Day 2 • Rome
Day 4 • Trevi Fountain
Day 8 • Assisi
Day 11 • Florence
Day 1 • Departure from the USA
We begin our journey as we board our plane for our overnight flight to Rome, Italy. We travel over the Atlantic Ocean, and dinner and breakfast are served on board.
Day 2 • Arrival Rome
Upon arrival, we are met by Signature Tours International representatives. We travel to our hotel and have the day free to rest and explore on our own with suggestions from our guide on what to see and where to go. Marvel at the Coliseum, go shopping, or taste the Gelato. We have dinner and stay the night in Rome.
Day 3 • Vatican City
Day 3 • Rome
We wake up in the Eternal City, one of the greatest centers of Western Civilization. Rome is the first truly cosmopolitan city on earth and a spiritual capital for Catholics around the world. Today, we go to the world’s smallest country, the Vatican City, to attend the weekly Papal Audience or Blessing, if the Holy Father is in residence. We then visit the Vatican’s Museums, a group of edifices with many galleries filled with awe-inspiring relics and works of art donated throughout many centuries. We visit the Tapestry Gallery, the Raphael Rooms, and Michelangelo’s Masterpiece, the Sistine Chapel. Later on, we visit St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in Christendom and built on the site where the saint was martyred. It is the grandest of the world’s churches and a monument to the long history of the Catholic Church. Time permitting, we also visit the grave of Pope John Paul II, which is located at the Vatican. We then have some time on our own to explore at leisure. Dinner and the night are in Rome.
Day 4 • Rome
Today, we see “Christian Rome,” visiting many important cultural and monumental sights. We visit the Basilica of St. Mary Major, one of the oldest shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. The shrine contains a relic from the manger of Jesus. We also visit the Basilica of St. John in Lateran; this is the former residence of the popes before they returned to Rome in 1377. The last Basilica we see is St. Paul Outside the Walls, where the remains of St. Paul exist under its main altar. We also see the Baths of Caracalla, the Arch of Drusus, the Chapel “O’Domine Quo Vadis?”, the remains of Imperial Tombs, the Tomb of Cecilia Metella, the Catacombs of St. Callixtus, and the Trevi Fountain. We have dinner and stay our last night in Rome.
Day 5 • Rome/Monte Cassino/San Giovanni Rotondo
On our way to San Giovanni Rotondo, we stop in Monte Cassino to marvel at the spectacular Benedictine abbey on top of the mountain, the first of the Benedictine monasteries founded by St. Benedict in 529. We continue to Italy’s eastern coast and have dinner and stay the night in San Giovanni Rotondo.
Day 6 • San Giovanni Rotondo/Monte Sant’Angelo (St. Michael’s Cave)/San Giovanni Rotondo
This morning, we celebrate mass at the tomb of Padre Pio. Then we see the crucifix from which he received the stigmata in 1918, tour the sanctuary, and see the old church. We also see the confessional where he spent many hours directing pilgrims on their journey toward God. We then enjoy an amazing view of the Cargano Peninsula and visit the Grotto of Michael the Archangel, where St. Francis, at least four other saints, and six popes have knelt down in prayer, seeking St. Michael’s protection. St. Michael himself consecrated this most celebrated shrine of early Christianity in 490. We then return to San Giovanni for devotions, dinner, and the night.
Day 7 • San Giovanni Rotondo/Lanciano/Loreto/Assisi
Today we drive up the Adriatic coast to Lanciano to celebrate Mass and see the Eucharistic Miracle. We continue our journey to the Marian shrine of Loreto to visit the Holy House of Nazareth and the lovely Madonna of Loreto. According to tradition, this house was transported by angels to this hill in central Italy in 1294 and more than 50 popes have visited. Tradition says that it was in this house that Mary first prayed the Magnificat, Jesus grew to manhood, and the Holy Family lived. We continue to Assisi for dinner and the night.
Day 8 • Assisi
Here we explore the quaint hilltop birthplace of St. Francis and visit the tomb of St. Francis. The saint began his ministry in the early 1200s. We can see many of the saint’s possessions and a series of frescoes depicting his life within the huge 13th century Basilica of St. Francis. We can also kneel at the crucifix where Jesus asked St. Francis to rebuild his church. The saint spent most of his time in St. Mary of the Angels Basilica. We visit the Chapel, Portiuncola, the rose bush, and the cave where the saint went for prayer. We stop at an outdoor café with a beautiful view of an ancient Roman temple and then 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 then have dinner and stay the night in Assisi.
Day 9 • Assisi/Orvieto/Sienna/Assisi
Today we travel to the gorgeous town of Siena, one of Italy’s loveliest medieval cities and the birthplace of Saints Catherine and Bernardine. We visit the Cathedral and the Duomo. We also stroll one of Italy’s finest squares, the Piazza Del Campo. We see the Basilica of St. Dominic, where we can view the incorrupt head of St. Catherine. We return to Assisi for dinner and overnight.
Day 10 • Assisi/Florence
We leave Assisi and head to Florence, a paradise for art lovers, through the stunning Tuscan countryside. The greatest artists of the Renaissance came to Florence, including Dante, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, and Donatello. We have dinner and stay the night in Florence.
(Special groups may chose to make a stop or travel via Norcia, Cascia and city of Spoleto. Cascia includes the basilica and monastery of St.Rita; Norcia, surrounded with town walls, includes the St.Benedict's basilica and the cathedral of Santa Maria Argentea; Spoleto includes the Cathedral and the old town.)
Day 11 • Florence
We have Mass in the morning and then have a guided tour of Florence that includes the Franciscan Church of the Holy Cross, or Santa Croce, with the beautiful façade. This church is a burial place of Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli. We have a walking tour through Piazza Signoria, passing by Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi, and Ponte Vecchio, continuing through the Republic Square to the Santa Maria del Flore 13th century cathedral. We have some free time to explore on our own, with the option of taking a quick trip to Pisa at an additional cost. We have dinner and stay the night in Florence.
Day 12 • Florence/Padua
Today we travel to Padua, where the patron saint of lost things, St. Anthony, is honored. We have Mass at the Basilica built in his honor and then have a sightseeing tour that includes one of the oldest universities, the Tomb of St. Anthony, and some of his relics. We pass by Pratto Della Valle, the basilica of Santa Giustina, and one of the biggest squares in Italy. We have some time on our own to relax or explore and then have dinner and stay the night in Padua.
Day 13 • Venice
Day 13 • Padua/Venice
We travel to Venice and tour St. Mark’s Square, the Golden Basilica of San Marco, the Bridge of Sighs, and Dodges’ Palace. Today we travel to Padua, where the patron saint of lost things, St. Anthony, is honored. We have Mass at the Basilica built in his honor and then have a sightseeing tour that includes one of the oldest universities, the Tomb of St. Anthony, and some of his relics. We pass by Pratto Della Valle, the basilica of Santa Giustina, and one of the biggest squares in Italy. We have some time on our own to relax or explore and then have dinner and stay the night in Padua.
Day 14 • Padua/Hometown, U.S.A.
We depart to Venice Airport for our return flight home to the U.S., taking with us many wonderful memories to share with friends and family.