Montepaolo Hermitage and Sanctuary of Saint Anthony of Padua

The Hermitage of Montepaolo is the most important Antonian sanctuary in Emilia-Romagna due to the preserved memory of St. Anthony of Padua who had his first Italian residence here between 1221 and 1222.
The hermitage and sanctuary is located in an isolated position 7 km from the town, at a height of 425 meters on top of the hill of the same name.
Immersed in nature (it is not uncommon, going up it, to meet roe deer, squirrels, porcupines, hares and other animals) Montepaolo is the ideal place to restore the spirit, away from traffic and noise.
The sanctuary of S. Antonio preserves an important relic and the Grotto where the Saint used to retire in prayer, reachable on foot through the "Path of hope".
Also noteworthy is the modern and contemporary artistic endowment with the church (entirely frescoed and rebuilt in neo-Gothic style in the early decades of the 20th century).
In the year 2000, a path decorated with mosaics was created near the Hermitage which recalls the crucial phases in the life of the Saint.(Source: turismoforlivese.it/servizi/menu/dinamica.aspx?ID=4503)