Pietrelcina, Italy
Pietrelcina is a comune located in the province of Benevento in the region of Campania northeast of Naples, Italy. My 2x Great Grandma Filomena Masone was born in here in 1869 along with many other Masone relatives. It is also only a 10 minute drive to Pescolamazza (today Pesco Sannita) where her furture husband Giovandomenico Lanciano was born, as well as, their children. Pietrelcina is most known for the birthplace of the 20th century saint Francesco Forgione or better known as Padre Pio.
History
From the beginning of the fifteenth century, and until the abolition of feudality in the early 19th century, Pietrelcina was almost always united with Pescolamazza. As early as 1415, in fact, these two lands were part of the feudal property of Filippo Caracciolo and in 1458, after the conspiracy of the Barons, they found themselves still united under Nicola Caracciolo. At the death of the latter, which occurred in 1493, the fiefs of Pietrelcina and Pescolamazza were inherited by the eldest son Giovan Battista who obtained solemn investiture from the king of France, Charles VIII, with a diploma signed in Naples on March 8th, 1495. The daughter Dionora, in 1511, brought them as a dowry to Giovan Tommaso II Carafa, Count of Cerreto, who in 1522 sold the income to Carlo Mormile for the sum of 9000 ducats with the pact of rewards. In 1523, while he was serving under the insignia of Charles V in Milan, during the war against the king of France, Giovan Tommaso was killed in a duel by Fabrizio Maramaldo.
He inherited his title and its substances the first son, Diomedes III, who, being then just five years old, had as his guardian the paternal grandfather Diomede II, count of Maddaloni. At the death of the latter, Diomede III, after having been for a while under the tutelage of an unspecified "prior of Naples", he married, still adolescent, Roberta Carafa who also acted as a tutor. And in 1537, with the assent of his wife, it was he who definitively got rid of the fiefs of Pesco and Pietrelcina, selling to Bartolomeo Camerario. Camerario, in turn, in 1550 alienated these two fiefs to Lucrezia Pignatelli, wife of Giovan Vincenzo Caracciolo. At the death of the latter took over his son Marcello until his death in August 1585 also died leaving the first born Giovan Vincenzo II heir of his title and of the lands of Casalbore, Ginestra degli Schiavoni, Pietrelcina, Pescolamazza, Torre di Pagliara, Saggiano and some feudal territories near Montesarchio. Giovan Vincenzo II, in 1603, gave the lands of Pescolamazza and Pietrelcina to his brother Francesco. In 1614, at the request of the Marquess of Casalbore, the court of the Sacred Royal Council awarded these two feuds to Giovanni d'Aquino who, in July 1623, was given the title of prince of Pietrelcina. After the death of John, which took place on March 4th,1632, the first son Caesar took over, who, with royal assent of February 9th, 1661, gave his brother Francesco the land of Pescolamazza. Cesare was assassinated on February 27th,1668, at the age of 43. On March 8th,1669, daughter Antonia was declared heir to her feudal property. In 1676, however, by decree of the Sacred Royal Council, the land of Pietrelcina was assigned to Jerome, brother of Caesar. However, at the death of Francesco and Girolamo d'Aquino, Pescolamazza and Pietrelcina returned to their nephew Antonia with the addition of the fief of Monteleone which, in the meantime, Girolamo had bought from Giacomo II de Brier.
After the death of Antonia, which took place without heirs on September 6th, 1717, Ferdinando Venato, duke of S. Teodoro, his fourth degree relative, took over in 1724 upon payment to the tax authorities of 20,200 ducats.On April 30th,1725 the duke of S. Teodoro sold these three fiefs, for the sum of 75,000 ducats, to Francesco Carafa who, with a diploma sent from Vienna on November 17th,1725, obtained the title of prince of Pietrelcina from Emperor Charles VI of Austria. Francesco Carafa died on January 9th,1768; but only on November 20th, 1772, with decree of the Grand Court of the Vicariate, Pietro Maria Firrau, prince of Luzzi, was declared heir of his feudal property. After the latter's death, which took place on November 24th, 1776, his son Tommaso Maria was recognized by decree of the Grand Court on January 21st, 1777. Francesco Carafa was the last baron of Pesco. It was right under the last two feudal lords that the most significant events of the nineteenth century were recorded for the country. In 1802, in fact, Luigi Carafa donated to the people of Pescolamazza the body of S. Reparata martire, received in Rome on October 7th,1801 by Cardinal Benedetto Fenaja, assistant to the papal throne. Actually, the fishermen had initially been assigned the body of S. Pio martire, which is now in the church of S. Anna a Pietrelcina.
Saint Pio of Pietrelcina
Padre Pio was born May 25th, 1887 in Pietrelcina as Francesco Forgione by peasant parents that were very much devoted to God and religion. They were known in Pietrelcina as Il Dio e` tutto gente "The God is everything people." Growing up in this type of environment had a extreme influence on young Francesco. He often preferred to be alone to avoid bad influences and constantly studied the bible and prayed. This devotion and love for God grew stronger and stronger until his decision was made to become a priest. On August 10th, 1910 he was ordained in the Archbishop of Benevento Chapel.
He is well-known for being the first priest to bear the marks of the stigmata, which took place on September 20th, 1918 while praying in front of a crucifix. The marks of the stigmata are five wounds Jesus received during crucifixion on his hands, side, and feet. Padre Pio is quoted in a letter written to Padre Benedetto on the incident: “I yielded to a drowsiness similar to a sweet sleep. All the internal and external senses and even the very faculties of my soul were immersed in indescribable stillness… I was suddenly filled with great peace and abandonment which effaced everything else and caused a lull in the turmoil… While this was taking place, I saw before me a mysterious person similar to the one I had seen on the evening of 5 August. The only difference was that his hands and feet and side were dripping with blood. The sight terrified me and what I felt at that moment is indescribable. I thought I should die and really should have died if the Lord had not intervened and strengthened my heart which was about to burst out of my chest. The vision disappeared and I became aware that my hands, feet and side were dripping with blood. Imagine the agony I experienced and continue to experience almost every day. The heart wound bleeds continually, especially from Thursday evening until Saturday.” There are many artifacts documenting his stigmata stating he would lose a cup of blood a day from the wounds and the blood smelled like flowers and perfume. He was also quoted as stating that the stigmata would disappear showing no scars and at his funeral that was exactly the case.
Saint Pio was also known to have the mystical abilities to levitate and bilocate. Witnesses claim that they have seen his bilocation phenomena by being in two different countries at the same time. His levitation capabilities were also witnessed Pio hovering over a village with his hands out to stop the dropping of bombs from American planes during World War II. He was also known for being able to see into the true hearts of people during confession.
On June 16th, 2002, Pope John Paul II granted Padre Pio Sainthood. In order to become a saint, a miracle must be peformed. A boy by named Matteo Pio Colella was brought into his hospital, the House of Relief of Suffering, with a severe case of Meningitis. The boy was barely alive and the Pio and the hospital staff prayed all night for him. At one point, the boy had a vision of a man approaching him and saying to him, "Don't worry, you will soon be cured". The boy made a full recovery providing Pio with a miracle. Saint Pio of Pietrelcina died on September 23rd, 1968 with a mass of mourners in attendance of the funeral.