For 50 years he was said to have borne the bleeding wounds of Jesus.
His followers said he could see into the future and be in two places at once.
Forty years since his death, Padre Pio, now officially Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, continues to move and inspire millions of followers worldwide.
On Thursday, to mark the anniversary of his death, his body will go on display in a glass coffin at his friary at San Giovanni Rotondo, in Puglia, southern Italy.
Already some 700,000 people have registered to visit the sanctuary. Millions more are expected through the year.
The church says entrance to the crypt is free and no decision has yet been taken on how long the coffin will remain on show.
Padre Pio's body was exhumed in March. The Capuchin friars said it was in "surprisingly good condition".
No special measures were taken to preserve the body when he was buried in 1968. It was injected with formalin, but only to preserve it better during the following days in which the devotees filed past the coffin