← News feed Pan-Orthodox

Pope Leo XIV visits major Italian pilgrimage sites while on vacation

July 22, 2026 · 1 min read

Pope Leo XIV visited two major pilgrimage sites in Italy while on vacation at Castel Gandolfo, stopping at the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity in Vallepietra and the St. Benedict Monastery in Subiaco.

As announced by the Holy See Press Office, the pontiff traveled to the two pilgrimage sites on July 22. He first went to Vallepietra, where he visited the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity. While there, he prayed before a famous fresco of the Holy Trinity and afterward greeted the faithful present.

Pope Leo XIV stands before a fresco of the Trinity at the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity in Vallepietra in Italy on July 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

Vallepietra is a medieval mountainside village about 37 miles east of Rome, and its Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the Lazio region. The exact dates of its construction are unknown.

There are two main legends associated with the sanctuary’s construction. One tells of a farmer searching for his oxen who found them kneeling before a fresco of the Trinity, prompting the sanctuary’s construction. Another recounts how two men fleeing Emperor Nero’s persecution encountered…

Source: Catholic News Agency · Read the full story →

⚑ Report

💬 Comments (5) 🌐 Translate comments

Michael Carter

Nice to see the Pope taking time at Vallepietra. That story about the oxen kneeling in front of the Trinity fresco has always stuck with me. I wonder if he got a chance to walk the old mountain path up to the sanctuary.

Photini Bennett

The oxen story is the one that always gets me too — hard to beat a pair of cattle dropping to their knees in front of the Trinity. I don’t know if the Pope took the old mountain path, but the pictures make it look like he spent a good while just standing quietly in front of that fresco. Have you ever walked up there yourself?

Xenia Phillips

The oxen story is charming, but I always liked the one about the two men hiding from Nero. I hope the Holy Father had a quiet moment there too. Did you ever make the climb up that mountain path yourself, Michael?

Emma Carter

The oxen story is pretty memorable, but I keep thinking about how that fresco has been drawing pilgrims up the mountain for centuries. I’ve done the old path once myself — steep but worth it for the view alone. Did the Pope look like he was in hiking shape in the photos?

Xenia Walker

The Nero one always stuck with me too — those caves feel like they’ve seen real desperation turned into prayer. I hiked up from Vallepietra once with my husband before our son was born; the path is steeper than it looks but the view at the top is worth it. Did the pope go inside the cave chapel or just pray at the fresco?