About Rome: Rome has been one of history's most powerful and important cities, along with home to the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope, and the site of the Vatican City. First built in 337, St. Peter's Basilica lies over the tomb of St. Peter. Contained within is a vast array of the most beautiful artwork ever assembled, reflecting the immensity, beauty, vastness, majesty, glory and awesomeness of God.
YOUR TRIP INCLUDES: Round-trip air from New York to Italy (special Add-on Airfares from all US gateways) ALL AIRPORT TAXES & FUEL SURCHARGES! 6 nights at centrally located first class hotels as follows: (or similar) ~ 1 nights: Hotel Mariott, Rome, Italy
~ 2 nights: Hotel Giotto, Assisi, Italy
~ 3 nights: Hotel Cicerone or Quirinale, Rome, Italy Transfers as per itinerary Breakfast and Dinner daily Wine with dinners Transportation by air-conditioned motor coach Assistance of a professional local Catholic guide(s) Sightseeing and admissions fees as per itinerary Catholic Priest available for Spiritual Direction Mass daily & Spiritual activities Luggage handling (1 piece per person) Flight bag & portfolio of all travel documents
Sample Day-by-Day Itinerary:
Day 1 - USA - Italy
Depart from New York, JFK or from your hometown for the overnight flight to Rome. Dinner and breakfast will be served on board.
Day 2 - Arrive Rome
Upon arrival your escort will warmly greet you this morning and welcome you to Italy. Transfer to your hotel and enjoy a free afternoon for rest, relaxation, or exploration.
Day 3 - Rome - Assisi
After breakfast we depart from Rome. We drive through the Italian countryside enjoying the beautiful scenery. Upon arrival in Assisi you will have free time to rest, relax and explore before dinner a d overnight.
Day 4 - Assisi
Visit the tomb of St Francis. Explore the quaint hilltop birthplace of St Francis that still retains something of the atmosphere of the early 1200s, the period when St Francis began his ministry. Contained within the huge 13th-century Basilica are many of the saint's possessions and a series of frescoes depicting his life. You may kneel before the crucifix from which Jesus spoke to St Francis, asking him to rebuild His church. It was in St Mary of the Angels Basilica where St Francis spent most of his life. Here we visit the Chapel, Portiuncola, the rose bush, and the cave where the saint retired for prayer. Stroll the medieval streets of the compact little town. After stopping at an outdoor cafe with a view of an ancient Roman temple, we go to the Church of St Clare to see the saint's incorrupt body. The foundress of the Order of Poor Clares followed the teachings of St Francis by living a life of poverty and humility. We will visit these two saints' tombs before dinner and retiring for the evening.
Day 5 - Assisi - Siena - Rome
After breakfast we are off to the beautiful town of Siena, the birthplace of Saints Catherine and Bernardine and one of Italy’s loveliest medieval cities. Here we will stroll the Piazza Del Campo, one of Italy’s finest squares and visit the Cathedral and the Basilica of St. Francis, containing the miraculous consecrated hosts that remained intact since 1730. View the incorrupt head of St. Catherine at the Basilica of St. Dominic. We continue on to Rome for dinner and overnight.
Day 6 - Rome
This morning we depart for a sightseeing tour entitled "Christian Rome"
which includes: the Basilica of St. Mary Major, one of the oldest shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, a shrine that contains a relic from the manger of the infant Jesus; the Holy Stairs, the Basilica of St. John the Lateran, The Basilica of the St John in Lateran, is the former residence of the popes prior to their return to Rome in 1377; St Paul Outside the Walls, which houses the remains of St Paul under its main altar; and the Appian Way -- the oldest road from Roman times--plus the famous Domino Quo Vadis Chapel; see the ancient Baths of Caracalla, Arch of Drusus; Tomb of Celilia Metella, and the catacombs of St Callixtus where the early Christians hid themselves to escape persecution. We will also enjoy a visit to the Trevi fountain. Dinner and overnight.
Day 7 - Rome (Papal Audience and Vatican Museum Tour)
Wake up in Eternal City, one of the greatest centers of Western Civilization and the first truly cosmopolitan city on earth! It is also spiritual capital for all the Catholics around the world. Today is truly a day we will have in our minds for many years to come. This morning we go to Vatican City to attend the weekly Papal Audience or Blessing given by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI (pending papal schedule). Following the audience visit of the Vatican Museums, a group of most impressive edifices with hundreds of galleries filled with art treasures. See awe-inspiring relics and works of art donated throughout centuries as tributes of faith. We'll cover The Tapestry Gallery, The Raphael Rooms and the most overwhelming Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo's Masterpiece, restored mural of the Last Judgment. Later, enter the largest church in Christendom St Peter's Basilica, built on the site where St Peter was martyred. Unsurpassed in beauty, a monument to the long history of the Catholic Church, to which pilgrims come from around the world, St Peter's is the grandest of the world's churches. Marvel Pieta and Bernini's amazing bronze canopy. We will also visit the Tomb of Pope John Paul II located at St. Peters Basilica . Before dinner, we'll have some time at leisure, to explore your own paths, to shop, or just to sit in one of the outside cafes and watch the world go by. Dinner and overnight for your last evening in Rome.
Day 8 - Rome - USA We bid farewell to our new friends and to a pilgrimage which will be in our memories and heart for a long time to come. After breakfast depart from the hotel to Rome Airport for our return flight to the USA.
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Travel Dates
Land Only (no airfare)
*Air & Land
# of Pilgrims
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