Pack your bags for this magnificent 12-day journey through Italy’s sacred beauty! Soar from Philadelphia to Venice and step into history at Padua’s Shrine of St. Anthony. Explore Venice’s iconic St. Mark’s Square and the Doge’s Palace, and watch a classic Murano glass-blowing demonstration.
Journey through Renaissance Florence and soak in the artistic beauty at the Accademia Gallery. Discover Siena, then head to peaceful Assisi to see Giotto’s famous frescoes and pray at the tombs of St. Francis, St. Clare, and St. Carlo Acutis. Visit Loreto’s Holy House of Nazareth, then savor authentic Italian cuisine with a relaxed wine tasting in Orvieto.
Celebrate Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, marvel at the Sistine Chapel, and attend an inspiring Papal Audience. Conclude your unforgettable pilgrimage with a memorable farewell dinner and an evening stroll past the illuminated Trevi Fountain.
This beautiful pilgrimage includes daily Mass in beautiful churches. Reserve your spot today!
Fr. Tom Betz, O.F.M. Cap., is a Capuchin Franciscan priest who serves in Philadelphia. He leads Catholic pilgrims to France on journeys that include Lourdes, Lisieux, the Normandy beaches, Mont-Saint-Michel, and Paris.
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We depart on an overnight flight from Philadelphia to Venice. Dinner and breakfast are served on the plane. Quotes for add-on flights from different airports, as well as for optional Premium Economy and Business Class upgrades, are available upon request, starting 120 days before departure. Group air restrictions (for ten passengers traveling together) do not permit specific seating requests on flights. If seat confirmation is important to you, we recommend purchasing your own airline tickets and booking the Land Only trip package. Should you require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact your trip Account Manager, who will be happy to assist you.
Upon arrival in Venice, we are greeted by our tour guide and escorted to our motorcoach, which takes us to Padua. We arrive in Padua in the mid-afternoon and settle into our hotel. We walk over to the Shrine of St. Anthony for a tour of the Basilica and Mass. We visit the magnificent Scrovegni Chapel, dedicated to St. Mary of the Charity, before settling into our hotel for dinner and a good night’s rest. Overnight in Padua. (Welcome dinner)
After breakfast, we are transferred to Venice, the city of mystery and fantasy. We have a walking tour of Venice, including the Bridge of Sighs, St. Mark’s Square and Basilica, and the Doge’s Palace (outside view). We visit St. Ambrose Church, where we celebrate Mass. Marvel at the play of light on the city’s canals and the feeling of romance that permeates the air. In the afternoon, we attend the Murano glass blowing demonstration. Dinner and overnight in Padua.
In the early morning, we drive to Florence. Our bus will stop at Piazzale Michelangelo, from where we will enjoy a stunning view over the city. Walking down for approximately 20 minutes, we reach the city center. We will visit the Santa Croce Church, where we celebrate Mass. After lunch at leisure, we have a walking tour of Florence that takes us to see Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, the Duomo (outside view) and the Baptistery next door (outside view). In the late afternoon, we visit the Accademia Gallery (TBC). Dinner and overnight in Florence.
This morning, we depart for Assisi, the city of birds and silence. En route, we celebrate Mass in Siena and visit the Church of San Domenico to see the relics of St. Catherine. Following Mass, we enjoy exploring the city of Siena, famous for its horse races, which take place in the center. We continue to Assisi for dinner and an overnight.
This morning, we visit the Basilica of St. Francis, featuring the upper Basilica, which houses Giotto’s frescoes depicting the life of St. Francis. We then proceed to the lower Basilica and the Tomb of St. Francis. Mass will be celebrated at one of the chapels in the Basilica. We proceed to the Basilica of St. Clare and the Chapel of San Damiano, where St. Francis received his call to rebuild the Church and where St. Clare lived and died. We visit St. Carlo Acutis, the first millennial to be beatified in the Catholic Church, dressed in jeans and tennis shoes, through a viewing glass on his tomb. Dinner and overnight in Assisi.
This morning, we see Santa Maria of the Angels Church before we depart for Loreto to see the Holy House of Nazareth, transported here from the Holy Land, as tradition tells us. In it, we view the most reproduced Madonna in the world: the Black Madonna of Loreto. We celebrate Mass in Loreto. After a break for lunch on our own, we head back to Assisi for the afternoon at leisure. Dinner and overnight in Assisi.
We stop at the hilltop town of Orvieto to celebrate Mass and visit the Cathedral, which houses the Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena. After visiting the town, we continue to a beautiful local winery and enjoy a wine tasting and a delicious lunch in the Italian countryside. In the afternoon, arrive in Rome and settle into our hotel. Dinner and overnight in Rome. (Special lunch and wine tasting.)
We start the day with Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica (TBC). Then enjoy a tour of the Basilica and the Vatican Museums, including the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel (TBC). In the afternoon, we explore the Scavi Tunnels (TBC) underneath St. Peter’s. Dinner is at leisure. Overnight in Rome.
This morning, we visit the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, where we celebrate Mass, and the nearby Tre Fontane Convent, where St. Paul was beheaded. Our visit continues with the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, and the Holy Stairs. Overnight in Rome with dinner at leisure.
We depart early this morning for St. Peter’s Square to attend the Papal Audience, where the Holy Father blesses us. Mass will be celebrated. We have time at leisure to explore Rome on our own. Later this afternoon, we gather to enjoy an early farewell dinner with wine at a local restaurant. After dinner, we enjoy a walk through Piazza Navona to view the magnificent Four Rivers Fountain by Bernini. On this route, we also visit Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, the only true Gothic church in Rome, the Spanish Steps, the Gesù Church, and the Trevi Fountain. Overnight in Rome. (Farewell dinner)
Today marks the end of our pilgrimage. We say farewell to a country and a trip that will last in our memories forever, as we are transferred to the Rome airport for our return flights.
Land Only
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Solo room (additional cost) additional supplement.
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