Program 710: Saints of Italy; Pilgrim Trails; Holy Bones

Get to know some of the most notable of Italy's many patron saints, and why they remain important to so many. Then hear what journalist Tim Egan spent his time contemplating on his walk along the medieval Via Francigena — the pilgrimage path from Canterbury to Rome. And learn about the role of relics in many religious traditions, and why, for centuries, millions of faithful have journeyed for a first-hand encounter with them.

• Anna Piperato, tour guide based in Siena, Italy
• New York Times columnist Tim Egan, author of "A Pilgrimage to Eternity" (Viking)
• Peter Manseau, author of "Rag and Bone: A Journey Among the World's Holy Dead" (Henry Holt & Co.)

• Siena's Saint Catherine is the patron saint of Italy and of Europe.
• Padre Pio is known for his claim of having signs of the stigmata on his body.
• Art historian Anna Piperato leads tours of Siena in Tuscany.
• "A Pilgrimage to Eternity" by Tim Egan details his journey from Canterbury to Rome along the ancient Via Francigena pilgrim trail.
• The Via Francigena has a website to help with planning and detours along the 3000-km pilgrim route from Canterbury to Rome.
• An American traveler from Michigan posts photos from the crypt of Santa Lucia Filippini in Montefiascone, Italy, on her Flicker account.
• Peter Manseau is a curator at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
• Peter examines the role of religious relics in his book "Rag and Bone."
• The Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics is located midway between Dayton, Ohio, and Fort Wayne, Indiana.