The Land of the Good Pope ---

An important pilgrimage destination is Sotto il Monte, birthplace of John XXIII, the great pontiff of the Second Vatican Council and known as the "Good Pope". The main sites in the town are: the modest farmhouse where Angelo Roncalli was born and grew up, the museum at Ca' Maitino, where the future pontiff loved to stay and returned one last time on the eve of the Conclave that elected him pope, as well as places from his childhood. Many venture as far as the nearby Abbey of Sant'Egidio, nestled in the greenery of vineyards, which was particularly dear to John XXIII.