Holy Name Pilgrimage to Italy – Last Supper – David

Depart home to Milan, Italy. Dinner and breakfast are served on board the overnight flight.

Upon arrival, you will meet the tour guide and transfer to the renowned Duomo for Mass and a visit to this magnificent Cathedral of Milan.  Afterward, you will have time to stroll through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, named after the first king of the Kingdom of Italy. This splendid glass-covered arcade, filled with luxury brand shops and cafes, is the oldest shopping center in Italy and possibly in the world, serving as a significant landmark in Milan.  The shopping center is beautifully adorned with mosaics and caryatids around the windows and balconies, making it a lovely spot for an afternoon coffee. Dinner and overnight stay in Milan.  

After breakfast today, you will enjoy a drive through the countryside to Vercelli, where you will attend Mass and, if the tour coincides with the feast day, participate in the Feast Day celebrations for Blessed John of Vercelli, O.P., a Dominican Priest and Friar, the Sixth Master General of the Order of Preachers and Founder of The Society of the Holy Name. In the afternoon, you will indulge in a Pranzo, a lavish lunch featuring samples of local wines from the Piedmont region of Italy, before returning to Milan.  You will spend the night in Milan.

This morning, you will visit the former Dominican priory of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where you will have the opportunity to see Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, “The Last Supper,” painted on the refectory wall.  In 1980, “The Last Supper,” along with the church and the Dominican Priory of Santa Maria delle Grazie, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, “a unique artistic achievement of exceptional universal value that transcends all historical contingencies.” The reasons provided are that “The Last Supper has exerted considerable influence, not only on the development of an iconographic theme but also on the future of painting” and “…this painting marked the beginning of a new era in art history.”

Afterward, you will travel to Florence, known as the “Cradle of the Renaissance.” Dinner and overnight in Florence.

Today you will enjoy a full-day walking tour of Florence, starting with the magnificent Franciscan church of The Holy Cross, also known as Santa Croce.  This church serves as the burial place for nobles, including Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli.  You’ll continue your walk through Piazza Signoria, passing by Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi, and Ponte Vecchio. Continue through Republic Square to Santa Maria del Fiore, a 13th-century cathedral famously referred to as the Duomo.  Afterward, you will visit the Accademia Gallery to see “The David,” carved by Michelangelo, and explore the San Marco Museum, which houses an extensive collection of paintings by the Dominican artist known as Fra Angelico.  Dinner and an overnight stay in Florence await you.

Today you will visit the beautiful town of Siena, the birthplace of Saint Catherine and one of Italy’s loveliest medieval cities.  Here, you will explore St. Catherine’s birthplace, where she was born and spent her austere early life as a Dominican tertiary.  It has been transformed into a sanctuary and features a series of chapels that house numerous relics, including the crucifix through which she received the stigmata.  Continue to the Basilica of St. Dominic to admire the frescoed walls depicting scenes from the life of St. Catherine in the chapel dedicated to her.  Here, we venerate other relics, including her incorrupt head and thumb, both placed in ornate reliquaries and sent from Rome to Siena just a few years after her death.  Enjoy a stroll in Piazza del Campo, one of Italy’s finest squares, followed by dinner and an overnight stay in Italy.

After enjoy breakfast before traveling through the Umbrian countryside to the hilltop town of Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis.  Visit the 13th-century Basilica of St. Francis, which houses many of his possessions, a series of frescoes depicting his life, and the crucifix from which Jesus spoke to St. Francis, asking him to rebuild His church.  Across the square, we will visit the Santuario Della Spogliazione, where Saint Carlo Acutis’ tomb is.  Carlo will be declared a Saint on April 27, 2025, the first Millenial Saint.  Afterward, we will visit the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, where St. Francis spent most of his life.  Here, we will explore the Chapel of Portiuncola, the rose bush, and the cave where the saint retreated for prayer.  Before heading to Orvieto, there will be time for lunch to visit the Cathedral, where the Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena, the Miraculous Host, and the Corporal are on display.  Finally, visit the Church of Santa Cristina in Bolsena before continuing to Rome for dinner and an overnight stay.

In the morning, you will start with Mass at the Basilica of Santa Sabina, the Mother Church of the Dominicans, and visit the nearby convent where St. Dominic and many other saints and popes lived over the centuries.  Join pilgrims worldwide in St. Peter’s Square at noon for the Angelus and a Papal Blessing.  In the afternoon, explore the Dominican Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, the resting place of Fra Angelico and the body of St. Catherine of Siena.  From there, enjoy a walking tour visiting the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona.  Dinner and overnight in Rome.

In 2024 Day 10 will take place on Day 9 and vice versa.        

Begin the day with an early Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, located on the site where St. Peter, the first Pope and Bishop of Rome, was martyred.  Afterward, visit the Vatican Museums to explore the Tapestry Gallery, Raphael Rooms, and the Sistine Chapel, where you can admire Michelangelo’s masterpiece, the Last Judgment.  At noon, we will gather in St. Peter’s Square to join the Holy Father, Pope Francis, in praying the Angelus and receiving his Papal Blessing. In the afternoon, travel along the Appian Way to the Chapel of Domine Quo Vadis, a Dominican church that marks the spot where Peter encountered Jesus.  See the stone with the imprints of His holy feet before continuing to the catacombs of St. Callixtus.  Finally, visit the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, the burial place of Saint Paul the Apostle.  Enjoy dinner and spend the night in Rome. 

In 2026, Day 10 will take place on Day 9 and vice versa.        

Begin with Mass at the Borghese Chapel in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, one of the world’s oldest and most significant shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.  From there, you will visit the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome, where Pope Francis serves as Bishop.  Across the street, you’ll have the opportunity to climb the Holy Stairs, the very steps that Jesus ascended on His way to trial at the praetorium of Pontius Pilate.  Next, visit the Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, the Basilica of the Holy Cross, which contains the relics of the True Cross.  Enjoy a farewell dinner and stay overnight in Rome.

              Early breakfast and transfer to the Rome airport for your return flight home.