Recently while on pilgrimage in the North of Italy I had the privilege to visit - for the second time in my life - the home town of Pope St. Pius X. This small little village is called today Riese Pio X (formerly known as Riese). It is located in the middle of nowhere in a rural farming community near to Padua and Venice. The people have a very different life here, even today. The town remains very small, sleepy and remote. It is best reached by rental car. The locals have a very different accent compared to the Roman dialect we are accustomed to hearing in Rome. The saintly pontiff grew up in the this humble place, just down the street from the local parish, Chiesa di San Matteo (the church of St. Matthew).
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Photos by OC-Travel |