The Family 

Padre Pio’s parents, Grazio Forgione and Giuseppina De Nunzio, were humble landowners. About two kilometers from their hometown of Pietrelcina, in a place called Piana Romana, they owned a small farmhouse and some land, which provided just enough to support their family. During harvest time, they could afford to hire a few laborers, but most of the work was carried out by Grazio, affectionately known as "Zi' Razio" by the locals. Every morning at dawn, he would saddle his donkey and head to the fields. Later in the day, his wife, "Zi' Giuseppa," would join him to tend to tasks in the farmhouse and courtyard, while also preparing their meals. In the late afternoon, the couple would return together to their modest but warm and lively home in town. This was their simple, everyday life, shaped by hard work and devotion to their growing family. Their firstborn, Michele, was soon old enough to assist his father in the fields. Francesco, the future Padre Pio, also helped by tending a small flock of three or four sheep. Later, their daughters Grazia and Pellegrina were born, completing the family.