The house was purchased by the Diocese of Bergamo in 1934, decades before Roncalli was elected Pope.
Angelo Roncalli was the fourth of thirteen children raised in this specific rural structure.
The site retains original family furniture and farm implements that date back to the late 1800s.
It remains one of the few surviving examples of a typical late 19th-century rural peasant home in the Bergamo province.
The interior layout preserves the modest, sparse living conditions reflective of rural Italian life at the turn of the 20th century.
The Casa Natale di Santo Papa Giovanni XXIII is the preserved birthplace of Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, who reigned as Pope John XXIII from 1958 to 1963. Located in Sotto il Monte, the site features the original 19th-century farmhouse where Roncalli spent his childhood. Visitors can explore the domestic living quarters, the room of his birth, and an adjoining chapel that houses liturgical artifacts. The complex includes a dedicated documentation center detailing his life, ecclesiastical career, and role in convening the Second Vatican Council. The site serves as a place of pilgrimage and historical education regarding the 'Good Pope's' early years in the Lombardy region.
The external stone courtyard, which captures the original 19th-century architectural features of the farmhouse.
Combine your visit with a walk to the nearby San Giovanni Battista church, where the future Pope was baptized.
Check the official website for rotating exhibitions in the documentation center before arriving.
Allocate extra time if you plan to walk the trail connecting the birthplace to the town center.
Do not assume the entire complex is a singular museum; the farmhouse and the documentation center require distinct attention.
Open daily; occasional closures occur during major religious holidays or private diocesan events.
Maintain a quiet, respectful volume as the site is considered a place of prayer; modest dress is expected.
