San Giovanni Rotondo

San Giovanni Rotondo is the name of a city and comune in the province of Foggia and region of Apulia, in southern Italy. In 2006 it had a population of 26,442.

San Giovanni Rotondo was the home of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina from 28 July 1916 until his death on 23 September 1968. The Padre Pio Pilgrimage Church was built in devotion to the saint and dedicated on 1 July 2004. The city is renowned for its hospital and medical-research centre 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.
(source: Wikipedia)

The most recent history of San Giovanni Rotondo Rotondo is connected to the friary and to the arrival on July 28th 1916 of Padre Pio of Pietrelcina. Here Padre Pio lived and died on September 23rd 1968.

San Giovanni Rotondo was founded in 1095 on the ruins of an ancient settlement of the IV century b. C. Excavations have revealed tombs dating back to that period and today there's the baptistery with its round shape (that's the reason of "Rotondo" = round). It was first dedicated to Janus, the two-faced God, and then dedicated to St John the Baptist.
(source: http://www.conventosantuariopadrepio.it/en/san-giovanni-rotondo/)