Catholic Italy Pilgrimage 10 days SOR

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Created: 03.09.2013

Day 1 ? USA/ROME ? Today we depart the USA on our overnight flight to Rome aboard a wide bodied jet. We are served Complimentary beverages, in-flight movies, dinner and breakfast aloft. Day 2 - ROME/TUSCANY - Upon arrival in Rome, we are met and board our motorcoach for our ride to the Florence area. Following lunch on our own we continue to the delightful nearby spa town of Montecatini Terme whose streets invite us to stroll after dinner at your hotel. The balance of the day is at leisure. Day 3 ? FLORENCE -. This morning, we see the highlights of Florence, the jewel of the Renaissance. We start with Mass at a local parish church. We drive to Florence and stop at the Piazzale Michelangelo for a panoramic view of the city. We visit the Duomo, the heart of the city with its cupola by Brunelleschi, completed in 1240, its campanile by Giotto and Baptistry with incomparable bronze doors by Ghiberti. Next we visit the Medici Chapel in the church of San Lorenzo, to see the tombs designed and executed by Michelangelo. Afterward, we visit the Basilica of Santa Croce. Among the most famous who lie here are Galileo, Rossini, Michelangelo and Macchiaveli. Later this afternoon, we will have a brief time for shopping or personal adventure. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. MEDICI CHAPEL CAN BE SWAPPED WITH ACADEMY FOR THE DAVID, BUT COULD REQUIRE A BIT MORE WALKING. CANNOT DO BOTH. Day 4- FLORENCE/ASSISI - Today we journey through the Italian countryside to Assisi. Our first stop is in the lower town for a visit at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, and the Portiuncula, Francis' Church of the Little Portion. We proceed to the hilltop village of Assisi, the home of Saint Francis for dinner and overnight. Day 5- ASSISI - This morning, we begin at the Basilica of St. Francesco with Mass. After our visit of the Basilica and the tomb of St. Francis, we begin our walking tour of the village. Included, is a visit to the Church of St. Clare to view the crucifix that spoke to St. Francis. We pass by the famous Temple of Minerva in the Piazza del Comune. This afternoon, our taxis take us to the Church of San Damiano (time permitting) then up to the Hermitage of the Carceri, where Francis and his Friars retreated from the world to pray and fast. Here, the grotto of St. Francis can also be seen. .Dinner and overnight at out hotel Day 6 - ASSISI/ORVIETO/SORRENTO - Following an early morning departure from Assisi we travel south through the Umbrian countryside. We stop at Orvieto for a visit and Mass at the breathtaking Cathedral, which is known as the jewel of Italian architecture. Inside the Cathedral is the Chapel of the Corporal, which houses the chalice cloth, involved in the Eucharistic Miracle, which occurred in nearby Bolsena. In the 13th century a pilgrim priest named Peter of Prague was celebrating Mass at the crypt of St. Christina. He was having a faith crisis concerning the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and while speaking the words of the consecration, blood started to drip from the consecrated Host. Subsequently Pope Urban instituted The Feast of Corpus Christi. Afterwards we travel south to the wonderful town of Sorrento along the Mediterranean for dinner and overnight. Please note: If arrival in Rome is in the morning, Orvieto may be moved to Day 2. Day 7 ? AMALFI DRIVE/POMPEII/ROME - Today, we motor along the Sorrento Peninsula on the famous Amalfi Drive with stops along the way, including the splendid jet set village of Positano. Afterwards, we continue to Pompeii, the Roman City destroyed but yet preserved by the volcanic ash of Vesuvios in 79 AD. We celebrate Mass at the church of the Holy Rosary recently visited by Pope John Paul II here. We continue to Rome for dinner and overnight. Day 8 - ROME - This morning, we go to the Vatican, where we celebrate Mass below St. Peters. Afterwards, we tour the Basilica, then the treasures of the Vatican Museum. We marvel at Michelangelo?s restored frescoes in the Sistine Chapel and the wonders of St. Peter?s. This afternoon, our panoramic tour of Rome include the Roman Fora, Arch of Constantine, the Coliseum and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We visit the Basilica of St. Mary Major, then to the Church of St Alphonsus Liguori, the Shrine of Mother of Perpetual Help in Rome. We proceed to the Church of St. Peter in Chains to view Michelangelo's possibly most celebrated sculpture, the "Moses." Dinner and overnight at hotel. Day 9 - ROME ? This morning, we make our way to St. Peter's for an audience with Pope Francis if he is in residence. This afternoon, we visit the Holy Stairs and Basilica of St. John Lateran. We stop by the Basilica of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli where a fresco of the Blessed Virgin, tradition tells us, was painted by St. Luke, the Madonna di Ara Coeli. This Basilica is also famous for the miraculous Infant Jesus (Gesu Bambino) carved from olive-wood from the Garden of Gethsemane by a Franciscan friar in Jerusalem in 1400. According to tradition, its coloring which glows with a translucence that is beyond human skill was completed by an angel. We continue to St. Paul Outside the Walls. The huge, imposing Basilica, second only to St. Peter?s and one of the largest churches in the Christian world, contains an unusual gallery of papal portraits: 265 tablets portraying the popes of the past. We conclude our day at one of the Catacombs, burial place of early Christians. We celebrate Mass here and view the 2nd and 3rd century fresco paintings. We proceed to a nearby restaurant for our farewell dinner. Overnight at our hotel. Day 10 - USA - Today we make our way home with memories of a lifetime.