Convento di Stignano

A fascinating place in a beautiful setting.

Around 200 AD, tradition says, the Madonna led a blind man to a statue of her hidden behind a bramble bush and asked for a sanctuary to be built there in her honor. A painting on the church’s left side shows this story. The church itself is lovely, and its history makes it all the more interesting. The Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Stigliano is a little-known treasure, even among many Apulians. There’s also a beautiful cloister in the neighboring building, with evocative frescoes and a spring said by tradition to be miraculous. Whether or not that’s true, the place deserves to be rediscovered. The surrounding greenery and quiet are lovely, too.

It’s in a great spot for exploring the Gargano, and the place has a character that makes it easy to meet people passing through. Its origins are interesting, but as somewhere to stay, it works best as a stopover or for people with very basic needs. The rooms and some of the fittings are in poor shape. Our shower hose was half broken and the plastic shower cubicle didn’t work properly, so the price felt too high for what was offered. The staff were friendly, but the hospitality didn’t feel up to the level expected of a tourist property today. Breakfast was just pre-packaged croissants, which was the final straw. A little more effort, perhaps an arrangement with a local baker, would make a real difference. In a setting that suggests a spiritual retreat, the stay felt more like a night in a reformatory.

The manager was kind and helpful, though not always around. Mrs. Rosa, who runs the place, was rude and unhelpful, and seemed unwilling to meet the groups’ requests. That made it a poor fit for our parish summer camp with teenagers. The convent itself is lovely. The rooms are fairly spacious, there’s a big, well-equipped kitchen, and two beautiful cloisters. But there’s no mobile reception or Wi-Fi at all. It could work for a one-night stop, or for a few quiet days away from phones, just not for the camp we had.