Itinerary Details
Shrines Of Northern Italy & Rome - Faith-Based Travel
Day 1 ARRIVE IN MILAN, ITALY Check into your hotel and, if you have time, start exploring this busy city on your own before meeting your tour companions and Tour Director during the included welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)
Day 2 MILAN Dedicate the morning to Milan’s most important Catholic churches: St Ambrose Basilica and the Gothic Duomo. St Ambrose is the patron saint of beekeepers, beggars, learners, and Milan. Celebrate [M] Mass and discover the treasures of the Basilica and the Duomo with a Local Guide. (B)
Day 3 MILAN–TURIN Turin is known in the Catholic community worldwide as the home of the Holy Shroud, only available to the public on very special occasions. The city was also home to St. John Bosco, the priest who founded the Salesian religious institute to help poor children with their education during the industrial revolution. Your visit includes the Holy Shroud Museum, the Basilica of St Mary Ausiliatrice, and St John Bosco's rooms. You’ll have time to appreciate the elegance of this city and former capital of Italy before attending [M] Mass.
Today's Distance: 90 mi / 145 km (B)
Day 4 TURIN–PAVIA–PADUA Pavia boasts a beautiful Carthusian Monastery, built in the 1400s by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan. The monastery is one of Italy’s “hidden treasures” with lavish decorations. It is still inhabited and looked after by monks who live a life of work, seclusion, and prayer.
Today's Distance: 245 mi / 395 km (B,D)
Day 5 PADUA–POMPOSA–RAVENNA Attend morning [M] Mass and visit the spectacular St. Anthony Basilica in Padua with a Local Guide, then enjoy a short city sightseeing tour and time on your own. In the afternoon, on the way to Ravenna, we’ll stop to see the Abbey of Pomposa, where the Benedictine monk Guido d’Arezzo invented modern musical notation in the 11th century.
Today’s Distance: 85 mi / 137 km (B)
Day 6 RAVENNA–ROME UNESCO declared the early Christian monuments of Ravenna as having “outstanding universal value.” Ravenna was the seat of the Roman Empire in the 5th century and of Byzantine Italy until the 8th century. It has a unique collection of early Christian mosaics and places of worship. The Neonian Baptistry, the Basilica of St. Apollinare Nuovo, St. Vitale Church and the Archbishop’s Chapel of St. Andrew were all constructed in the 5th and 6th centuries. They show great artistic skill, including a wonderful blend of Greek-Roman tradition, Christian iconography, and Asian and Western styles. The morning is dedicated to discovering these masterpieces and focusing on the Byzantine-style mosaics with a Local Guide. In the afternoon, travel to Rome.
Today’s Distance: 221 mi / 355 km (B,D)
Day 7 ROME This morning, attend the Papal Audience (subject to availability) for the chance to see the Pope and receive the Papal Blessing. Later, with a Local Guide, visit two of Rome’s major Papal Basilica’s. First visit the Basilica of St John Lateran, the cathedral church of Rome where the Pope has his seat as Bishop of Rome. Experience the Scala Sancta (Holy Stairs), transported from Jerusalem to Rome around 326 AD by St. Helena, Emperor Constantine’s mother. These 28 marble steps are traditionally ascended in a kneeling position with a prayer recital dedicated to Jesus Christ. Then, visit the impressive St. Mary Major Basilica, where a reliquary contains wood from the Holy Crib, and attend [M] Mass.* (B)
* For operational reasons, changes to the Rome program cannot be excluded.
Day 8 ROME A different, quite unique experience is offered today. We will take an included excursion to Castel Gandolfo, a quaint village in the hills outside Rome, to visit the Papal summer residence and its manicured gardens with a Local Guide. This is a unique chance to see the rooms that have been occupied by many Popes over the centuries. Enjoy the opportunity to reflect and meditate in the garden’s quiet and relaxing surroundings. En-route back to Rome, stop and visit the Papal Basilica of St. Paul outside the walls. Later this afternoon, enjoy time to relax in Rome or select an optional excursion, perhaps with a deeper look at Roman history by exploring the early Christian site of secret worship and burials in the underground catacombs.*
Today's Distance: 50 mi / 80 km (B)
* For operational reasons, changes to the Rome program cannot be excluded.
Day 9 ROME Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
