The Mountain of Gargano: Where the Sacred Dwells in the Forms of the Earth

Abstract

The Gargano promontory in southern Italy constitutes a sacred landscape where archaic, arcane, sacred, and daimonic dimensions converge within a living geography of pilgrimage and revelation. This study examines key sanctuaries as spatial archetypes that articulate the dialogue between architecture, ritual, and terrain. Through archival research, cartographic analysis, and field surveys, it explores how sacralisation has shaped both physical forms and cultural practices. The sanctuaries emerge as infrastructures of meaning, sustaining territorial identity while facing challenges such as environmental degradation and overtourism. The paper proposes an integrated strategy of active conservation; where walking, ritual, and silence reactivate sacred presence. Ultimately, the sacred mountain is presented as a regenerative palimpsest: a landscape where spiritual heritage and ecological care entwine in a dynamic equilibrium between memory and transformation.