DAY 1, Sunday, May 18, 2003 – Depart the United States for our trans-Atlantic flight. D
DAY 2, Monday, May 19, 2003 - We will meet our tour manager and driver at the airport in Rome and transfer by our private coach to the hotel in the city. There will be a brief orientation tour as we travel into Rome. We will have some leisure time this afternoon for a little rest before we join together for a “welcome to Italy” dinner. Overnight in Rome. BD
DAY 3, Tuesday, May 20, 2003 - After breakfast, we will take a sightseeing tour which will introduce the group to the splendor of Rome. We start at the Colosseum, see the Roman Forum, the Palatine and the Capitoline Hills. We will continue on to the Arch of Constantine, the Circus Maximus and the Castel St. Angelo. Some free time in the afternoon to pursue your own interests. Overnight in Rome. B
DAY 4, Wednesday, May 21, 2003 - An early morning visit to the Catacombs where we will have a private Eucharist. Next we visit the Vatican, the smallest city/state in the world. We will see Michelangelo’s famous Pieta’ and then we will visit the Vatican Museum where we will see Michelangelo’s famous fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. We will overnight in Rome. B
DAY 5, Thursday, May 22, 2003 - We head toward Umbria today to Assisi, birthplace of Francis and a city whose walls have hardly changed since the Middle Ages. We will stop on the “Highway of the Sun” at Greccio to see the Greccio Monastery. It is here that St. Francis celebrated Christmas in 1223 by placing a manger and live animals before the altar. This started the custom of making crèches at Christmas. We will overnight at Assisi. BD
DAY 6, Friday, May 23, 2003 - We will explore Assisi today. We will see Francis’ birthplace, the Church of San Ruffino where he was baptized, the Carceri, the little Hermitage where Francis was often drawn for prayer and solitude, San Damiano, where Clare lived and where Francis received his vision to “rebuild the church’, the church of Santa Chiara, the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli which is built over the Porziuncola, the little chapel St. Francis restored. It is here in the Transito chapel where Francis died on October 3, 1226. We will overnight in Assisi. B
DAY 7, Saturday, May 24, 2003 - Today we will explore Perugia, the largest city in the area of Umbria. This medieval city is the best preserved of its size in all of Italy. We will visit the Museum of the Duomo to see the many rich vestments and artworks including materpieces. We will continue to Verna to visit La Verna Monastery, founded in 1214 by St. Francis and the place where he received the Stigmata. We will see the magnificent della Robbia terracottas. Now on to Gubbio where the story of St. Francis and the wolf (which we use on our church seal) occurred. Here we will see the Pallazzo dei Consoli and the Duomo. We will return to Assisi for our overnight. B
DAY 8, Sunday, May 25, 2003 - Today we travel into Tuscany and stop at Siena, considered by many to be Italy’s most beautiful medieval city. We will take a walking tour including a visit to the Piazza del Campo, site of the Palio, a horse race in which 17 of the cities neighborhoods compete. We will see the Duomo, the finest Gothic cathedral in Italy and world reknown for its fine marble floors. We will continue to Florence where we will begin our discovery of and our “falling in love” with Florence. BD
DAY 9, Monday, May 26, 2003 - We begin today with a walking tour of Florence and we will see the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, with its magnificent dome, Bell Tower and Baptistery. The Baptistery has golden doors designed by Ghiberti representing scenes from the Life and Passion of Christ. We visit the Museum of the Duomo to see Donatello’s sculpture of Magdalene and then visit the Accademia to see Michelangelo’s famous statue of David. We stroll through Signoria Square to the Franciscan church of Santa Croce. Michelangelo and many of Italy’s great artists and writers are buried here. We will visit Santa Maria Novella to see the Masaccio Fresco of the Trinity and Santa Maria del Carmine which houses a fresco cycle that changed the course of art forever. We will overnight in Florence. B
DAY 10, Tuesday, August 12, 2003 - A morning tour of the Uffize, one of the world’s finest museums, and then we visit the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi to see the Capella dei Magi famous for the fresco called the Procession of the Magi which was completed in 1460. Those who wish can climb the stairs to San Miniato al Monte. In the afternoon, we will visit a Tuscany vineyard \ and wine cellar and arrange for a dinner at Castello di Quereto, an 11th century castle. We will overnight in Florence. BD BD
DAY 11, Wednesday, May 28, 2003 - We will travel to Ravenna, a quiet looking town that was once an imperial city. Ravenna was once known as the Byzantium of the West. The mosaics which adorn the ecclesiastical buildings are considered to be the finest in Europe. Overnight Ravenna. BD
DAY 12, Thursday, May 29, 2003 - Today we will visit San Vitale, the tomb of Galla Placidia, St. Apollinare en Classe and St. Apollinare Nuovo. The afternoon is free for you to explore the city. Overnight Ravenna. BD
DAY 13, Friday, May 30, 2003 - We travel this morning to Venice where we will take an afternoon walking tour of Venice with entrance to the Basilica di San Marco, one of Europe’s most beautiful churches. We will visit the Palazzo Ducale also known as the Doges Palace. This fantasia of pink-and-white marble is a majestic expression of the prosperity of power attained by Venice during its Renaissance period. Overnight Venice. BD
DAY 14, Saturday, May 31, 2003 - Depart for the USA arriving back into New York this afternoon. BL
Roundtrip Air from New York on Lufthansa Airlines.
Meals: B Breakfast, L Lunch, D Dinner
