Italy

Depart via scheduled air service. The destination is Rome, Italy.

Arrive in Rome. Meet your Faith Journeys Tour Manager who will assist the group to the awaiting chartered motorcoach for a transfer to the hotel for check-in. Afternoon at leisure for relaxation, sightseeing, shopping, or other activities. Evening Welcome Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we will visit Vatican City to attend an Audience with the Pope (if available and desired), then tour the Vatican Museums, which house what can be described as the most important collections of art in the world, including the Sistine Chapel. Lunch, on own. Visit St. Peter’s Basilica. Marvel at Bernini’s beautiful bronze canopy and Michaelangelo’s Blessed Mother, known as the Pieta. Participate in a special guided tour of the necropolis of the Vatican, on a Scavi Tour. Following your tour of the Vatican, visit St. Paul’s within the Walls, also known as the American Church in Rome, a church of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe. It was the first protestant church built in Rome. Evening dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. Our day begins with a visit to the Basilica of St. Mary Major. Next, we’ll visit the Basilica of St. John Lateran, which is the oldest of the major basilicas and ranks first as the actual “parish church” of the Pope. This is the place where St. Francis met with Pope Innocent III to receive informal permission to establish the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans). Here we will also learn about the Scala Sancta (Holy Stairs). Tradition has it that these steps are sanctified by the footsteps of Jesus Christ during his Passion. Lunch, on own. Next, we will see the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls which was founded by Roman Emperor Constantine I over the burial place of Saint Paul. Other sites we will see are the Appian Way, the Baths of Caracalla, the Arch of Drusus, and the ancient catacombs of Rome. Evening dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. Today, we continue on our tour of Rome’s Basilicas, with a visit to the Minor Basilica, St. Peter in Chains, home of Michelangelo’s famous statue of Moses. We’ll then walk the short distance to the Colosseum for a tour of this world-famous landmark. Lunch, on own. In the afternoon, visit Santa Maria sopra Minerva, the first Christian church in Rome to be built over the site of a former Greco-Roman Temple, and the burial place of St. Catherine of Siena. The remainder of the afternoon will be free for personal exploration of the city. A coach drop-off will be arranged for those wishing to visit the Capuchin Crypts, or other nearby attractions (self-arranged). Evening dinner and overnight in Rome

Breakfast at the hotel. Today we will leave Rome for an excursion to Assisi, the birthplace and home of St. Francis, our patron saint who founded the Franciscan order and is remembered as a great lover of nature. We will explore the huge 13th-century Basilica of St. Francis, which contains many possessions of St. Francis. His tomb, located here, is a frequent pilgrimage site. Lunch, on own. Visit the Santa Maria Maggiore, the earliest extant church in Assisi (where St. Francis famously confronted his father and relinquished his earthly wealth) as well as the Basilica of Santa Chiara (St. Clare), where St. Clare who founded the Order of Poor Clares, followed in the humble ways of St. Francis. This is also where the original San Damiano crucifix is housed, in front of which St. Francis prayed and heard God commission him to rebuild the church. We end our tour visiting the tombs of St. Francis and St. Clare. The final stop of the day will be at Chiesa Nuova, the church built on what tradition holds is the site of Francis’s birth home. The location is marked by a chapel known as San Francesco Piccolino (“Little Saint Francis”). Dinner and overnight in Assisi.

Breakfast at the hotel. Attend Sunday morning worship at San Leonardo – Anglican. Lunch, on own. In the afternoon, visit Cathedral San Rufino, the church in which St. Francis and St. Clare were both baptized; San Damiano, the place where Francis first heard his commission by God; and the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels (Santa Maria degli Angeli), Francis’s favorite church, and the place where he ultimately died. The remainder of the afternoon is free. Evening dinner and overnight in Assisi

Breakfast at the hotel. Check out of Assisi hotel and travel the 2+ hours to Florence. Upon arrival, tour the “Cradle of Renaissance” allowing us to see many unforgettable sights such as the domed cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore, the Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the bronze “Gate of Paradise”, and the Academy of Fine Arts which contains masterpieces from iconic Italian artists including Michelangelo’s David. Lunch, on own. Afternoon at leisure for exploration, shopping, or other activities.

Breakfast at the hotel. Travel to Venice and transport into the city via boat. Visit sites in and around the Piazza San Marco including the Doge’s Palace, home to the political leader of the Republic of Venice. Lunch, on own. In the afternoon, visit San Francesco del Deserto, an island near Burano, where St. Francis stayed on retreat, now home to a Franciscan Monastery and church
Check into your hotel and enjoy a free evening in Venice. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we will be treated to an inspiring tour of Venice, including a visit to the Basilica of St. Mark, which is architecturally a Byzantine wonder covered in golden mosaics and art treasures. Lunch, on own. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure for exploration, shopping, or other activities. Evening dinner and overnight.