The Catholic Pilgrim's Guide to Nettuno, Italy

Seaside pilgrimage town housing the mortal remains of St. Maria Goretti—the Church's youngest canonized martyr, whose radical act of forgiveness converted her own murderer.

On a sweltering July afternoon in 1902, an eleven-year-old girl named Maria Goretti lay dying in a hospital bed in Nettuno, her body pierced fourteen times by an awl. When a priest asked if she forgave Alessandro Serenelli, the twenty-year-old farmhand who had attacked her for refusing his advances, she responded with words that would echo through the century: "Yes, for the love of Jesus I forgive him... and I want him with me in Paradise." She died the next day. Her forgiveness—offered freely, without condition, to a man who had shown her none—would eventually convert him and captivate the hearts of millions. Today, Nettuno's Pontifical Basilica of Our Lady of Graces and St. Maria Goretti stands watch over the Tyrrhenian Sea, its crypt housing Maria's mortal remains in a crystal casket beneath a wax likeness created from her mother's description. The Passionist Fathers who tend the shrine also maintain the farmhouse ten kilometers away where the attack occurred—the kitchen where Maria fell now transformed into a chapel. Together, these sites form a pilgrimage of extraordinary power: a journey into the meaning of forgiveness, the cost of purity, and the mysterious grace that can transform even the darkest human violence into redemption. For the quarter-million faithful who make this pilgrimage each year—and for the many more who came when Maria's relics toured the world—Nettuno offers an encounter with holiness both accessible and challenging. Maria Goretti was no mystic, no scholar, no founder of religious orders. She was a poor, illiterate farm girl who simply refused to sin and chose to forgive. Her story asks pilgrims a question they cannot easily dismiss: Could I do the same?

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📜 History & Spiritual Significance

Maria Goretti was born on October 16, 1890, in Corinaldo, a hilltop village in the Marche region of central Italy. Her parents, Luigi and Assunta, were poor sharecroppers struggling to survive. When Maria was six, the family migrated south seeking work, eventually settling in the malaria-ridden marshlands of the Agro Pontino, near the coast between Rome and Naples. They shared a farmhouse called the Cascina Antica at Le Ferriere with another family, the Serenellis—a father and his son Alessandro. Luigi Goretti died of malaria in 1900, leaving Assunta to work the fields while ten-year-old Maria managed the household and cared for her younger siblings. Despite grinding poverty and no formal education, Maria developed a profound spiritual life, memorizing prayers and the rosary, attending Mass when possible, and preparing earnestly for her First Communion, which she received on May 29, 1902, just weeks before her death. Alessandro Serenelli, then twenty years old, had begun making advances toward Maria. She repeatedly refused, warning him that such acts were mortal sins. On July 5, 1902, while the adults worked in the fields, Alessandro found Maria alone, mending a shirt on the farmhouse landing. He dragged her inside and demanded she submit. When she refused, crying out that he would go to hell, he stabbed her fourteen times with an awl. Maria was transported by cart to the hospital in Nettuno—a journey of excruciating agony. Surgeons operated without anesthesia, but the wounds were too severe. A priest administered Last Rites and asked if she forgave Alessandro. Her response was immediate and complete. She died on July 6, 1902, at 3:45 in the afternoon, clutching a crucifix and gazing at an image of the Virgin Mary. Alessandro Serenelli was sentenced to thirty years in prison. For years he remained hardened and unrepentant. Then, according to his own testimony, Maria appeared to him in a dream, offering him lilies. The vision shattered his resistance. He experienced a profound conversion, and after serving twenty-seven years, he was released. His first act was to visit Maria's mother, Assunta, and beg her forgiveness. "If Maria could forgive me," she told him, "then so can I." They attended Christmas Mass together. Alessandro spent his remaining years as a lay brother with the Capuchin Franciscans, working as a gardener and porter. He died in 1970 and is buried alongside Assunta Goretti in the sanctuary at Corinaldo, Maria's birthplace—murderer and victim's mother sharing eternal rest as witnesses to the power of mercy. Maria's cause for canonization advanced rapidly. Pope Pius XII beatified her in 1947, with Assunta present at age 82—the first time a mother witnessed her child's beatification. Three years later, on June 24, 1950, Pius XII canonized Maria before a crowd of 500,000 in St. Peter's Square—the largest canonization gathering in history to that point. Among those present, weeping tears of joy, was the sixty-six-year-old Alessandro Serenelli. Pope Paul VI elevated the Nettuno shrine to a Minor Basilica in 1970. Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis have both promoted devotion to Maria Goretti as a model not primarily of sexual purity—though that remains significant—but of forgiveness. As Pope Francis noted, her story demonstrates that "no one is beyond redemption."

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☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Nettuno

The Maria Goretti pilgrimage encompasses two primary sites: the seaside basilica in Nettuno where her remains are venerated, and the farmhouse at Le Ferriere where she was martyred. Together they form a powerful circuit of prayer and reflection, easily completed in a single day.

Pontifical Basilica of Our Lady of Graces and St. Maria Goretti

Italian Name: Pontificio Santuario Basilica Madonna delle Grazie e Santa Maria Goretti Type: Minor Basilica, Pontifical Sanctuary This twin-dedication basilica stands at the end of Nettuno's seafront promenade, its modern facade facing the Tyrrhenian Sea. The shrine has two distinct devotional focuses: the upper church dedicated to Our Lady of Graces, and the crypt below dedicated to St. Maria Goretti. The wooden statue of Our Lady of Graces has its own remarkable history. According to tradition, English sailors rescued this image—originally venerated as Our Lady of Ipswich—from destruction during Henry VIII's dissolution of Catholic shrines in the 1530s. Their ship, caught in a storm, found safe harbor at Nettuno, and the grateful sailors left the statue with the local church. Pope Pius X entrusted the sanctuary to the Passionist Fathers in 1888. When Maria Goretti was canonized, her name was added to the basilica's title, and a crypt was prepared for her remains. The saint's body, originally buried in Nettuno's cemetery, was exhumed and placed in a crystal casket beneath a wax statue created by artists working from her mother's description—no photographs of Maria exist. Her skeleton is complete except for small bone fragments distributed as relics and her right arm, which her mother donated to the sanctuary in Corinaldo. It was with this arm that Maria defended herself against Alessandro's attack. The crypt features an exhibition room with dioramas depicting scenes from Maria's life, photographs from the period, and artifacts including the clothing she wore when she was attacked. The Passionist Fathers maintain a welcoming atmosphere, and Mass is offered daily in multiple languages during pilgrimage season. Address: Piazzale San Rocco, 1, 00048 Nettuno RM, Italy GPS Coordinates: 41.4568, 12.6681 Google Maps: View on Google Maps Website: santuarionettuno.it Hours: Daily 6:30 AM – 7:15 PM Custodians: Passionist Fathers

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Casa del Martirio (House of Martyrdom)

Italian Name: Casa del Martirio di Santa Maria Goretti / Cascina Antica Type: Martyrdom Site, Pilgrimage Chapel Ten kilometers from Nettuno, in the hamlet of Le Ferriere (now Borgo Le Ferriere), stands the farmhouse where Maria Goretti lived and where she was martyred. The Cascina Antica has been preserved much as it was in 1902, allowing pilgrims to walk through the rooms where the Goretti family lived their difficult daily life and where Maria's final moments unfolded. The most powerful site is just inside the entrance. On the floor lies a bronze relief sculpture of Maria Goretti in her death agony, marking the exact spot where Alessandro attacked her. Pilgrims kneel here to pray, the worn stone testimony to decades of devotion. The kitchen where Maria fell has been transformed into a chapel, while the upstairs rooms retain period furnishings—the simple beds, the sparse kitchen, the fireplace around which a poor family gathered. The Passionist Sisters maintain the site, offering guided tours and context for visitors. Outside, a reception center serves pilgrims, and a Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) winds through the grounds. Address: Borgo Le Ferriere, Strada Nettunense, Latina, Italy GPS Coordinates: 41.4893, 12.7521 Google Maps: View on Google Maps Custodians: Passionist Sisters

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Orsenigo Hospital Chapel (Tenda del Perdono)

Type: Historic Site The hospital where Maria died has been replaced by modern buildings, but a small chapel called the "Tenda del Perdono" (Tent of Forgiveness) marks the location where she spoke her final words of forgiveness. This quieter site completes the Nettuno pilgrimage for those wishing to pray at the place of Maria's death.

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🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations

July 6 – Feast of St. Maria Goretti Basilica and Casa del Martirio. The principal celebration of the saint draws thousands of pilgrims to Nettuno. Solemn Mass is celebrated in the basilica, often presided over by visiting bishops, followed by processions and veneration of the relics. The entire town participates, as Maria Goretti is Nettuno's patron saint. During Jubilee years, special indulgences are available. Last Saturday of June & First Saturday of July – Annual Pilgrimages Traditional pilgrimage days when organized groups walk from the Casa del Martirio to the basilica in Nettuno, retracing the route Maria traveled to the hospital. October 16 – Birthday of St. Maria Goretti Quieter observance of Maria's birth anniversary, with special Masses at both Nettuno and Corinaldo.

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🛏️ Where to Stay

Hotel Astura 📍 Address: Via della Liberazione, 5, 00048 Nettuno RM, Italy ⭐ 3-star hotel near the historic center and seafront. Good base for pilgrims visiting both the basilica and Casa del Martirio. Hotel Scacciapensieri 📍 Address: Viale Giacomo Matteotti, 23, 00048 Nettuno RM, Italy Traditional Italian hotel on the seafront promenade, walking distance to the basilica. Accommodations in Anzio (5 km) The neighboring town of Anzio, famous for its World War II history, offers additional hotel options and is connected to Nettuno by frequent buses and a pleasant coastal walk. Accommodations in Rome (60 km) Many pilgrims visit Nettuno as a day trip from Rome, where the full range of accommodations is available. The train journey takes just over one hour.

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🚗 Getting There

By Train from Rome (Recommended) Trains depart Rome Termini approximately every hour on the FL8 regional line toward Nettuno. Journey time is 60–75 minutes. From Nettuno station, the basilica is a 45-minute walk along the scenic seafront, or a short taxi ride. By Car from Rome (60 km / 1 hour) Take the Via Pontina (SS148) south toward Latina, then follow signs to Nettuno. Parking is available near the basilica and at the Casa del Martirio. By Bus from Rome COTRAL buses connect Rome (Anagnina metro station) with Nettuno. Journey time approximately 90 minutes. Between Sites The Casa del Martirio at Le Ferriere is 10 km from central Nettuno. Taxi or rental car is recommended, as public transport is limited. Nearest Airports

  • Rome Fiumicino (FCO): 65 km
  • Rome Ciampino (CIA): 50 km

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📚 Further Reading

Books:

  • Bret Thoman, St. Maria Goretti: A Journey into Forgiveness and Redemption (2019) – Comprehensive biography and pilgrimage guide by an expert on Italian saints.
  • Fr. Godfrey Poage, C.P., In Garments All Red: The Story of St. Maria Goretti – Classic account by a Passionist Father.
  • Pietro Di Donato, The Penitent (1962) – Novel based on Alessandro Serenelli's life and conversion.

Articles:

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🎥 Recommended Videos

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🔗 Useful Links

  • Official Sanctuary Website: santuarionettuno.it – Mass times, history, and pilgrimage information.
  • Diocese of Albano: diocesidialbano.it – Diocesan news and pastoral resources.
  • Nettuno Tourism: enjoyanzionettuno.com – Local tourism information including Maria Goretti sites.
  • Pilgrimage of Mercy: mariagoretti.com – Information about traveling relics and devotion.

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✝️ Closing Reflection

"Yes, for the love of Jesus I forgive him... and I want him with me in Paradise."

— St. Maria Goretti's final words, July 6, 1902

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The Pontifical Basilica is open daily and welcomes pilgrims year-round. During the Jubilee 2025, special indulgences are available. The Casa del Martirio at Le Ferriere can be visited by contacting the Passionist Sisters. Modest dress is required at both sites.