Early in this century Senator Schiaparelli, the founder of the association, bought a portion
of the mountain known as that of the "Beatitudes", and.
specifically the part overlooking the lake of Tiberias (or sea
of Galilee) and in 1907 began to build a hospice to provide
accommodation for the pilgrims visiting the area comprising the
ruins of Capharnum, the little church of primacy of Peter and
that of the multiplication of loaves and fishes. That building
was not finished until 1922 and was entrusted to the Franciscan
Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary who still run it today.
In 1938 the adjacent Sanctuary,
designed by the Architect Barluzzi, was also completed.
Unfortunately, due to the building's age and the nature of the
soil, composed of basalt blocks with layers of clay. Now the
Hospice provides accommodation for pilgrims from all over the
world and made it possible to hold study and prayer courses. Now
a project to add more rooms for the guest house and be a
Spiritual Center for a retreat is under construction to be ready
in 2008.
