Pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Divino Amore: the hotel in Rome for convenient accommodation

A few kilometres from the walls of Rome, among the fields along Via Ardeatina, stands the Marian sanctuary most beloved by Romans: the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Divino Amore, the goal of an uninterrupted pilgrimage for almost three centuries. Those who travel from afar to pray, fulfil a vow or take part in the night pilgrimage look for a quiet hotel, close by and with honest prices: Hotel Meeting Roma, a hotel at the Ciampino exit of the Grande Raccordo Anulare ring road, is about a quarter of an hour from the sanctuary and is the convenient accommodation for pilgrims, families and parish groups.

The history of the sanctuary: the miracle of Castel di Leva in 1740

It all began in the spring of 1740. A pilgrim on his way to Rome, lost in the countryside near the ruins of the castle of Castel di Leva, was attacked by a pack of ferocious dogs. Looking up, he saw on the castle tower a fresco of the Madonna and Child surmounted by the dove of the Holy Spirit, symbol of Divine Love: he called on her, and the dogs stopped at once. News of the miracle spread throughout Rome, and the image, a 14th-century painting, immediately became an object of veneration.

In 1745 the first sanctuary was consecrated, built to house the fresco detached from the tower, and ever since Romans have never stopped walking up to the Divino Amore. In the 20th century the rector Don Umberto Terenzi revived the sanctuary and founded the charitable works that still surround it. The most intense moment in its history came on 4 June 1944: as the Germans withdrew and the Allies entered the city, the Romans, led by Pius XII, made a vow to the Madonna del Divino Amore that Rome might be spared destruction. The city was saved, the vow was fulfilled and the sacred image, which had been brought into the city centre to the church of Sant'Ignazio, returned to the sanctuary in triumph.

In 1999 Pope John Paul II consecrated the large new church, designed to hold thousands of faithful, which stands beside the old 18th-century sanctuary in a single complex surrounded by the greenery of the Roman countryside.

The night pilgrimage and visiting the sanctuary

The most heartfelt tradition is the night pilgrimage on foot, which every Saturday night from Easter to the end of October sets off at midnight from Piazza di Porta Capena, in front of the Circus Maximus, and covers about 14 kilometres along the ancient Appian Way and Via Ardeatina to reach the sanctuary at dawn for Mass. Thousands take part every year, in an atmosphere of prayer and song that crosses the sleeping Roman countryside.

Those who visit the sanctuary by day find the old church, with the miraculous image on the high altar, and the new church, modern and full of light, with its stained glass and vast space for celebrations. The complex includes the chapel of vows, with hundreds of ex-votos left by the faithful, the cloister, the museum, the Way of the Cross in the park and hospitality facilities. Mass is celebrated several times a day, with more frequent services on Sundays and feast days; the sanctuary is open all year round and its main feast falls on Whit Monday.

Convenient accommodation for pilgrims: our hotel in south Rome

The Sanctuary of the Divino Amore is located at km 12 of Via Ardeatina, in Castel di Leva, just outside the Grande Raccordo Anulare. Hotel Meeting Roma, at Via Pier Vittorio Aldini 38/A, is on the same ring road: by car you reach the sanctuary in about 15 minutes, driving along the GRA to the Ardeatina exit, with free private parking at the hotel. Those taking part in the night pilgrimage can leave their car at the hotel, reach the city centre with the hotel shuttle and the train from Ciampino (12 minutes to Termini) and, at dawn, arrange to be collected at the sanctuary or return by public transport.

Our hotel is used to welcoming pilgrims and parish groups: single, double, twin and triple rooms, breakfast included with flexible times agreed with reception, an in-house restaurant for group meals, free Wi-Fi, special rates for groups and a family atmosphere, run by the same family since 1950. From the Divino Amore you can also easily reach the catacombs of the Appian Way, the Fosse Ardeatine and the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls, for a complete spiritual itinerary through Christian Rome.

In short

The Sanctuary of the Madonna del Divino Amore is a place of faith deeply bound to the history of Rome, from the miracle of 1740 to the vow of 1944. For a worry-free pilgrimage, Hotel Meeting Roma is the right hotel: convenient accommodation a quarter of an hour from the sanctuary, close to Ciampino airport, with free parking, shuttle, restaurant and honest rates for individuals, families and groups.

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