solitary in the square in front. There are few pilgrims, perhaps given the lunch time, which allows us a visit gathering and admiration and devotion especially within the house of Mary, which seems to have been brought here by the Angels family in 1294 when the Crusaders were expelled from Palestine. You really breathe an air of holiness and worship. The statue of the Virgin is brown, as it is represented in the pictures and icons sold in the shops of sacred objects. Even a huge statue costing 8,500 euros. You really must be a collector or have received a beautiful grace!
Of notable effect is an effigy with a phrase by Padre Pio:"In Lourdes Our Lady appeared, here she strolls". I liked it very much because you really breathe its immaculate scent inside the walls that surround it.
We continue our visit to Porto Recanati, a town by the sea, probably much more significant in summer, and Recanati, which despite the cold weather offers us a beautiful atmosphere. The Leopardian area is Austera but welcoming, with the house and museum dedicated to him. Continuing towards the centre, you can see the writer's verses on the walls and imposing palaces caressed by the evening lights and Christmas lights. Really a pleasant whole. The cold gets biting, so after a hot shower, we opt for a nice little restaurant in the centre of Recanati and to sleep, since the next stop will not be so close.
The next day, on December 29th, we reach San Giovanni Rotondo, on the Gargano, near the famous tourist resorts of Vieste and Peschici, graceful beads visited years ago in summer.... but this is another story. Once in the centre, we cannot fail to notice the innumerable quantity of hotels and guest houses, given the fame of the Holy Padre Pio, who stayed here and lent his work. He was born in Pietrelcina, Campania, but as a Capuchin friar he lived almost all his life in San Giovanni Rotondo, where he was venerated even after his death. It strikes the crypt where its body is preserved, which can be seen thanks to some special preservation treatment. There are those who pray in devotion, those who look around perplexed, those who observe their faces and those who think about the graces received and thank the saint, in his time discussed because of the stigmata received and other miracles sometimes obeyed by the Catholic Church.