It is one of the most well known and interesting religious routes in the Capitanata region. This itinerary traces the ancient road of the pilgrims who climbed up from the northern regions to the Gargano from the Stignano valley, the southwestern entrance to the promontory.
During the Middle Ages, the Sanctuary of San Michele (the archangel Michael), in particular, was one of the important sanctuaries of Christianity, together with Santiago de Compostela, the tombs of the Apostles in Rome, and the Holy Sepulcher of Christ in the Holy Land.
Places of interest:there are several sanctuaries worth a visit, such as:
- Santa Maria di Stignano
- San Matteo in San Marco in Lamis
- Padre Pio’s Tomb in San Giovanni Rotondo
- The Grotto of San Michele in Monte Sant’Angelo
- San Leonardo di Siponto in Manfredonia
- The Sanctuary of the Incoronata in Foggia
Itinerary
The name of this itinerary comes from the close relation that came into being in the past between the Lombards and this land of Gargano.
The history of the Basilica of San Michele is closely linked to the events experienced by this people.
In fact, inside the basilica, the walls bear the names of Queen Ansa, Romualdo II, Gisulfo II, as evidence of the close relation between the Lombards and Saint Michael.
The story of Saint Michael the Archangel’s apparitions in the grotto near what is today the town of Monte Sant’Angelo, gave rise to an unbelievable flow of pilgrims and, in particular, of Lombards who showed their deep devotion to the Archangel right from the beginning.
The Lombards were the most faithful and enthusiastic worshippers of Saint Michael and they spread his cult all over Europe. Because of this, the “Via Sacra Langobardorum” has always been uniquely open unto the most diverse variety of Italian and foreign peoples.
The “Via Sacra Langobardorum” is the ideal completion for any religious tourist route.
At the time of the Crusades, the Gargano with its sanctuaries was one of the sites where warriors and pilgrims most frequently met.
The route of the “Via” is marked by the remains of votive chapels, xenodochiums, hospices where strangers and pilgrims found free shelter, rest areas provided with drinking wells. In time, some of these sites have become famous abbeys – such as San Giovanni in Lamis which is today’s convent of San Matteo, and San Leonardo di Siponto -, while others have become towns – such as San Marco in Lamis, San Giovanni Rotondo, and Monte Sant’Angelo.
The “Via” consists in a singular complex of sanctuaries: Santa Maria di Stignano, San Matteo, Padre Pio’s tomb, San Michele, San Leonardo di Siponto, and the Incoronata in Foggia; together, they make up a progressive and consequential spiritual route. It is a pilgrimage route of prayer and acts of repentance.
The path of conversion starts with the Holy Virgin of Stignano’s blessing, it continues with San Matteo, Padre Pio, San Michele, and San Leonardo, and ends with the visit to the Madonna Incoronata in Foggia.