Pilgrimage to Fatima, Lisbon, Lourdes, Spain,
Shrines of Italy &
Santiago de Compostela
Barcelona, Pamplona, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, Lisbon, Fatima, Lourdes, Paris, France
YOUR TRIP INCLUDES: Round-trip air from New York (special Add-on Airfares from all US gateways) Airport Taxes, Security Fees & Fuel Surcharges Included
Breakfast & Dinner Daily Drinks with dinner Half board accommodation
Papal Audience (if available) Sightseeing and admissions fees as per itinerary Transportation by air-conditioned motor coach Local guide in Barcelona, Monserrat, Zaragoza, Puente la Riena, Leon, Villafranca del Bierzo
& Santiago de Compostela Hotel taxes and service charges Holy Mass daily: Flight bag & portfolio of all travel documents
Not Included: Lunches not specified, Travel Insurance optional at $99-$225, (www.206tours.com/insurance). Cancel for Any Reason Protection @ $199 (www.206tours.com/cancellationprotection). Tips to your guide & driver (Euro € 6-8 per day). Items of a personal nature. *"Land Only*" does not include airfare or airport transfers.
Sample Day-by-Day Itinerary: Day 1: Depart USA
Board your overnight transatlantic flights from your home town. Meals are served on board.
Day 2: Lisbon - Fatima
Arrive Lisbon. Meet your Priest, tour guide and fellow pilgrims. After an orientation drive through Lisbon, we stop and visit St. Anthony's Church. Despite what might be assumed from his name, Saint Anthony was born and grew up in Lisbon. Traditionally, the invocation of his name is considered the best means of locating lost objects. Continue drive to nearby Fatima, the place where the Blessed Mother appeared in 1917 to three simple shepherd children and exhorted mankind to pray for world peace. After settling into your hotel, you may relax or participate in a candlelight procession (possible each evening from April through October).
Day 3: Fatima
Six times, from the May 13 to Oct 13, 1917, the Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children in the diocese of Leiria. A new church is under construction, however just as beautiful, an older church was constructed here in 1928, and millions of pilgrims visit each year. Fatima is one of the most visited holy places for Catholics from around the world. The atmosphere of intense spirituality and the importance of Fatima have been attested to by the visits of two Popes: Paul VI and John Paul II. Touring Fatima, see the Little Chapel of the Apparitions, Basilica, the site of Francesco and Jacinta's graves, the Hamlet of Aljustrel, where the children lived, and Valinhos, the site of Our Lady's appearance after the children's return from prison. Follow the Stations of the Cross along the Via Sacra (The Sacred Way) culminating in the Chapel of Calvary, which overlooks all of Fatima. Join pilgrims from around the world in an evening candlelight procession to pray the rosary. Dinner and overnight in Fatima.
Day 4: Excursion to Santarem
After breakfast we depart on our excursion to Santarem, where one of the oldest cities in the world is located. We will walk through its narrow streets to the Church of St Stephen, containing the oldest recorded Eucharistic miracle. This miracle has been on continuous display since 1269. Return to Fatima where you will have free time for prayer and devotions before dinner and overnight in Fatima.
Day 5: Fatima - Salamanca
Breakfast in the hotel. In the morning departure towards the city of Salamanca. Salamanca is the most graceful city in Spain. For four centuries it was the seat of one of the most prestigious universities in the world and, despite losing this reputation in the XVII Century, it has kept the unmistakable atmosphere of a seat of learning. It is a small place, and it is given a gorgeous harmony by the golden sandstone from which almost the entire city seems to be constructed. The city’s architectural sights seem endless: two cathedrals, one Gothic, the other Romanesque, vie for attention with Renaissance palaces and gems of Plateresque decoration. The Plaza Mayor is the finest in Spain; and the surviving university buildings are tremendous throughout, all of them distinguished by the same warm stone. Today we will visit this impressive and beautiful city: The grand Plaza Mayor is the hub of Salmantine life, the vast Baroque church of La Clerecía, the Casa de las Conchas (House of Shells), named after the rows of carved scallop shells symbol of the pilgrimage to Santiago which decorate its façade, the University, the cathedrals, the Roman Bridge, San Marcos and San Martin churches, etc. Dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight in Salamanca.
Day 6: Salamanca - Alba de Tormes - Ávila - Burgos After breakfast in the hotel we will depart towards the village of Alba de Tormes. In Alba we will visit and celebrate Mass at the Carmelite Monastery, where Saint Teresa died in 1582 and is buried. In the little museum of the Carmelite Monastery we will be able to see the incorrupt heart and left arm of the Saint. Later on we will continue our journey to Ávila. Two things distinguish Ávila: its eleventh-century walls, two perfectly preserved kilometers of which surround the old town, and the mystic writer Santa Teresa, who was born here and whose shrines are a major focus of religious pilgrimage. Ávila’s atmosphere has changed very little since the days of Santa Teresa, the first woman to be named a Doctor of the Church, to whom the city is dedicated: the Cathedral, started in the XII Century but never finished and built in three different styles: Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance; San Vicente church, the Incarnation Convent, where St. Therese became a nun and home to the most comprehensive museum dedicated to her life ; La Santa Monastery, built on the site of the house where she was born, San José Convent, the first monastery founded by the Saint, etc. After the visit departure to the city of Burgos, the historic capital of Old Castile. After dinner explore Burgos (on your own), and admire the magnificent limestone Cathedral. Overnight in Burgos.
Day 7: Burgos - Loyola - Lourdes After breakfast depart Burgos, heading for Lourdes, France. En route stop in Loyola, the birthplace of St Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. Here, we'll se the 17th Century Basilica dedicated to St Ignatius. Behind the sanctuary is the family home of St. Ignatius, which we'll visit during our stop. The most venerated place in this building is the room where Ignatius at age 30, was brought following his serious wounding at the Battle of Pamplona. In the afternoon, we motor through the Pyrenees Mountains into Lourdes. Here, standing between the spectacular mountain-river, Gave de Pau, stands picturesque Lourdes, the birthplace of St Bernadette to whom Our Lady appeared in 1858 near the Grotto of Massabielle. Settle into your hotel, explore before dinner, followed by a candlelight procession (every evening from April through October) before retiring for the evening.
Day 8 & 9: Lourdes After breakfast, our guided tour of Lourdes will include the sanctuary; the Basilica of St Pius X, the world's largest underground church; and the baths where hundreds of miraculous cures have taken place. Enjoy a video presentation telling the story of Lourdes, and walk in the footsteps of St Bernadette. See Boly Mill where St Bernadette was born and the "Cachot," an abandoned prison where Bernadette's impoverished family lived. Join your prayers with those of pilgrims from around the world as you pray for the sick, drink water from the miraculous spring, pray at the Grotto and submerge yourself in the healing baths. Experience Christ's love as you walk the life-sized Stations of the Cross overlooking the holy Grotto. Kneel in the chapel built on the very rock of the Grotto in obedience to the request of the "Immaculate Conception." Attend the blessing of the sick and participate in nightly candlelight processions requested by Our Lady, and take time for private devotions. Each evening dinner and overnight at your hotel.
Day 10: Lourdes - Rome Travel by flight(s) to 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. You tour escort can suggest sights or walks for you to enjoy
Day 11: 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 grave of Pope John Paul II located at the Vatican (time permitting). 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.
Day 12: 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 for your last evening in Rome.
Day 13: Rome - Monte Cassino - San Giovanni Rotondo We leave the Eternal City and head south, cross through the Roman countryside with its villas and vineyards, stopping at the Abbey of Monte Cassino, a beautiful town founded by St. Benedict in 529. Continue through the countryside heading east to Padre Pios town of San Giovanni Rotondo, our base for the following two nights. Dinner and overnight in San Giovanni Rotondo.
Day 14: San Giovanni Rotondo - Monte Sant' Angelo After celebrating Mass at the tomb of Padre Pio, we tour the sanctuary, see the old church and the crucifix from which he received the stigmata in 1918. We will have an opportunity to view his exhumed body (through September 2009). You will see the confessional where Padre Pio spent innumerable hours with a multitude of pilgrims, directing them on their journey toward God. Enjoy a breathtaking view of the Cargano Peninsula and a visit to the Grotto of Michael the Archangel. Six different popes, St Francis and at least four other saints have knelt in prayer at this grotto, seeking the protection of St Michael. A panoramic view of the ocean and the surrounding countryside awaits you at this most celebrated shrine of early Christianity, a shrine consecrated by St Michael himself in 490. Return to San Giovanni for devotions, reflection, and a restful overnight.
Day 15: San Giovanni Rotondo - Lanciano - Loreto- Assisi We will have breakfast at our hotel before we embark on a drive up the Adriatic coast to Lanciano where we will see the Eucharistic Miracle and celebrate Mass. We then continue on to the great Marian shrine of Loreto to visit the Holy House of Nazareth and the beautiful Madonna of Loreto. More than 50 popes have made a pilgrimage to the house transported by angels to this hill in central Italy in 1294. Tradition has it that this is the house in which Mary first prayed the Magnificat, in which Jesus grew to manhood, and in which the Holy Family lived. Continue to Assisi for dinner and overnight.
Day 16: 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 17: Excursion to Siena If you like, today, you may sit back, relax and reflect in Assisi, or you may join a new added tour to 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. Return to Assisi for dinner and overnight.
Day 18: Assis - Florence (or Rome) - Pamplona Early departure from Assisi for Florence (or Rome) Airport for our flight to Barcelona. Upon arrival in Barcelona we transfer to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 19: Barcelona - Montserrat - Barcelona Today we will visit the beautiful Montserrat Spain. Montserrat is a spectacularly beautiful Benedictine monk mountain retreat about 30 miles northwest of Barcelona. Not only is the Montserrat Monastery of significant religious importance but the natural beauty surrounding the monastery is considered breathtaking by many. If you enjoy walking there are also some interesting walks through the mountains where you will experience magnificent views of some of the most unusual rock formations in the whole of Catalonia. You can take a funicular to the top of the mountain and from there you can choose a number of different walks, all with amazing views of the Catalonian countryside.
Day 20: Barcelona - Zaragoza - Pamplona Today you’ll depart Barcelona for Pamplona, making a stop in Zaragoza. Zaragoza is in the valley of Ebro, Spain's most water-bearing river, and has an impressive landscape with picturesque villages. Zaragoza is one of the great monumental towns in Spain, founded about 2000 years ago, with Old-Iberians, Romans, Goths and Arabian influence, and includes important buildings of Spanish baroque. After your visit to Zaragoza, continue to Pamplona, a city famous worldwide for the San Fermin Festival in which the running of the bulls is one of the main attractions. From the 11th century, the pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela contributed a lot to revive the commercial and cultural exchanges with Christian Europe beyond the Pyrenees. The most important religious building is the fourteenth century Gothic Cathedral, with an outstanding cloister and a neoclassical façade. There are another two main Gothic churches in the old city: Saint Senin and Saint Nicholas, both built during the thirteenth century. Also we will be able to find Saint Ignatius of Loyola basilica in the place where he was injured in the battle during whose subsequent convalescence he decided to convert to God. Dinner and overnight in Pamplona.
Day 21: Pamplona - Leyre Monastery - San Javier - Sanguesa - Pamplona After breakfast, we’ll depart to the mountains of San Juan de la Pena, with spectacular countryside to the Monastery of Leyre, at the foot of the Leyre Mountains. This Monastery was forgotten until the 19th century when the Benedictine monks of Santo Domingo de Silos revived monastic life between its walls in 1954. In 1979 it was converted into a self-governing abbey. We’ll continue to San Javier, a small town on the coastline of the Costa Calida. The region around San Javier is very important for agriculture and a wide range of produce is grown there. Named after the apostle Saint Francis Xavier, this city is well worth a visit today. Afterward we’ll continue to Sanguesa, on the left bank of the Aragón River, at the Aragonese frontier. Pilgrims crossing northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela often stopped here. We’ll return to Pamplona for dinner and overnight.
Day 22: Pamplona - Puente la Reina - Santo Domingo de la Calzada - Santo Domingo de Silos After breakfast in the hotel we will depart Pamplona. In our journey we will visit two of the most important cities related to El Camino: Puente la Reina and Santo Domingo de la Calzada. Puente la Reina means literally the "bridge of the Queen" and was built by doña Mayor de Navarra in the 11th century to help the pilgrims to cross over the river Arga. In this medieval city we will be able to visit the Church of the Crucifix built by the members of the Order of the Temple and the Church of Santiago which contains one of the finest multicolored sculptures representing the Apostle Santiago that can be found along the Santiago Route. Santo Domingo de la Calzada is situated on the banks of the Oja River and its name refers to its founder: Saint Dominic de la Calzada who built a bridge, hospital and hostel here for pilgrims. There are many miracles related to Saint Dominic but he most famous one concerns that of the rooster and the chicken. The story goes that in the 14th century, a German 18-year old named Hugonell, from Xanten, goes on pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela with his parents. A Spanish girl at the hostel where they were staying makes sexual advances toward Hugonell; Hugonell denies her advances. Angry at this, the girl hides a silver cup in the German’s bag and then informs the authorities that the youth had taken it. Hugonell is sentenced to the gallows, in accordance with the laws of Alfonso X of Castile. The parents sadly decide to examine their son’s body, still hanging on the gallows, but suddenly hear his voice - he tells them that Saint Dominic has saved his life. His parents quickly make their way to Santiago de Compostela to see the magistrate. The magistrate, who is at the time eating dinner, remarks: “Your son is as alive as this rooster and chicken that I was feasting on before you interrupted me.” And in that moment, the two birds jump from the plate and begin to sing and crow happily. Dinner and overnight in Santo Domingo de Silos.
Day 23: Santo Domingo de Silos - Leon
Breakfast in the hotel. In the morning we will do an excursion to Santo Domingo de Silos. We will visit the Benedictine abbey of Santo Domingo de Silos, one of Spain’s greatest Christian monuments. Its main feature is a great double-storey XI Century Romanesque cloister, whose beautiful sculptural decoration is in many ways unique. After the visit we will be able to listen to the Gregorian chants by the monks of the monastery. The monks are considered one of the two or three best choirs in the World. Dinner and overnight in Leon.
Day 24: Leon - Astorga/Ponferrada After breakfast in the hotel we will meet with a local guide. Leon aMasses some of Spain’s most important historic-artistic monuments, like its Cathedral, a Gothic gem and a masterpiece of the Gothic architecture with the best collection of stained-glass windows in Europe (only after Chartres). Next to the Cathedral, there is the Roman Saint Isidoro Basilica (eleventh and twelfth century), where Saint Isidoro of Seville tomb is kept; and the Saint Marcus Monastery, with its fantastic front in Plateresque style bedecked with shells (the symbol of the pilgrim). After the visit we'll continue our journey. Depending on the available hotels we will stay in Astorga or in Ponferrada. The historical and religious city of Astorga, called Astúrica by the Romans, once had 25 hospitals. On it the French and the Plata Routes to Santiago converge. The extraordinary Gothic Cathedral, from the 15 C presides over the town. The Episcopal Palace or Gaudí Palace houses the Museo de los Caminos, which displays pieces from all churches related to the Route to Santiago. The city of Ponferrada, with Prehistoric and Roman antecedents, had two accesses in the middle Ages. One was via the Roman bridge spanning the Boeza river, sunk in the 18 C; the other was via the path of the Gallegos and then, crossing the river by the Medieval bridge of Mascarón. At the end of the 11 C, the Bishop of Astorga, Osmundo, commissioned the building of a new bridge, "la Pons Ferrata", a pass with iron banisters which gave name to the city. Later on, between the 11 and 14 C, the Castle of the Knights Templar was built. At the end of the 15 C, the Catholic Monarchs commissioned the construction of the Hospital de la Reina, next to the fortress. In this monumental town also stand the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Encina, from the 16 C (built to commemorate the apparition of the Virgin in a grove of Holm oaks) and the Baroque church of San Andres, from the 17 C, which is home to an outstanding retable from the 13 C, "The Christ of the Wonders". Overnight in Astorga or Ponferrada.
Day 25: Astorga/Ponferrada - Villafranca del Bierzo - O Cebrerio - Santiago de Compostela After breakfast at our hotel we will depart for Santiago de Compostela. In our way we will visit Villafranca del Bierzo, a town founded in the 11 C, where the Cluny Order had an important representation. We can enjoy the Collegiate Church of Santa María, built between the 13 and 16 C; the churches of Santiago (12 C) and San Nicolas, as well as the Agua Street, full of palaces and emblazoned houses. The Castle-Palace of the Marquisate is worthy of being visited. Later we will enter Galicia by Lugo, not far from Santiago. The first village in the region of Lugo along the Route is Cebreiro, with an altitude of 1,300 meters. A group of "pallozas" can be seen (Pre-Romanesque circular houses with straw roofs) and a beautiful Pre-Romanesque temple, from the 9-10 C, containing a Chalice, the Paten of "Santo Milagro" (Holy Miracle) and a precious Romanesque carving of Santa Maria la Real. In the evening we will arrive to Santiago de Compostela. In the beginning of the 9C the sepulcher of Santiago el Mayor (James the Greater), evangelist in Spain, was discovered. Pelayo, a hermit who lived in the former diocese of Iria Flavia, had a "divine revelation" in the deep of the forest. He sees "altar lights" and hears "angels singing". The parishioners of San Félix de Solobio, at the foot of the forest, announced the event. The Bishop Teodomiro went in the forest, found the mausoleum and identified it as the Apostle Santiago’s tomb. At a time when Europe needed to be united, the Route to Santiago was the first element that made it possible. The find of the sepulcher of the first Apostle Martyr became an unquestionable symbol, compatible with the diverse conceptions of the Christian people. Dinner and overnight in Santiago de Compostela.
Day 26: Santiago de Compostela After breakfast at our hotel we will depart for Santiago de Compostela. In our way we will visit Villafranca del Bierzo, a town founded in the 11 C, where the Cluny Order had an important representation. We can enjoy the Collegiate Church of Santa María, built between the 13 and 16 C; the churches of Santiago (12 C) and San Nicolas, as well as the Agua Street, full of palaces and emblazoned houses. The Castle-Palace of the Marquisate is worthy of being visited. Later we will enter Galicia by Lugo, not far from Santiago. The first village in the region of Lugo along the Route is Cebreiro, with an altitude of 1,300 meters. A group of "pallozas" can be seen (Pre-Romanesque circular houses with straw roofs) and a beautiful Pre-Romanesque temple, from the 9-10 C, containing a Chalice, the Paten of "Santo Milagro" (Holy Miracle) and a precious Romanesque carving of Santa Maria la Real. In the evening we will arrive to Santiago de Compostela. In the beginning of the 9C the sepulcher of Santiago el Mayor (James the Greater), evangelist in Spain, was discovered. Pelayo, a hermit who lived in the former diocese of Iria Flavia, had a "divine revelation" in the deep of the forest. He sees "altar lights" and hears "angels singing". The parishioners of San Félix de Solobio, at the foot of the forest, announced the event. The Bishop Teodomiro went in the forest, found the mausoleum and identified it as the Apostle Santiago’s tomb. At a time when Europe needed to be united, the Route to Santiago was the first element that made it possible. The find of the sepulcher of the first Apostle Martyr became an unquestionable symbol, compatible with the diverse conceptions of the Christian people. Dinner and overnight in Santiago de Compostela.
Day 27: Departure from Santiago de Compostela Breakfast in the hotel. In the morning we will say hasta luego (see you soon or good bye) to our new friends. We transfer to Santiago Airport for your departure and/or additional tours that are available.
One way flight from Lourdes to Rome
333 Marcus Blvd 