0623AZ4 - Catholic Italy Pilgrimage 10 days from Boston

Today we depart Boston’s Logan Airport for our overnight flight to Rome aboard a wide-bodied jet. We enjoy in-flight movies, dinner, and breakfast while aloft.

Upon arrival in Rome, we are met by our Tour Manager and journey through the Italian countryside, through the region of Umbria, to the hilltop village of Assisi. Our first stop is Chiesa Nuova, where we celebrate Mass. This baroque church was built in 1615 on the remains of a building believed to be the house of St. Francis' family. We proceed to our hotel for our “welcome” dinner and overnight.

This morning, we enjoy Mass at St. Francis’ tomb at the Basilica of St. Francesco. After our visit of the Basilica and the tomb of St. Francis, we begin our walking tour of the village. We proceed up the hill to the Church of St. Clare to view the crucifix that spoke to St. Francis, as well as the tomb of St. Clare, with her body barely corrupted after centuries. This afternoon, following lunch on our own, we continue with a visit to the lower village and the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, and the Portiuncula, Francis' Church of the Little Portion. We conclude our day with some relaxing time to admire this medieval city one more evening as we enjoy dinner and overnight at our hotel.

This morning, we depart, arriving in the magnificent city of Siena, which invites us to stroll through its Gothic streets. After we celebrate Mass at the Dominican Church commemorating St. Catherine, we walk down to the famous Piazza del Campo. This shell shaped square is the dramatic setting for the annual Palio bareback horserace. The piazza's focal point is the Palazzo Pubblico, the public palace, which dates to 1250. We continue uphill to visit the monumental Cathedral dedicated to the Virgin Mary. We proceed due west to the coastal town of Pisa, stopping for lunch on our own along the way. Now famous for its “Leaning Tower”, Pisa was once a powerful seaport at the end of the Arno River. Over the centuries silt deposits have filled the basin of the river so that Pisa is now nearly 8 miles inland! We visit the Camp dei Miracoli, “Field of Miracles”, where the Leaning Tower, The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and the Domed Baptistry are all located. We admire the magnificent architecture involved in each of these structures as well as the beauty within. We continue to Montecatini Terme, in time for dinner and overnight at our hotel.

After breakfast, we visit the Basilica of Santa Croce. Among the most famous interred here, lie Galileo, Rossini, Michelangelo, and Machiavelli. We continue to the Duomo, in the heart of the city, where we celebrate Mass. We will also admire the cupola by Brunelleschi, completed in 1240, and its campanile by Giotto. Once outside we view the Baptistery with its incomparable bronze doors by Ghiberti. Afterwards we set out for the Piazza della Signoria, dominated by the Palazzo Vecchio and its embattlement crowned tower. Across from the Palace, we visit the Loggia dei Lanzi with the statues including, Perseus by Cellini, Giambologna's “Rape of the Sabines” and “Hercules.” Following a break for lunch on our own and some relaxed time for shopping, we board our motor coach for a panoramic view at “Piazzale Michelangelo” before returning to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Today, we drive back to Rome, enjoying views of the magnificent olive groves and vineyards. Once in Rome, we break for lunch on our own before proceeding to St. Paul Outside the Walls, the first basilica of the four we will visit. This huge, imposing Basilica, second only to St. Peter’s in size and one of the largest churches in the Christian world, contains an unusual gallery of papal portraits: 265 tablets portraying the popes of the past. A short distance away is the catacombs of St. Callixtus, the burial places of early Christians. They were named after the deacon Callixtus who, at the beginning of the third century, was appointed by Pope Zephyrinus as the administrator of the cemetery, which became the official cemetery of the Church of Rome. While here, we view the 2nd and 3rd century fresco paintings. We enjoy Mass here before departing to end our day back at our hotel for dinner and overnight.

This morning we celebrate Mass in one of the crypts at the Vatican. Afterwards, while at the Vatican, we view the treasures of the adjacent Vatican Museum. We marvel at Michelangelo's restored frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. This afternoon, following a break for lunch on our own, we visit the Church of St. Francis in Trastevere, where he stayed while in Rome; and the Church of Jesus (II Gesu), the mother church of the Jesuit order and burial place of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus. This church also contains an important relic of St. Francis Xavier. This evening, dinner is on our own, overnight at our hotel.

This morning we visit the 2nd of four basilicas in Rome, the Basilica of Mary Major, an impressive church, which includes the tombs of numerous Popes and many notable works of art. After our visit we stop for lunch on our own, before continuing to our next stop, the Holy Stairs and Basilica of St. John Lateran, 3rd of the four basilicas. Dinner and overnight at hotel.

This morning, we make our way to St. Peters, the 4th Basilica, for Mass at a side chapel. This afternoon, following a stop for lunch on our own, we visit St. Peter in Chains to view Michelangelo's possibly most celebrated sculpture, the "Moses." We finish our afternoon with some free time before we enjoy our “farewell” dinner and overnight.

This morning, we transfer to the airport for our journey home, filled with the many memories we now share.