★ Hosted by Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio
Catholic Pilgrimage · Special Event · 12 Days · Italy

Sordevolo Passion Play and Northern Italy with Dr. Marcellino and Susan D’Ambrosio

Join Dr. Marcellino and Susan D'Ambrosio to the Sordevelo Passion Play and a pilgrimage through Northern Italy. This trip visits Milan, Pavia, Biella, Sordevolo, Lake Maggiore, and more!

Dates
June 22 – July 3, 2027
Departs Dallas/Fort Worth or New York City area
Duration
12 Days
Trip code 27JA06PPITMD
From
$5,595
Reserve your spot
The Pilgrimage

Walk in the Footsteps of Faith

Join Dr. Marcellino and Susan D’Ambrosio and a Christian guide will meet your party at the airport and accompany you every step of the way as you explore Milan, Pavia, Biella, Sordevolo, Lake Maggiore, Turin, and more!

Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio
Your Host

Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio

Catholic theologian, author, speaker, educator, and pilgrimage director

Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio, widely known as “Dr. Italy,” is a Catholic theologian, author, speaker, educator, and pilgrimage director. He founded the Crossroads Initiative and earned his doctorate in historical theology under Avery Cardinal Dulles. He has taught at Loyola University, the University of Dallas, and Catholic International University and has appeared extensively in Catholic radio, television, and digital media. His work makes Scripture, Church history, the Fathers, liturgy, and Catholic doctrine accessible to contemporary audiences.

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Know Before You Go

What's included

✓ Included

  • ✓Round-trip coach-class group airfare from DFW or NYC area airport to Milan (group air will be available in August)
  • ✓Airport taxes and fuel surcharges (subject to change until ticketing)
  • ✓First-class hotel accommodations for 10 nights
  • ✓Daily buffet breakfast at the hotel
  • ✓5 dinners at the hotel (beverages not included; available for purchase)
  • ✓Welcome dinner with wine
  • ✓5 lunches
  • ✓1 Dinner at Osteria with wine
  • ✓Farewell dinner at a local restaurant, including half a bottle of wine per person
  • ✓Wine tasting in Pavia
  • ✓Wine-and-cheese experience in Arona
  • ✓English-speaking Christian Tour Manager
  • ✓All transfers via private, air-conditioned motor coach as per itinerary
  • ✓All visits and entrance fees as per the itinerary
  • ✓Baggage handling at hotels
  • ✓Daily private Mass and spiritual program (confirmed)
  • ✓Stella Pelegrina Pilgrim Formation Course
  • ✓Whisper sets
  • ✓Select International Tours travel portfolio
  • ✓For your convenience, a gratuity fund of $230.00 per person will be added to the invoice and collected in advance to cover tips. A tip fund of $100.00 will be added for the extension
  • ✓3 nights’ accommodations in Padua in a first class hotel
  • ✓Touring and sightseeing as noted
  • ✓Buffet breakfast daily at the hotel
  • ✓2 hotel dinners (beverages may be purchased at an additional cost
  • ✓Transfers by private motorcoach
  • ✓English-speaking tour manager
  • ✓All entrance fees to specific sites listed
  • ✓Daily Mass

× Not included

  • ×Personal expenses
  • ×Trip Protection and Medical Insurance (highly recommended)
  • ×Any items not explicitly mentioned in the list of inclusions
  • ×Beverages at meals, unless otherwise noted
  • ×Church donations recommended at $3.00 - $5.00 per person per Mass
  • ×Airport transfers for land-only passengers unless the travelers are at the airport at the same time as the group
  • ×Airline seat assignment and flight pre-check-in
  • ×Electronic Travel Authorization fees (ETIAS) if applicable
  • ×Airline baggage charges
  • ×Baggage handling at the airports and hotels is limited to one suitcase per person.
  • ×Any charges incurred due to excessive luggage, including the cost of an additional baggage vehicle or porterage charges.

For your convenience, a gratuity fund of $230.00 per person will be added to the invoice and collected in advance to cover tips. A tip fund of $100.00 will be added for the extension.

Day by Day

Your pilgrimage, mapped out

Tap any day to explore. Meals: B breakfast · L lunch · D dinner.
Day 1June 19, 2027
DEPART USA – OVERNIGHT FLIGHT TO VENICE
+

Depart on an overnight flight bound for Venice. Dinner and breakfast are served on board. Pre-tour airfare is booked separately from the main group air block. Please coordinate flight arrangements with Jane Allison, the Select International Operations and Account Manager, who can advise on the best available options from your departure city.

Day 2June 20, 2027
ARRIVE VENICE – WELCOME TO PADUA
+

Arrive at Venice Marco Polo Airport, where we are met by our English-speaking Christian Tour Manager and assisted with boarding our private motorcoach for the approximately 45-minute transfer to Padua. In the afternoon, we visit the Abbey of Santa Giustina, a church rarely visited by American pilgrims but very important as a pilgrimage site, as it houses the relics of several early Christian martyrs and saints, including St. Luke the Evangelist and St. Justina of Padua. Here we celebrate Mass. After checking into our hotel and freshening up, we gather for a welcome dinner, the perfect occasion to meet our fellow pre-tour pilgrims and set the tone for the days ahead. Overnight in Padua. Meals: Welcome Dinner

D
Day 3June 21, 2027
PADUA – SAINT ANTHONY AND THE CITY OF THE SAINT
+

This morning, we celebrate Mass at the magnificent Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua, one of the most visited pilgrimage churches in Christendom and the final resting place of the great Franciscan preacher and wonder-worker. We venerate the relics of St. Anthony, including his incorrupt tongue and vocal cords, preserved as a sign of his lifelong dedication to proclaiming the Word of God. We then visit the Oratory of St. George and the Scrovegni Chapel, whose interior is adorned with Giotto’s breathtaking 14th-century fresco cycle depicting the lives of Our Lady and Christ, among the most important works of art in the Western tradition. The afternoon is free to explore Padua’s lively market squares and medieval arcaded streets at our own pace. Dinner at leisure in Padua. Meals: B

B
Day 4June 22, 2027
PADUA – VENICE
+

This morning, we travel by private coach to Venice, approximately 45 minutes from Padua. We step aboard a vaporetto for a cruise along the Grand Canal before exploring the heart of La Serenissima on foot. We celebrate Mass at Santa Maria della Salute (TBC), a historic Venetian church with a soaring dome, vast windows, and beautiful, glittering gold details, and visit the Basilica of St. Mark, whose gilded Byzantine mosaics and sacred relics have drawn pilgrims for more than a millennium. Venice is full of art and beautiful churches, and we recommend that, during our time at leisure, you visit the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in San Polo for paintings by Titian, or the Church of San Rocco and its museum if you are a fan of Tintoretto’s paintings. We also recommend a visit to the Church of San Zaccaria, where the impressive paintings by Venetian masters are on another level. Walk across the Rialto Bridge, wander the labyrinthine calli, and sample the city’s renowned cicchetti before returning to Padua by early evening. Dinner and overnight in Padua. Meals: B, D

BD
Day 5June 23, 2027
PADUA – MILAN – BERGAMO – SOTTO IL MONTE – JOIN THE MAIN GROUP
+

After breakfast, we check out of our Padua hotel and travel by private coach to Milan, approximately 3 hours west. Before arrival in Milan, we stop in the city of Bergamo to visit the striking Bergamo Cathedral and the Basilica of St. Mary Major in the walled city. We visit the Capella Colleoni with its magnificent frescoes and carvings. Departing Bergamo, we stop at Sotto il Monte, where we can see the birthplace of Pope John XXIII, before continuing to our hotel in Milan. Upon arrival, we check into the group hotel and settle in. This evening, we join the full pilgrimage group for the welcome dinner, a joyful gathering of pre-tour participants and newly arrived pilgrims, marking the official start of the main tour together. The full group itinerary begins tomorrow morning. Overnight in Milan. Mass will be celebrated. Meals: B, D

BD
Day 1June 22, 2027
DEPART USA – NYC AREA OR DFW TO MILAN
+

Depart NYC area airport or Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport on an overnight flight to Milan. Dinner and breakfast are served on board. Premium Economy and Business Class upgrades are available upon request and can be quoted starting 120 days before departure. Please note: group air restrictions do not permit specific seat assignments. If confirmed seating is a priority, we recommend purchasing your own airfare and booking the land-only package with us.

Day 2June 23, 2027
WELCOME TO ITALY – ARRIVE MILAN
+

Arrive at Milan’s Malpensa Airport and transfer to our centrally located four-star hotel.* After time to rest and refresh, gather this evening for a welcome dinner with wine and the chance to meet our fellow pilgrims. Mass will be celebrated. The schedule for this day will depend on the flight arrival time, as hotel check-in is at 4 PM. Meals: Welcome Dinner with wine

D
Day 3June 24, 2027
MILAN
+

We begin the day with Mass, then visit the magnificent Duomo di Milano, where the relics of St. Charles Borromeo are enshrined alongside a nail from the Passion of Christ. St. Helena sent this relic to her son Constantine, who had it fashioned into a bridle for his horse; it later came into the possession of St. Ambrose and is now raised and lowered on a special platform for veneration. Next, visit Santa Maria delle Grazie to view Leonardo da Vinci’s fresco “The Last Supper” (TBCsubject to ticket availability). In the afternoon, explore the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio, the final resting place of Milan’s patron saint. The evening is free to explore Milan’s exceptional dining scene. Overnight in Milan. Meals: B

B
Day 4June 25, 2027
PAVIA – ST. AUGUSTINE – WINE TASTING
+

Travel to Pavia to celebrate Mass at the Church of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro, the final resting place of St. Augustine and St. Boethius. We then explore the magnificent Certosa di Pavia, one of Italy’s most beautiful monasteries. Lunch follows at Tenuta Travaglino, a fifth-generation family winery set among rolling hills, where we enjoy a guided wine tasting amid the estate’s historic cellars. Return to Milan for dinner and overnight. Meals: B, L at the winery, D

BLD
Day 5June 26, 2027
SACRED MOUNTAINS – PASSION PLAY OF SORDEVOLO
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This morning, visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Sanctuary of Oropa, set in the Sacred Mountains of Piedmont, where we celebrate Mass. After lunch at the monastery restaurant, we stop in Pollone, the mountain village where St. Pier Giorgio Frassati’s family spent summers, we visit his childhood home and the church where he was baptized. In the afternoon, we travel to the village of Sordevolo. After dinner and time to explore the village museum and shops, we take our seats at the open-air theater for the Passion Play, performed by the townspeople of Sordevolo since 1850 and last staged in 2015. Like the Passion Play of Oberammergau, this extraordinary production involves over 400 local participants from the town and surrounding villages and is performed in Italian. Tonight’s performance begins at 9:30 PM. Dinner and overnight in Biella. Meals: B, L, D

BLD
Day 6June 27, 2027
ASTI – LANGHE – BRA
+

After breakfast, head into the heart of Piedmont and stop in Asti, the region’s premier wine-producing center. Tour this elegant city, known for its medieval towers and beautiful churches, including the Church of San Secondo and the 14th-century Duomo, where we celebrate Mass. Enjoy a leisurely lunch accompanied by Asti Spumante. We then continue to the Langhe region for dinner and overnight in Bra. Meals: B, L, D

BLD
Day 7June 28, 2027
LANGHE HILLS – WINE TASTING – TRUFFLE HUNTING – BRA
+

Spend another immersive day exploring the food and wine traditions of Piedmont. We visit the Langhe Hills to discover the story behind the famous Barolo wine, beginning with WiMu, the Wine Museum housed within Barolo Castle, followed by a tasting at the prestigious Marchesi di Barolo estate and cellars. Continue to the city of Alba, renowned for its white truffles, peaches, and wine production, for a guided orientation and a hands-on truffle-hunting lesson. This evening, we dine at Murivecchi, a beloved osteria in Bra. Overnight in Bra. Mass will be celebrated. Meals: B, Special dinner at Murivecchi osteria.

BD
Day 8June 29, 2027
TURIN – THE SAINTS AND THE SHROUD
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This morning, visit the Basilica of Maria Ausiliatrice (Our Lady Help of Christians), founded by St. John Bosco, which contains the tombs of St. John Bosco, St. Mary Mazzarello, and St. Dominic Savio, where we celebrate Mass. We also visit the adjoining museum, where St. Bosco began his ministry to at-risk youth and founded the Salesian Order. After lunch, visit the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist to see a replica of

Day 9June 30, 2027
TURIN
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We start with a visit to the Basilica del Corpus Domini, built to commemorate the Eucharistic miracle of June 6, 1453, and celebrate Mass there. We then travel to the Sacra di San Michele, an ancient abbey dramatically perched atop Mount Pirchiriano. Recognized as a symbolic monument of the Piedmont region, it inspired the best-selling novel “The Name of the Rose” by Umberto Eco, and members of the Royal House of Savoy are buried in its main church. The afternoon is free to browse the city’s shops and sample Turin’s famous chocolates, don’t miss Bicerin, the city’s iconic layered drink of espresso, chocolate, and whipped cream. Dinner is on our own this evening; Turin is the birthplace of the Slow Food movement, so take the opportunity to savor a meal at one of the city’s many outstanding restaurants. Overnight in Turin. Meals: B, L

BL
Day 10July 1, 2027
BORROMEAN ISLANDS; STRESA; LAKE MAGGIORE
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Depart for the Lake Maggiore region and the resort town of Stresa. After Mass at the Hermitage of San Remigio, we board a boat for a cruise to the Borromean Islands, Isola Bella, Isola Madre, and Isola dei Pescatori, with a special lunch on the charming fishermen’s island. Dinner and overnight in Stresa. Meals: B, Special lunch on Isola dei Pescatori, D

BLD
Day 11July 2, 2027
LAKE MAGGIORE; SANTA CATERINA DEL SASSO; FAREWELL DINNER
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Sail to the hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso, built into a sheer cliff face above the lake, where we celebrate Mass. We then continue by boat to Arona to admire the colossal 17th-century bronze statue of St. Charles Borromeo, one of the largest statues in the world. The afternoon includes a wine-and-cheese experience at Guffanti Fiori, one of Italy’s finest affineurs. We close the pilgrimage with a farewell dinner at a restaurant overlooking Lake Maggiore. Overnight in Stresa. Meals: B, Special farewell dinner overlooking Lake Maggiore

BD
Day 12July 3, 2027
RETURN TO USA
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Transfer to Milan Malpensa or Turin Airport (TBC) for our return flight home, carrying with you the memories and graces of this extraordinary pilgrimage through Northern Italy.

Pricing

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Base Price
$5,595per person

Base Price. Main trip package.

Solo Room (Additional Charge)
$1,295additional

Solo Room (Additional Charge). Additional supplement.

Optional Pre-Tour to Venice and Padua (Double Occupancy)
$1,595per person

Optional Pre-Tour to Venice and Padua (Double Occupancy). Optional trip component.

Optional Pre-Tour to Venice and Padua (Double Occupancy) - Solo supplement
$295additional per solo traveler

Optional Pre-Tour to Venice and Padua (Double Occupancy) - Solo supplement. Additional supplement.

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Deposit
A deposit of $1,000.00 per person should accompany your registration by March 1, 2027.
Final Payment
Final payment is due by March 21, 2027.
Passport Validity
Your passport must be valid through January 3, 2028.
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