Day 1: Depart the US
Board your flight to begin your trip to Italy.

Day 2: Rome Arrival
Welcome to Rome, also known as “The Eternal City.” Upon arrival, collect your luggage & continue to the Arrivals Hall, where you’ll be greeted by your Italian Tour Manager, transfer to your hotel & have free time to unpack, relax or explore Rome on your own. Later in the evening, join your group for a welcome dinner at your hotel in Rome.

Day 3: Rome & the Vatican
After breakfast, begin the Pilgrimage of Hope by visiting the Vatican Museums, overflowing with art treasures. Admire the Sistine Chapel – where the Pope is elected – world famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling paintings & the Last Judgment. Then, visit St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world, built over the tomb of St. Peter. This is where Peter preached, died & is buried along with 148 of his papal successors. Feel the grace around you, as you meander along towering marble columns & stand in awe before La Pietà, Michelangelo’s masterpiece sculpture.

In the afternoon, explore the Baroque Rome with its famous fountains & squares, including: the Trevi Fountain, where you toss a coin or two in the world’s wishing well to ensure your return to Rome; the Pantheon, the height of its dome equal to the diameter of the circular interior; & Piazza Navona, one of the most beautiful piazzas in Rome, where we find Bernini’s “Fountain of the Four Rivers.” Celebrate an evening Mass in one of the churches.

Day 4: Rome & Papal Audience
Enjoy breakfast & return to St. Peter’s Square for an Audience with the Pope (on Wednesdays, if the Pope is in residence). Time will be available to explore & shop in the Vatican area or you may cross the Holy Door of St. Peter’s for jubilar absolution if you have not done so.

Later, continue down the Appian Way, one of the earliest roads built in Ancient Rome to the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. The present structure stands over the place where Constantine built the first church over St. Paul’s grave. Pause in reverence at the tomb of the Apostle. Continue the Pilgrim Journey & visit the Catacombs for a touching visit to the tombs of early Christians, Martyrs & Saints. Evening Mass in nearby church.

Day 5: Rome
After breakfast, continue your pilgrimage of the Seven Jubilee Churches with a visit to Rome’s Cathedral: Basilica of St. John Lateran – one of the four major Roman basilicas. It was the former residence of the popes & the church where Pope Francis was installed as Bishop of Rome. Continue to the Scala Sancta (Holy Stairs) which tradition believes are the steps that Christ climbed when he appeared before Pontius Pilate. Ascending these stairs on your knees, in memory of Christ’s agonizing passion!

Enter the Marian Basilica of St. Mary Major, dedicated to Our Blessed Mother. This is the only Basilica that has kept its original structure & is an authentic jewel in the crown of Roman Churches. This Basilica contains a relic from the Manger of the Infant Jesus. Then, a panoramic tour of the city including a photo-stop at the Colosseum.

Rest of the day at leisure. Celebrate Mass in one of the churches before returning to the hotel.

Day 6: Rome – Assisi – Siena – Florence
Today, travel to Assisi, a small Umbrian town where St. Francis spent most of his life. Visit the 13th-century Basilica of St. Francis, which contains the sacred relics of Francis & beautiful frescoes of his life. Then, stop at St. Claire Basilica, a 13th-century church that houses the relics of St. Claire, friend & protégé of St. Francis, as well as the miraculous crucifix that spoke to Francis.

Continue to Siena, a medieval town known for the famous Piazza del Campo. This shell-shaped square is the dramatic setting for the annual Palio bareback horserace. Its focal point is the Palazzo Pubblico, the public palace (c. 1250). Visit the monumental Cathedral dedicated to the Virgin Mary & the Shrine & House of St. Catherine, which has become a popular place of pilgrimage. The house of the saint, proclaimed Doctor of the Church, was converted to a sanctuary in 1464. Today it contains a number of documents & paintings related to her.

Day 7: Florence
Start the day with a guided walking tour of Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance & home to Dante, Boccaccio, Botticelli & Leonardo da Vinci. City highlights: Basilica of Santa Croce (Basilica of the Holy Cross) the largest & most beautiful of all Italian Franciscan Churches & the burial place of Michelangelo & Galileo, Piazza Signoria, the Palazzo Vecchio with its courtyard, Piazza Del Duomo & its Cathedral, Giotto’s Campanile & the magnificent East Door of the Baptistery. Time to shop for Florentine gold & leather goods.

Day 8: Florence – Bologna – Padua
After breakfast, travel through Tuscany to Bologna, the capital of Emilia Romagna region. Bologna is known for its beauty, wealth, cuisine & streets lined with beautiful arcades. Bologna is also Italy’s gastronomic capital. Stop in the medieval center & see Piazza Maggiore, still the same as it was during the Renaissance. See Piazza Nettuno; choose to climb the medieval tower of Torre Degli Asinelli for a great view of Bologna.

Continue to Padua, in Northern Italy, known for Giotto’s frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel. It’s also home to Italy’s second oldest university (c. 1222) where Galileo lectured & Dante studied. Visit the 13th-century Basilica of Sant’Antonio, characterized by Byzantine-style domes & valuable works of art, which houses the saint’s tomb. In the historic center of the city, there are streets with arcades & elegant cafes.

Day 9: Padua – Venice
Venice, this lovely lagoon-city on the Adriatic coast is like a giant maze with tiny alleys & hidden piazzas linked by narrow footbridges over 400 large & small canals. It’s with good reason that Venetians call their city “La Serenissima” (the most serene). Venice awakes each morning with a refreshing absence of speeding cars & roaring mopeds.

Enjoy St. Mark’s Basilica, a masterpiece of Venetian – Byzantine architecture built in 830 to shelter the saint’s tomb. Wander through the Ducal Palace & over the famous Bridge of Sighs. Venice is best explored on foot.

Perhaps take on optional gondola ride across the Grand Canal or walk on the Rialto Bridge & visit the market. Dinner & overnight in Mestre.

Day 10: Venice – Verona – Milan
After Breakfast, drive to Verona, the city made famous by William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. It’s home to the Arena, a Roman amphitheater internationally known for the large-scale opera performances held there. Enjoy a relaxing walk through Verona squares & monuments: Piazza delle Erbe (the old Roman center & now Market Square), Piazza dei Signori (the political center in middle age Verona) & finally Piazza Bra.

Day 11: Milan & Return to US
Your spiritual journey to Italy comes to a close. Depending on your departure time, you’ll have the opportunity to visit Milan, the commercial capital of Northern Italy & the world capital of design & fashion. We visit the magnificent Duomo which represents the “Heart of Milan.” Its Gothic Vaults are the highest in the world. It has also the world’s largest collection of marble statues. Visit the oldest shopping mall in the world, the glass-domed Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II which extends from the Duomo to Piazza Della Scala. La Scala is the world’s premiere opera house. Within a short walk we view the imposing Sforzesco Castle. Transfer to the airport for the flight home.