ITALY & MEDJUGORJE
13 nights / 14 days – arrival city ROME departure city MILAN
DAY 01: ROME
Upon arrival in Rome, you will be met by our representative and transferred to the city center.
En route we‘ll visit St. Paul Outside the Walls, the burial place of St. Paul the Apostle. The chapel of relics has numerous relics, the most notable of which are a set chains said to be the prison chains of St. Paul, used in the last days before his execution.
You will drive along Via Cavour, Piazza Della Repubblica with Najads Fountain, Via Nazionale, Piazza Venezia where you will drive by the monument of King Victor Emanuel II. Drive on the Via Dei Fori Imperiali for a panoramic view of the Roman Forum and capitol Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine, Circus Maximus, Aventin Hill and Porta S. Paolo.
Check in and free time for lunch
In the afternoon we’ll visit St. Mary Major Basilica or St. John in Lateran Basilica.
We will then proceed via the Appian Way on our way to visit the Catacombs where early Christians held their forbidden service to escape persecution.
Dinner and overnight
DAY 02: ROME
Breakfast in the hotel.
This morning we will start with a visit to the Vatican Museums, as well as the Sistine Chapel. Continue to Visit St. Peter’s Basilica built on the site where St. Peter was martyred. Construction of St. Peter’s began in 1506 and was completed in 1626. St. Peter is buried here along with many other popes.
Free time for lunch.
In the afternoon we’ll have a walk through Trevi Fountain, where we toss a coin or three in the world’s most spectacular wishing well to ensure our return to Rome, the Pantheon in Piazza Della Rotunda, the most impressive and best preserved ancient monument, Piazza Navona one of the most beautiful Piazzas in Rome with many beautiful statues and Bernini’s Fountain of Four Rivers
Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.
DAY 03: ROME / MONTE CASSINO / SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO
After Breakfast , depart from Rome our first stop will be at Monte Cassino. Visit of the Abbey of Monte Cassino, the mother house of the Benedictines, which was founded by St. Benedict in 529.
Free time for lunch.
Proceed to San Giovanni Rotondo for dinner and overnight.
DAY 04: SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO/MONTE SANT’ANGELO/SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO
After breakfast, morning visit of San Giovanni Rotondo famous in the world to house the remains of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, a Capuchin friar lived a long time in the town. We will visit the shrine of Our Lady of Grace with the tomb of Padre Pio. the Confessional of Padre Pio, the Crucifix from which Padre Pio received the stigmata.
Free time for lunch.
Proceed to Monte Sant’ Angelo. The small town located on the southern slopes of Monte Gargano and home to the oldest shrine in Western Europe. Visit the sacred cave where the Archangel Michael appeared in the 4th century. The sanctuary has been a popular place of pilgrimage for many centuries and has been visited by numerous Popes and Saints, including St. Francis of Assisi, St. Pio and also Pope John Paul II who visited the sanctuary in 1987.
Return to San Giovanni Rotondo for dinner and overnight.
DAY 05: SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO / LANCIANO / ANCONA (SPLIT)
After breakfast, proceed to Lanciano to visit of the site of the firt Eucharistic Miracle. This wondrous event took place in the 8th century when, during Holy Mass, after the two-fold consecration, the host was changed into live Flesh and the wine was changed into live Blood.
Free time for lunch.
Continue to Ancona where we board the ferry that will take us to Split in Bosnia Erzegovina.
Dinner and overnight on board.
DAY 06: SPLIT/ MEDJUGORJE
Early morning arrival in Split and transfer to Medjugorje.
You will experience one of the most spiritual, and peaceful places on earth. The beauty of this simple village is enhanced by the opportunity to share our faith with thousands of pilgrims from all over the world.
We will follow the same path up Apparition Hill where the young visionaries first encountered Our Lady, and pray at the statue which commemorates the spot where Our Lady first appeared to the visionaries. We will also visit and pray at “Blue Cross”, which is a very special place at the base of Apparition Hill where the visionaries would meet in the early days of the apparitions to avoid the Communist police. We will have the opportunity to climb Mt. Krizevac (Cross Mountain), where in 1933 the villagers built a 29′ high cross on the anniversary of Jesus’ crucifixion. This Cross contains a relic from the True Cross of Christ given to the villagers by the Pope.
Dinner and overnight.
DAY 07: MEDJUGORJE
Day devoted to prayers and moment of deep recollection.
Dinner and overnight.
DAY 08: MEDJUGORJE/ SPLIT (ANCONA)
After an early breakfast and heartfelt farewells, we leave by private motor coach for Split for the ferry back to Ancona.
Dinner and overnight on board.
DAY 09: ANCONA/ LORETO/ CASCIA/ ASSISI
Early morning arrival in Ancona, head to Loreto where we’ll visit the Basilic of the Holy House, the Catholic place of pilgrimage since the 14th century, containing the house in which the Virgin Mary lived.
Continue to Cascia, for the Visit at the Basilica Santa Rita da Cascia, view the incorrupt body of St. Rita in the Chapel, and then see the Eucharistic Miracle in the nearby minor Basilica. Afterward, we will proceed to the Convent of St. Rita, to see her relics, such as her habit, her wedding ring, and the crucifix from which she received her forehead stigmata.
Continue to Assisi for dinner and overnight.
DAY 10: ASSISI
After Breakfast we will begin our day with exploring the town of St Francis of Assisi.
Assisi is a small Umbrian town in central Italy best known as the birthplace of St. Francis of Assisi — patron saint of Italy, founder of the Franciscan order, and one of the most popular Catholic saints in history. Assisi’s main attraction is the 13th-century Basilica of St. Francis, which contains the sacred relics of Francis and beautiful frescoes of his life. And there are at least seven other churches well worth visiting for their history, beauty, and connection with Francis or his friend Clare. We will visit St. Claire Basilica , which is a 13th-century church that houses the relics of St. Claire, friend and protege of St. Francis of Assisi, as well as the miraculous crucifix that spoke to Francis; and other major monuments of the city.
Free time for lunch.
In the afternoon, we continue our visit to Eremo delle Carceri: in the caves on the slope of Monte Subasio just outside the walls of Assisi, St. Francis and his followers established their first home at the Eremo delle Carceri (Carceri Hermitage). He often returned here during his life to pray and contemplate. Then we continue to San Damiano Convent where St. Francis first received his miraculous calling in 1205 and where St. Clare died in 1253, it is an important stop on the pilgrimage to the Franciscan holy city. We will visit also the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli, much venerated as the place of St. Francis’ death. Inside the grand Baroque basilica are two small, humble structures: the Capella del Transito and the Porziuncola.
Dinner and overnight in Assisi.
DAY 11: ASSISI/ LA VERNA/ ASSISI
Full day excursion to La Verna. The Sanctuary is perched in an amazing setting in the forest on a high rocky promontory, visible from a distance. The sanctuary sits on the site where it’s believed that Saint Francis received the stigmata. It’s now a monastic complex that includes the monastary, church, museum, chapels, and the cave that was his cell.
From the sanctuary there are fantastic views of the valleys below.
In 1224, Saint Francis came to the mountain and little church for one of his retreats and it was then that he received the stigmata. La Verna became an important pilgrimage site for Franciscans and followers of the Saint
In 1263, a small chapel was built over the spot where Saint Francis received the stigmata. It’s reached by a long corridor with frescoes depicting the life of Saint Francis and bas-reliefs of the Via Crucis.
Back to Assis, time at leisure.
Dinner and overnight.
DAY 12: ASSISI/ PADUA
After breakfast, head to Padova which is famous for its saint, Saint Antonio.
We visit the Basilica of St. Anthony, which is a mixture of Gothic, Romanesque and Byzantine architecture with the tomb and relics of the saint and the Basilica and the Abbey of Santa Giustina. Decorated with precious marble and mosaics here lies the body of the young Giustina, put to death in 304 because she was Christian. The Basilica was enriched with the bodies and relics of many saints, burial place chosen by the bishops.
Dinner and overnight in Padova.
DAY 13: PADOVA FD EXC. TO VENICE
Breakfast in hotel. Departure by bus to Venice Tronchetto Terminal and embarkation on the boat to reach the city centre.Venice, the city where everything and everyone floats. This lovely Lagoon-city on the Adriatic coast is like a giant maze with tiny alleys and hidden piazzas linked by narrow foot bridges over 400 large and small canals. It is with good reason that Venetians call their city “La Serenissima” (the most serene). Venice awakes each morning with a refreshing absence of speeding cars, and roaring mopeds. We arrive by boat, in St. Mark’s Square. We visit St. Mark’s Basilica, a masterpiece of Venetian – Byzantine architecture built in 830 to shelter the tomb of St. Mark. We view the marble Ducal Palace, and the famous “Bridge of Sighs”. On foot is the best way to explore Venice. Perhaps you might take on optional “Gondola Ride” across the “Grand Canal” OR walk on the Rialto Bridge and visit the market.
To experience the real Venice head towards the side streets to “Strada Nova” and you’ll see how Venice’s citizens live and shop.
Return to Padua for Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
DAY 14: PADOVA/ MILAN
After Breakfast, we drive to Milano, according to flight home departure, we will have the opportunity
to visit Milan, the second-most populous city in Italy. We shall see the Cathedral, masterpiece
of the Gothic architecture, which stands in the homonym square; the Galleria “Vittorio Emanuele II”, one of the firsts examples of art nouveau architecture in Italy, and then reach the “navigli”, which captured the curiosity of a genius like Leonardo da Vinci, who gave to this city one of his most beautiful works: “The last supper”, painted in the dining hall of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
Transfer to the airport for your flight home.
