Shrines Of Italy

Travel on an inspirational journey to some of the most fascinating religious sites and relics in the world.

Your tour opens in Rome. This evening, join your fellow travelers for a special welcome dinner at a popular local restaurant featuring regional delicacies and Italian wine. Today dinner will be included.

Travel north to Assisi, where St. Francis spent most of his life. Visit the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, built on the founding site of the Franciscan Order. Pause at the Chapel of the Porziuncola, the rose bush, and the cave where the saint prayed. Join a local expert on a tour of Assisi, highlighting the 13th-century basilica where you can see many of St. Francis' possessions and a series of frescoes. Celebrate Mass in the Basilica of St. Francis this afternoon. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.

Enjoy a day at leisure to independently explore historic Assisi. Or, join a full-day optional excursion to Florence,* the "Cradle of the Renaissance." A local expert provides a walking tour featuring views of the Ponte Vecchio and Piazza del Duomo. Here stands the massive Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore with its imposing dome and the gilded "Gates of Paradise," the bronze doors that adorn the neighboring baptistery. Your walking tour takes you by other famous sights such as the Signoria Square before returning to your hotel in Assisi in the late evening. Today breakfast will be included.

*The optional tour to Florence requires a long drive of approximately 2.5 hours each way. Due to tight limitations to motor coach circulation in the city, you must be prepared to walk approximately 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) to complete the sightseeing. The walking tour takes place in crowded streets.

Travel across the Apennine Mountains to the Marian shrine of Loreto. Discover the Holy House of Nazareth and the beautiful Madonna of Loreto where more than 50 popes have made a pilgrimage. Celebrate Mass before continuing your journey to San Giovanni Rotondo, home of St. Padre Pio. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.

Visit Monte Sant'Angelo and take in stunning views of the Gargano Peninsula. Explore the Grotto of St. Michael the Archangel, where popes and saints have knelt and prayed for protection. Return to San Giovanni Rotondo and celebrate Mass in the sanctuary of St. Pio of Pietrelcina. Tour Padre Pio's tomb and the sanctuary, including the old church and the crucifix from which he received the stigmata in 1918. Spend time in the new church dedicated to St. Pio who is credited with over 1,000 miracles. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.

Journey through the picturesque landscapes of Apulia on your way to Campania. Visit the Cathedral of Salerno, which guards the relics of St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist. You will have the option of celebrating Mass here in Salerno. This afternoon, opt to relax at your hotel or visit the historic ruins of Pompeii during an optional tour of this vast archeological site. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.

Travel to Montecassino and discover the renowned abbey founded by St. Benedict in the 6th century A.D., housing the relics of the saint and his sister, St. Scholastica. Montecassino also became famous during World War II, when the abbey was bombed and destroyed. You'll have the option of celebrating Mass here before continuing to Rome. Visit the Catacombs where early Christians hid and buried their dead before checking into your hotel in the early evening. Today breakfast will be included.

Attend the weekly Papal audience** in the Vatican City to receive the blessing given by the Holy Father. Visit the Marian Basilica of St. Mary Major and Rome's Cathedral: St. John in Lateran - the former residence of the popes. Conclude your day with a visit to the Scala Sancta, the Holy Stairs which tradition believes are the steps that Christ climbed when he appeared before Pontius Pilate. Today breakfast will be included.

**The Papal Audience is, at times, unavailable due to the Pope's travel schedule. The Audience takes place in Italian, at times with brief salutations in English and other languages.

Celebrate Mass before exploring the Vatican Museums,*** including the Sistine Chapel and the famous Last Judgment mural. End your visit in St. Peter's Basilica, the world's largest church. Feel the grace around you as you meander along towering marble columns and stand in awe before Pietà, Michelangelo's renowned sculpture. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure. This evening, join your fellow travelers for a farewell dinner celebrating the end of a memorable pilgrimage to Italy. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.

***Vatican Museums are not available on most Sundays and holidays. Date and time of visit is subject to change based on availability of reservations.

Your tour comes to a close in Rome. Today breakfast will be included.