The Catholic Pilgrim's Guide to Pompeii, Italy

Home to the Pontifical Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary, founded by Saint Bartolo Longo—a convert from satanism—around a miraculous painting in 1875.

In November 1875, a battered painting of the Madonna arrived in the malaria-ridden valley of Pompeii on a manure cart. The cart belonged to a farmer who had been hauling fertilizer; the painting had been bought years earlier from a Naples junk dealer for 8 carlini. Its surface was worm-eaten, the Virgin's face barely visible beneath centuries of grime. No one watching that day could have imagined that three million pilgrims would come here annually, or that the convert who arranged the painting's transport would one day be declared a saint. Bartolo Longo was an unlikely apostle. Born in 1841 to a wealthy Apulian family, he had studied law in Naples and fallen in with the occult—attending séances, practicing satanism, suffering what he later described as a complete spiritual collapse. His rescue came through Dominican Fr. Alberto Radente, who received him back into the Church. By 1871, Longo had joined the Third Order of St. Dominic. When he arrived in the valley beneath Vesuvius the following year to manage the properties of Countess Marianna Farnararo De Fusco, he found a wasteland: fields abandoned, churches crumbling, the people without catechesis. He decided to begin again with the Rosary. The shrine that rose from that swampy plain now ranks among Italy's most visited sanctuaries. Its neo-Renaissance basilica, designed by Antonio Cua and completed in 1891, dominates the town of Pompei—modern and thriving—which exists because of the devotion Longo kindled. The miraculous image, restored and crowned by Pope Paul VI in 1965, now hangs above the high altar. The Supplication to Our Lady of Pompeii, composed by Longo in 1883, is recited worldwide each May 8 and the first Sunday of October, when the piazza fills with tens of thousands lifting their voices toward the bell tower that rises 80 meters into the Campanian sky.

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📜 History & Spiritual Significance

The story begins with a lawyer's conversion. Bartolo Longo, born February 10, 1841, in Latiano, Puglia, seemed destined for respectability until his university years in Naples drew him into spiritualism and satanic ritual. The details he later shared were harrowing: he had participated in occult ceremonies, served as a satanic priest, experienced what he understood as demonic possession. His health collapsed. Walking in Naples one day, he heard the voice of his deceased father: "Return to God." A Dominican priest, Fr. Alberto Radente, guided him through confession and back to sanity. Longo's conversion was total. He joined the Third Order of St. Dominic in 1871, taking the name Brother Rosario. The following year, the Countess De Fusco employed him to oversee her lands in Valle di Pompei—a malarial expanse where peasants lived in ignorance of their faith. The local church had collapsed; brigands roamed the fields. Longo later recalled feeling despair so deep he considered ending his life. Instead, he heard an interior voice: "If you wish to be saved, spread the Rosary." He gathered the local farmers and began teaching them to pray. Word reached him of an old painting stored in a Naples convent—the same image Fr. Radente had once purchased from a junk shop for the equivalent of a few coins. The painting depicted the Madonna and Child presenting rosaries to St. Dominic and St. Catherine of Siena. It had hung in a stable, been used as a tablecloth, suffered from neglect. Sister Maria Concetta De Litala released it to Longo, and on November 13, 1875, a farmer transported it to the valley atop a load of manure. The peasants received it with fireworks and processions. Miracles followed almost immediately. Cures were reported; the sick came; donations arrived. On May 8, 1876, the cornerstone for a new church was laid. The structure rose rapidly—420 square meters at first, designed by Antonio Cua in the neo-Renaissance style. Pope Leo XIII elevated it to a papal basilica in 1901 and declared the sanctuary pontifical in 1890. Between 1934 and 1939, the church expanded dramatically: two side naves, a crypt, a new dome reaching 57 meters. Longo married Countess De Fusco in 1885—a marriage of practical necessity to protect their shared charitable work from scandal. Together they founded orphanages, institutions for the children of prisoners, and the Dominican Sisters of the Rosary of Pompeii. He composed the famous Supplica alla Madonna di Pompei in 1883, along with the 54-Day Rosary Novena in 1879. By the time of his death on October 5, 1926, Pompeii had transformed from wasteland to international pilgrimage center. Pope John Paul II beatified Bartolo Longo on October 26, 1980, and visited the shrine twice: October 21, 1979, and October 7, 2003. Pope Benedict XVI came on October 19, 2008, presenting the Golden Rose. Pope Francis visited in 2015, donating a golden rosary, and wrote a letter to the shrine in November 2024 marking the 150th anniversary of the painting's arrival. Pope Leo XIV canonized Bartolo Longo on October 19, 2025—an exceptional procedure that proceeded without a second verified miracle, in recognition of his extraordinary holiness as the "Apostle of the Rosary."

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☩ Pontifical Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii

The sanctuary dominates Piazza Bartolo Longo, its neo-Renaissance façade rising in two architectural orders—Ionic below, Corinthian above—crowned by a statue of the Virgin of the Rosary. The piazza can accommodate the vast crowds that gather for the May and October supplications, yet the shrine retains an intimacy surprising for its scale.

Pontifical Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary

Local Name: Santuario della Beata Vergine del Santo Rosario di Pompei Address: Piazza Bartolo Longo, 1, 80045 Pompei NA, Italy GPS Coordinates: 40.7501827, 14.5005784 Google Maps: View on Google Maps Website: https://www.santuario.it Dedication: Our Lady of the Rosary Historical Note: The present structure evolved from the modest 1876 chapel through multiple expansions. Antonio Cua's original design gave the sanctuary its neo-Renaissance character; Giuseppe Muglie added the monumental façade inaugurated in 1901. The bell tower, designed by brothers Aristide and Pio Leonori, rose 80 meters by its completion in 1925, offering a panoramic terrace from which pilgrims can survey Vesuvius, the Bay of Naples, and the ancient Roman ruins nearby. The 1934-1939 expansion added side naves and brought capacity to 6,000. Spiritual Importance: The miraculous image—120 by 100 centimeters—hangs above the high altar, depicting the Madonna and Child presenting rosaries to St. Dominic and St. Catherine of Siena. Amateur restoration in 1875 gave way to professional work by Federico Maldarelli in 1879 and Vatican conservators in 1965. Pope Paul VI crowned the image on April 23, 1965. Pilgrims process through the sanctuary to venerate the icon, often lingering in the four corridors lined with votive offerings—thousands of plaques marked "V.F.G.A." (Votum fecit, gratiam accepit: "Made a vow, received grace"), photographs, wedding dresses, military medals, and written testimonies of healings and favors received.

The Crypt and Tombs

Beneath the main altar lies the crypt, where Saint Bartolo Longo rests along with his wife Countess Marianna De Fusco, the Dominican Fr. Alberto Radente who guided his conversion, Sister Maria Concetta De Litala who entrusted him with the painting, and Archbishop Francesco Saverio Toppi. The crypt preserves the intimacy of a family tomb while serving as a pilgrimage destination in its own right—a reminder that this sanctuary was built by human hands, by converts and countesses and farmers, all drawn together by a painted image on a manure cart.

The Bell Tower

The 80-meter campanile offers a panoramic terrace accessible by elevator and stairs. From the top, pilgrims see what Bartolo Longo saw from ground level in 1872: Vesuvius brooding over the plain, the Bay of Naples glittering to the west, the ancient excavations of Pompeii sprawling just beyond the modern town. The perspective is instructive: Roman Pompeii perished in fire and ash; Christian Pompeii rose from nothing through the Rosary.

Museum and Votive Offerings

The sanctuary complex includes a museum displaying centuries of ex-votos, liturgical objects, and documentation of verified cures. The library holds rare editions and manuscripts related to Marian devotion. For pilgrims with limited time, even a brief walk through the corridors of votive offerings conveys the scope of devotion this image has inspired.

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🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations

May 8 – Supplication to Our Lady of Pompeii Pontifical Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary. At noon, tens of thousands gather in Piazza Bartolo Longo to recite the Supplica composed by Saint Bartolo Longo in 1883, broadcast live to parishes and communities worldwide. The day marks the anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone in 1876. First Sunday of October – Autumnal Supplication Pontifical Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary. The October Supplica draws equally vast crowds for the afternoon recitation, coinciding with the month of the Rosary. Pilgrims often time their visits to participate in one of these two annual moments of worldwide prayer.

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🛏️ Where to Stay

4-Star Hotels

Habita79 Hotel Pompeii – MGallery Collection ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Address: Via Roma, 10, 80045 Pompei NA, Italy 🌐 Website: habita79.it 🔗 Booking.com: Book here Boutique hotel in a restored early-1900s palazzo with rooftop terrace offering panoramic views of Vesuvius. Features spa facilities, fitness center, indoor pool, and gourmet restaurant. Steps from both the archaeological site entrance and the shrine. Hotel Forum ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Address: Via Roma, 99/101, 80045 Pompei NA, Italy 🌐 Website: hotelforumpompeii.com 🔗 Booking.com: Book here Opposite the entrance to the Pompeii excavations and a five-minute walk from the shrine. Features a citrus grove garden, restaurant, free parking, and free WiFi. Hotel Maiuri ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Address: Viale Unità d'Italia, 20, 80045 Pompei NA, Italy 🌐 Website: hotelmaiuri.it 🔗 Booking.com: Book here Modern hotel with views of Mount Vesuvius from private balconies. Offers free parking, buffet breakfast, and staff who arrange guided tours and airport transfers. Walking distance to both the shrine and archaeological site.

3-Star Hotels

Hotel Diana ⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Address: Vicolo S. Abbondio, 12, 80045 Pompei NA, Italy 🌐 Website: hoteldianapompei.com 🔗 Booking.com: Book here Set in an extensive Mediterranean garden with lemon and orange trees, a five-minute walk from the shrine. Features a shared terrace, children's playground, and bar serving traditional Neapolitan coffee. Hotel Pace ⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Address: Via Nolana, 128, 80045 Pompei NA, Italy 🔗 Booking.com: Book here Intimate 11-room hotel surrounded by a private garden with sun terrace, just three minutes from the Basilica and six minutes from the archaeological site. Family-run with shuttle service to Naples airport available on request.

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🚗 Getting There

By Air: Naples Capodichino International Airport (NAP) lies 30 kilometers northwest. Bus and train connections to Pompei are frequent; taxis and car rentals are available at the terminal. By Train: Three stations serve modern Pompei:

  • Pompei Santuario (Circumvesuviana Naples-Poggiomarino line): 200 meters from the shrine entrance
  • Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri (Circumvesuviana Naples-Sorrento line): 1 kilometer, serves the archaeological park entrance
  • Pompei (Trenitalia regional services): 800 meters from the sanctuary

From Naples Centrale or Naples Garibaldi, the Circumvesuviana trains run frequently; the journey takes approximately 35-40 minutes. By Car: From the A3 Napoli-Salerno motorway, exit at Pompei Ovest and follow signs to the sanctuary. Parking is available near the shrine and the archaeological site.

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🎥 Recommended Videos

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🔗 Useful Links

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🧭 Nearby Pilgrimage Destinations

Naples – 28 km northwest. The Duomo houses the blood of San Gennaro, which liquefies three times yearly. The city preserves major churches, catacombs, and the tomb of St. Thomas Aquinas at the Basilica of San Domenico Maggiore. Sorrento – 27 km south. Gateway to the Amalfi Coast, with the Basilica of Sant'Antonino honoring the town's patron saint. Amalfi – 50 km south. The Duomo di Sant'Andrea houses the relics of the Apostle Andrew in a crypt beneath the high altar.

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🪶 Closing Reflection

"Just as two friends, frequently in each other's company, tend to develop similar habits, so too, by holding familiar converse with Jesus and the Blessed Virgin, by meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary and by living the same life in Holy Communion, we can become, to the extent of our lowliness, similar to them and can learn from these supreme models a life of humility, poverty, hiddenness, patience and perfection."
— Saint Bartolo Longo, quoted by Pope Benedict XVI at Pompeii, 19 October 2008