THE ANGEL'S PATH (OR ARCHANGEL'S )

This route in the Gargano area evokes an ancient tradition, dating to the Middle Ages.
Nowadays we can still partly follow the "Via Sacra Longobardorum", an ancient route of medieval origin that connects Mont Saint Michel in France to the Sanctuary of San Michel Arcangelo in Monte Sant'Angelo, a Unesco World Heritage Site that includes the most important traces of Longobard history through the peninsula.

Piedi

Macchina

Travelling time on foot:

3 Days

Travelling time by car:

2 Days

STAGE 1 - FROM SAN SEVERO TO STIGNANO

approximately 20 km

The road leading to the Cave of the Archangel started near the former hamlet of San Eleuterio, near San Severo, and entered the Gargano mountains through a wide opening south of the plateau, the only natural and quickly accessible traffic way. Along the way there were several, more or less regular stopping places.

Called Via Sacra Longobardorum because it used to cross the lands under the rule of the Longobards, a people particularly devoted to St Michael, this was one of the busiest pilgrimage routes, together with the one to the Sanctuary of Santiago di Compostela, to the Tombs of the Apostles in Rome and to the Holy Sepulchre in the Holy Land.
The route is punctuated by votive chapels and hospices for pilgrims.

STAGE 2 - FROM STIGNANO TO S. GIOVANNI ROTONDO

approximately 25 km (San Marco in Lamis - convent of S. Matteo)

The first stage of the route travelled by pilgrims coming from the northern part of the Puglia plain was the Valley of San Marco in Lamis, along the sacred route of the Longobards through the small village of Stignano, where the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Stignano was built in the 16th century. Today it is still one of the most important Marian sanctuaries of the Capitanata area.

We leave Stignano following the valley until we reach S. Marco in Lamis, and from here go up to the Sanctuary of the Convent of S. Matteo, a monastic settlement built presumably in the 7th century by the Benedictines, and passed first to the Cistercians in 1311 and then to the Franciscans in 1578. Although there is little medieval documentation about it, the buildings have great architectural and artistic interest.

We can then continue towards San Giovanni Rotondo and visit the places of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, commonly known as Padre Pio, who draws faithful from around the world to this town in the Gargano.

STAGE 3 - FROM SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO TO MONTE SANT'ANGELO

approximately 21 km

We leave S. Giovanni Rotondo, still following the SS 272. This road is not very comfortable, but it takes us through a wide, beautiful valley with picturesque views.
After the crossroads to Cagnano, at the end of the downhill road we reach Pantano, the site of two Benedictine monastic settlements of the 12th century, whose remains can still be seen: S. Egidio and S. Nicola al Pantano.

In former times, the Via Sacra bifurcated here; one path went on to the Abbey of Pulsano and then to Monte S. Angelo; the other, which can still be followed along the state road, continued along the Carbonara valley and then climbed up a steep mule track, also on the mountain of the Archangel.

THE ANGEL'S PATH (OR ARCHANGEL'S )

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