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Rome, Venice & Florence
Italy
Proposed Itinerary
Day 1 - USA - Venice
Depart from New York City or your hometown for our overnight flights to Venice.
Dinner and breakfast are served on board.
Day 2 - Venice - Padua
Upon arrival we're off to Padua, home of St Anthony, patron saint of lost things.
Mass at the
Basilica built in his honor. Associated with many miracles, St. Anthony was
renowned for the passionate intensity of his preaching. Housed in the Basilica
are his tongue and vocal cords that were discovered incorrupt,
although the rest
of his body had decayed after death. See the art of the great sculptor, Donatello
and his magnificent bronze works. Dinner and overnight.
Day 3 - Padua - Full day excursion to Venice
After breakfast we embark on a day trip to magnificent Venice, only 25 miles
from Padua. Enjoy this charming city built atop 118 tiny islands without
streets, crisscrossed by 160 canals and linked by 400 footbridges. Your guide
will show you all the sights: the Grand Canal, St. Mark's Square, the Basilica
built to house the saint's remains, the Palace of the Doges, the Bridge of
Sighs, and the prison which held Casanova. Sip an espresso at the outdoor cafes
lining Piazza San Marco or stroll through the city or take an optional gondola
ride. Return to Padua in time for dinner and overnight.
Day 4 - Padua - Pisa - Florence
After breakfast we leave Padua, heading south through the Apennines Mountains to
Pisa. See Pisa's instantly recognizable landmark, still standing after 700
years, the Leaning Tower. After a brief drive through the beautiful Tuscan
countryside, we arrive in Florence. A paradise for art lovers, Florence drew to
itself the greatest artists of the Renaissance: Dante, Leonardo da Vinci,
Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Donatello and many others. Dinner and
overnight.
Day 5 - Florence
After Mass, we will enjoy guided tour of Florence which includes magnificent
Santa Maria del Fiore, Giotto's Bell Tower, The Baptistry's heavy bronze
"Gate
of Paradise" the Academy of Fine Arts containing many treasures, the
Ponte Vecchio, The Duomo, whose magnificent dome was created by Brunelleschi.
A free
afternoon. Dinner and overnight.
Day 6 - Florence - Assisi - Rome
Depart from Florence for the pilgrimage center of Assisi, where St Francis
tended the poor and sick and founded the Franciscan order. Dinner and overnight
at our hotel. This morning celebrate mass and visit to 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. Travel to Rome -
the
Eternal City, for dinner and overnight.
Day 7 - Rome (Papal Audience at the Vatican - if available)
This morning we go to Vatican City to attend the weekly Papal Audience
and
Blessing given by His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI. 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. 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 8 - Rome
This morning we depart for a sightseeing tour of a lifetime! Although, our focus
is on "Christian Rome" we will also see so many important cultural and
monumental sights around Rome. The tour includes three major Basilicas: 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 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. We will also see the ancient Baths of Caracalla, Arch of
Drusus, Chapel "O'Domine Quo Vadis?" the remains of imperial tombs,
Tomb of Celilia Metella, and the catacombs of St. Callixtus where the early Christians
hid themselves to escape persecution. Dinner and overnight for your last evening
in Rome.
Day 9 - Rome - USA
Depart from Rome for our return flights to the USA.
Tour Features
- Round trip airfare from New York
- Accommodations in Superior Tourist and/or First Class Hotel, twin-bedded rooms with private
facilities
- Breakfast and dinner daily
- Transfers between airport and lodging with porterage at
hotels
- Multi-lingual Tour Escort
- Sightseeing as specified in itinerary
- Welcome Packet / Document Portfolio
- Daily Mass and all spiritual activities coordinated
Prices
| Pilgrimage # |
Dates |
Price |
| RV08 - see Rome Pilgrimages |
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Click here to register on-line
Questions? Call (800) 715-6670
Register early and save up to a maximum of
$100.00 per person.
Click
here for details
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