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GRAND CATHOLIC ITALY

11 days incl. travel or 10 days from Rome to Venice (TV)

September 20-30, 2010

Vacation Overview

On this vacation, discover Italy from Rome to Venice. Start your trip in Rome, Italy’s capital, with a welcome dinner and guided tours with a Local Guide to the Holy Stairs, St. John Lateran Basilica, St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. Mary Major Basilica, the Catacombs, the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Square and Basilica, the Colosseum and the Roman Forum.

Travel to Montecassino to visit the first of the Benedictine monasteries founded by St. Benedict around 529 AD. Then journey to Italy’s eastern coast and San Giovanni Rotondo, home to the beloved St. Padre Pio. Visit his Friary, the Old Church, and the New Church. Next, visit the Shrine of Monte Sant'Angelo, one of Christendom’s most celebrated shrines and where St. Michael the Archangel appeared in the 5th and 17th centuries.

Via Lanciano's Church and the Holy House of Loreto, travel to Assisi, where guided visits to the Basilicas of St. Francis and St. Clare are included. See the crucifix that spoke to St. Francis and visit the St. Mary of the Angel’s Basilica and the Portiuncula.

On the way to Florence, stop in Siena and visit the Sanctuary of St. Catherine and the Basilica of St. Dominic. Spend two nights in Florence and enjoy a guided sightseeing tour including a visit to Michelangelo's David. Stop in Padua to visit St. Anthony's Basilica and arrive in Venice. Enter Venice by private boat to meet your Local Guide and visit St. Mark's Square and Basilica. Later, enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant—a perfect ending to your Grand Catholic Italy vacation!

Itinerary

Day 1

(Mon.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2 Arrive in Rome, Italy

(Tue.) Transfer to your hotel. Balance of the day is at leisure. At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director, then enjoy this evening’s welcome dinner with wine at a local restaurant. (D)

Day 3 Rome

(Wed.) Attend the weekly general audience of the Pope (subject to availability). This afternoon, visit ST. PAUL OUTSIDE THE WALLS and the CATACOMBS. During the persecutions, the catacombs were used as places of refuge for the celebration of the Eucharist. Next, visit ST. JOHN LATERAN BASILICA, the HOLY STAIRS, which were brought from Jerusalem to Rome around 326 AD by St. Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, and consist of 28 white marble steps. As a favorite of pilgrims every where, these steps may only be ascended on the knees. Then, visit the impressive ST. MARY MAJOR BASILICA. (B)

Day 4 Rome

(Thu.) This morning, enjoy a guided visit of the VATICAN MUSEUMS and the SISTINE CHAPEL, world famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling paintings and The Last Judgment. Continue to monumental ST. PETER’S SQUARE and BASILICA. Cross the Tiber River and visit the COLOSSEUM, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World®, and the ROMAN FORUM, where Roman legions marched in triumph. (B)

Day 5 Rome–Montecassino–San Giovanni Rotondo

(Fri.) Visit the ABBEY OF MONTECASSINO, the first of the Benedictine monasteries founded by St. Benedict around 529 AD, and its MUSEUM. Then, journey to Italy’s eastern coast and San Giovanni Rotondo, home to the beloved St. Padre Pio. (B,D)

Day 6 San Giovanni Rotondo. Excursion to Monte Sant’Angelo

(Sat.) Visit the FRIARY OF PADRE PIO, including his tomb, cell, confessional, and the OLD CHURCH where he received the stigmata. Also visit the NEW CHURCH. Afterwards, visit the nearby SHRINE OF MONTE SANT’ANGELO, one of Christendom’s most celebrated shrines and where St. Michael the Archangel appeared in years 490 AD, 492 AD, and 1656. (B,D)

Day 7 San Giovanni Rotondo–Lanciano–Loreto–Assisi

(Sun.) Visit Lanciano and the CHURCH that is home to an 8th-century Eucharistic Miracle. Afterwards, visit the HOLY HOUSE OF LORETO, where, according to tradition, angels transported the home of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Arrive at the hilltop village of Assisi, home of St. Francis and St. Clare. (B,D)

Day 8 Assisi–Siena–Florence

(Mon.) Celebrate Mass this morning followed by a guided walking tour of Assisi. Visit the BASILICAS OF ST. FRANCIS and ST. CLARE. See the crucifix that spoke to St. Francis. Also visit the ST. MARY OF THE ANGELS BASILICA and the PORTIUNCULA. On the way to Florence, stop in Siena and visit the SANCTUARY OF ST. CATHERINE and the BASILICA OF ST. DOMINIC. (B,D)

Day 9 Florence

(Tue.) Your walking tour with a Local Guide features a visit to the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS to see Michelangelo’s David, the CATHEDRAL, and Giotto’s Bell Tower. Balance of the day is at leisure. (B)

Day 10 Florence–Padua–Venice

(Wed.) Depart for Padua and visit the BASILICA OF ST. ANTHONY to see the tomb and reliquaries of this miracle-working saint and patron of lost and stolen articles. Journey on to Venice, one of the world’s most romantic cities. Enter by PRIVATE BOAT and meet your Local Guide. Visit ST. MARK’S SQUARE and its BASILICA, and enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. (B,D)

Day 11

(Thu.) Transfer to the airport for flights leaving no earlier than 10 am. Your homebound flight from Venice arrives the same day. (B)

Vacation Highlights

INCLUDED FEATURES

Headsets throughout the tour

Rome:
Welcome dinner at a local restaurant; guided sightseeing, visit St. Paul Outside the Walls, the Catacombs,
St. John Lateran Basilica, the Holy Stairs, St. Mary Major Basilica, the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Square and Basilica, the Colosseum, and the Roman Forum; Papal audience (subject to availability)

Montecassino:
Visit the Benedictine abbey and its museum

San Giovanni Rotondo:
Visit Padre Pio’s Friary, the Old Church, and the New Church

Monte Sant’Angelo:
Visit the Shrine

Lanciano:
Visit the Eucharistic Miracle Church

Loreto:
Visit the Holy House of Loreto

Assisi:
Celebrate Mass; guided walking tour, visit the Basilicas of St. Francis and St. Clare; also visit the St. Mary of the Angels Basilica and the Portiuncula

Siena:
Guided walking tour, visit the Sanctuary of St. Catherine and the Basilica of St. Dominic

Florence:
Guided walking tour, visit Michelangelo’s David, and the cathedral

Padua:
Visit St. Anthony’s Basilica

Venice:
Private boat ride; guided walking tour, visit St. Mark’s Square and Basilica; farewell dinner at a local restaurant

INSIDE VISITS

Inside visits and special features are shown in the description, including admission charges when applicable.

Accommodations

MEALS - (B) Breakfast (L) Lunch (D) Dinner

Full buffet breakfast (B); 6 three-course dinners (D), including a welcome dinner in Rome and a farewell dinner in Venice.

SUPERIOR HOTELS - (D) Deluxe (SF) Superior First-Class (F) First-Class

Rome Nova Domus (F), San Giovanni Rotondo Gran Paradiso (F), Assisi San Francesco, Florence Hilton Garden Inn (F), Venice Ambasciatori (F) at Mestre