Monte Sant'Angelo

Monte Sant’Angelo

Member of I Borghi più belli d'Italia

Pilgrims have climbed to Monte Sant'Angelo since the Archangel Michael is said to have appeared in a cave here in 490, and the grotto sanctuary is now a UNESCO site as one of the places of Lombard power in Italy. The town stands on a wooded spur of the Gargano above the Gulf of Manfredonia, its Junno quarter a maze of whitewashed single-storey houses and low stairways.

Highlights

The cave sanctuary of San Michele Arcangelo, with bronze doors of 1076
The castle's pentagonal Torre dei Giganti, said to be haunted by Bianca Lancia
The so-called Tomb of Rothari, a 12th-century baptistery with carved portal (IT)
The whitewashed lanes of the Rione Junno
The Foresta Umbra, the ancient forest of the Gargano (IT)

Text adapted from Wikipedia (Monte Sant'Angelo (IT), Monte Sant'Angelo (EN)), Wikivoyage (Monte Sant'Angelo (IT), Monte Sant'Angelo (EN)). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Population: 11,353

Things to see

Events through the year

Feast of Saint Anthony Religious · 13 June
Feast of the Madonna del Carmelo Religious · 16 July
FestambienteSud Music and arts · JulyNational Legambiente festival
Notte Bianca Music and arts · August
Feast of Santa Maria di Pulsano Religious · 8 September
Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel Religious · 27–30 September, feast day 29 SeptemberPatronal feast ending with a big concert in Piazza Giovanni Paolo II
Fiera di San Michele Arcangelo Fairs and markets · 29 September
Chestnut fair Food and wine · November
Feast of Saint Barbara Religious · 4 December
New Year's Eve concert Seasonal · 31 DecemberBig concert on New Year's Eve night

Dates follow the traditional patterns in our sources: check locally before you travel.

Adapted from Wikipedia (Monte Sant'Angelo), Wikivoyage (Monte Sant'Angelo). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Local food & wine

Mike PeelCaciocavallo Pugliese CC BY-SA 4.0
Caciocavallo podolico (IT)CheeseMade from the milk of Podolica cows
Pane di Monte Sant'AngeloBread and pastaHuge loaves, up to 6 kg, baked in wood-fired ovens
FlorixcPittule cu li fiuri ti cucuzza CC BY-SA 3.0
Pettole (IT)SweetChristmas fried dough made with bread dough in olive oil
Florixc (Wikipedia user)Mustazzueli CC BY-SA 3.0
MustazzoliSweetTrapezoid biscuits of cooked must, almonds and cocoa
Giuseppe NigroOrecchiette su tavoliere in legno CC BY-SA 4.0
Orecchiette with turnip topsBread and pastaWith anchovies and garlic fried in olive oil
Giulia PesacanePane cotto CC BY-SA 4.0
PancottoDishBread soup with beans, chickpeas and vegetables