Monte Sacro, Mountain summit in Gargano National Park, Italy

Monte Sacro is a forested mountain peak in the eastern part of Gargano National Park, in the Puglia region of Italy. It rises to 874 meters and stands among the higher summits of the Gargano promontory, with rocky terrain and dense tree cover across its slopes.

In ancient times the mountain was called Monte Dodoneo and held shrines dedicated to Jupiter, making it a place of worship long before Christianity arrived. Benedictine monks built a monastery here around the 6th century, and it remained active until the 13th century.

The ruins of a Benedictine monastery still stand near the summit, and visitors can walk among the remaining stone walls during the ascent. The name Monte Sacro, meaning Sacred Mountain, reflects the long religious role this place played in the region.

A marked trail leads to the summit and requires no special gear beyond sturdy footwear. The path is shaded for much of the way, which makes the climb more comfortable, though the upper section can be rocky.

In the 4th century AD the mountain was still called Monte Dodoneo, named for the pagan cult of Jupiter; it was renamed Monte Sacro only after the simulacra were destroyed and the site was dedicated to the Holy Trinity. The holm oak woods on its south-east slope are remnants of the evergreen forests once widespread across the Gargano and Puglia.