Make your way to your local airport, where you will board your overnight flight(s). Your meals will be served on board.

Upon landing at Bari airport, claim your baggage and proceed to the arrival hall, where your tour guide and/or driver will greet you. We will continue to San Giovanni Rotondo, where St. Pio of Pietrelcina (St. Padre Pio) lived for many decades. Thousands of people journey here every year to be closer to this great saint and to Our Lord. Following check-in at the hotel, enjoy some free time to unpack, relax, or explore on your own. Later this afternoon, your group will meet in the hotel lobby for a meet and greet with your fellow pilgrims and your priest before dinner and overnight.

Begin your day in San Giovanni Rotondo. Visit the Old Church of Our Lady of Grace and see the confessional where St. Pio spent countless hours listening to confessions. Next, you will board the bus and travel along the beautiful Gargano Peninsula to the Grotto of St. Michael the Archangel. Return for dinner and overnight in San Giovanni Rotondo. *Candlelight Procession: Between May and October, pilgrims may attend the weekly candlelight procession at the Sanctuary of St. Pio after dinner, at 9:00 pm.

After breakfast, we will depart for Assisi. On the way, we will stop in Lanciano for a private Mass at the Convent/Church of Saint Francis, built on top of the antique Church of St. Longinus. This is the site of a Eucharistic Miracle that occurred in the 8th century. At the time of the miracle, there was a Basilian monk who struggled with his belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. During Mass, the monk, with doubt in his voice, said the words of consecration. To his amazement, the bread and wine transformed into the physical flesh and blood of Christ! Pilgrims venerate this miracle to this day. Next, we will travel to the Marian Shrine of Loreto to visit the Holy House of Nazareth and the beautiful Madonna of Loreto. Tradition holds 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. It was transported from the Holy Land several times by angels to its current location in Italy. End the day in Assisi, hometown of St. Francis and St. Clare, with dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Enjoy an early breakfast, followed by a full day of touring the hometown of St. Francis. St. Francis is the “Patron Saint of Animals and the Environment.” He founded the Franciscan Order and has inspired millions with his life of simplicity and humility. The atmosphere of Assisi has not changed since St. Francis began his ministry in the early 13th Century. We will start our tour at the Basilica of St. Francis. Visit his tomb and view a series of frescoes depicting his life and a few of the Saint’s possessions. From there, we will continue on a walking tour through this picturesque town, including the birthplace of St. Francis. Visit the Santuario Della Spogliazione where Bl. Carlo Acutis is entombed. Bl. Carlo will be the first millennial to be declared a Saint. He had a great love for Jesus in the Eucharist and died of leukemia at the young age of 15. Our tour ends at the Church that honors St. Clare, the foundress of the Poor Clare Sisters. This Saint followed the teachings of St. Francis very closely by also living a life of poverty and humility. Enjoy some time for prayer, shopping, or a nice lunch. After lunch, we will board the bus, which will take us outside the walls of Assisi to the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. This Basilica is where St. Francis spent most of his life, and it is made up of two structures. The first is the “Porziuncola”, where St. Francis founded his order of the Friar Minor (Franciscans). The second is the “Capella del Transito”, where St. Francis died. You will have the opportunity to visit the beautiful Rose Garden where St. Francis and other friars lived, as well as the cave where the Saint retired to pray. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

This morning, you will ride through the beautiful Umbrian mountains to Orvieto. This incredible town sits on a volcanic high rock formation. Here we visit one of the most beautiful and renowned Cathedrals in Italy. Because of its strategic location, Orvieto’s Christian history officially started in 1004. The town was built over preexisting Etruscan-era cave tunnels dating back 2,500 years, which some historians believe Christians used to celebrate Mass during a time when Christianity was forbidden. Return to Assisi for dinner and an overnight.

Breakfast, followed by a scenic drive to the Tuscan city of Siena. This medieval city is the birthplace of St. Catherine, “Doctor of the Church”, and the Apostle of Italy, St. Bernardine. Visit the Basilica of St. Catherine (which is also known as the Basilica of St. Domenico). St. Catherine spent a large part of her life inside the walls of this Basilica. Here, you will be able to view the incorrupt head of St. Catherine. After, visit the Shrine of St. Catherine, which is located at the site of her family home. Enjoy your walking tour through Siena, including a visit to its Cathedral (Duomo di Siena). Conclude at one of Italy’s finest squares, the Piazza Del Campo, where you will have free time to spend at your own leisure. There are several restaurants surrounding the square where you can enjoy lunch, as well as shops for gifts and souvenirs. Continue to Florence. Upon arrival in Florence, you will immediately notice that it is the land for art lovers. Some of the most world-renowned artists are from Florence, such as Dante, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Donatello, and many others. For the remainder of the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to explore the streets of Florence at your leisure. In the evening, gather for dinner, followed by an overnight.

In Florence, your day begins with breakfast, followed by a guided tour. The tour starts at the Church of the Holy Cross, the Santa Croce, where many nobles are buried, such as Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli. Continue to walk by Piazza Signorina, Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio, and Republic Square to Santa Maria del Fiore. This Cathedral is an iconic piece of architecture in the city of Florence. It was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi in the 13th century. Next, visit L’Accademia, the well-known art gallery. At this gallery, you will have the opportunity to view the work from artists such as Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Pontormo, and the ever-famous sculpture by Michelangelo, David. This afternoon, you will have time to explore Florence on your own. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Following breakfast at your hotel, board the motorcoach for your transfer to Padua. This Northern Italian city honors the “Patron Saint of Lost Things and Causes”, St. Anthony. You will begin a sightseeing tour of the city. See one of the oldest Universities in Italy, the University of Padua, as well as the Basilica of Santa Giustina, the “Patron Saint of Padua”. The tour will conclude at the Basilica of St. Anthony, where you will have the opportunity to visit the Saint’s tomb. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Today, you will have an early breakfast and then board your bus to depart for the magical city of Venice. After Mass, enjoy a tour of the “city paved with water”. Your walking tour includes a visit to St. Mark’s Square, the largest square in the city and the site of many government buildings; the Golden Basilica of San Marco, known for the great mosaics that depict the Old and New Testament of the Bible; and the Bridge of Sigh, a bridge that will bring eternal love to those who drift below it. You will also have the chance to view the Doges’ Palace (Duke’s Palace), which served as the seat of the Government for the Republic of Venice for centuries. Return to Padua for dinner and overnight.

After an early breakfast and heartfelt farewells, transfer to Venice airport for your return flight(s) home.

*206 Tours Disclaimer:
Occasionally local religious and national holidays, weather, traffic conditions and other events may necessitate changes in the sequence of events or the missing of certain events/places. Though every effort will be made to follow the itinerary, it should be considered as an indication, rather than a contract of events and places to be visited.