Pictures from the Italy

In the Footsteps of St. Francis

St. Martin’s in the Field Episcopal Youth Pilgrimage to Italy

Led by:

Roy Wallace and Amy Corston
St. Martin’s in the Field Episcopal Church
Severna Park, MD

June 25 – July 2, 2011

Trip map

DAY 1, Saturday, June 25, 2011 - Depart the Baltimore Airport for our flight on Delta Airlines connecting at London Heathrow Airport where we transfer to our flight into Rome.  Meals on board the aircraft. M

DAY 2: Sunday, June 26, 2011 - We arrive at the Rome airport where we meet our guide and board our private motorcoach.  We depart Rome to travel north to Florence stopping along the way for dinner.  Overnight Florence. MD

DAY 3: Monday, June 27, 2011 - This morning we explore the Piazza della Signoria.  After lunch we visit 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 and see Michelangelo's famous statue of David.  After dinner we continue on to Assisi, birthplace of St. Francis and a city whose walls have hardly changed since the Middle Ages.  Overnight Le Stuoie Guest House, Assisi. BLD

DAY 4: Tuesday, June 28, 2011 - After breakfast we walk to Santa Maria degli Angeli, the baroque church which was built over the Porziuncola, the little chapel restored by St. Francis.  It is here in a spartan cell that St. Francis died.  We board the local city bus and travel to the Basilica di San Francesco which contains an imposing series of frescoes by Giotto including 28 scenes from the life of St. Francis.  Here in the Basilica we will see the crypt where the remains of St. Francis rest.  We walk to the centre of Assisi ending the morning at the church of Santa Chiara, dedicated to St. Clare, who was one of the earliest and most fervent of Francis' followers.  This afternoon we travel outside the town where we will see the fields of Pian d’Arca which legend identifies as the site of St. Francis’ sermon to the birds.  We visit Eremo Delle Carceri, a monastery in the dense woodlands on the side of Monte Subasio. It was here, in caves on the slope of the mountain, where Francis and his followers established their first home and to which he returned often during his lifetime to pray and meditate.  We continue to the church of San Damiano where St. Clare lived and where St. Francis received his vision to "rebuild the church."  We return to Assisi for dinner and overnight. BLD

DAY 5: Wednesday, June 29, 2011 - Today we begin our journey toward Rome as Francis did in the spring of 1209.  We travel along the "Highway of the Sun" and visit 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 which started the custom of making creches or manger scenes at Christmas.  We will see the Chapel of the Crib and continue to Rome where we will enjoy a panoramic tour of the city with a visit to the Coliseum prior to arriving at our accommodations for overnight.  Time permitting we will visit the church of St. John the Lateran.  Overnight Casa Tra Noi, Rome. BLD

DAY 6: Thursday, June 30, 2011 - Morning visit to the Catacombs, the burial site of thousands of Roman Christians.  (Pending confirmation we will celebrate Eucharist in the Catacombs.)  After lunch, we visit St. Paul's Inside the Walls, an Anglican church within the walls of ancient Rome. We will spend time with the refugees at the Joedl Nafuma Refugee Center, a ministry of St. Paul's.  Overnight Casa Tra Noi, Rome. BLD

DAY 7: Friday, July 1, 2011 - This morning we visit the Santa Maria in Cosmedin Church and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.  At 12 noon we meet our local guide for a tour of the Vatican State, an entire European state comprising only 109 acres, ruled by the Pope, and having its own postage stamps, coinage, anthem and flag.  Within the boundaries of the Vatican stands St. Peter's Basilica, built on the site where St. Peter was buried after he had been martyred in Nero's Circus.  The first chapel on the right as you enter St. Peter's contains the Pieta', the moving and powerful masterpiece carved by Michelangelo.  We will tour the Sistine Chapel and marvel at the beauty created by Michelangelo on its ceiling.  We will end the day with a "Pizza making" dinner in a local restaurant.  Overnight Casa Tra Noi, Rome. BD

DAY 8: Saturday, July 2, 2011 - After breakfast we depart for the Rome Airport.  We board our Delta Airlines flight to London Heathrow.  There we transfer to our flight back to the Baltimore Airport. BM

Price: $2,459.00* .  Price is based on double occupancy without airline taxes and fuel surcharges.  Roundtrip air from Baltimore, MD.  Air transportation available from other cities.  Single Supplement $199.00.  * Excludes airline taxes and surcharges that will be added to your final payment invoice.  Estimated taxes as of December 20, 2010 $479.63.

* Price includes Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance.

$200.00 per person deposit due with registration and copy of passport.

Final payment due March 25, 2011

** The price is not guaranteed and may change due to the fluctuation of the Euro and the US dollar.  We make every effort to avoid any increase and will only do so if the value of the dollar falls against the Euro.  Your pricing was based on the exchange rate of $1.30997 to the Euro. **

Cancellation Penalties
◊ January 19, 2011 – March 25, 2011:  $100.00 plus any unrecoverable fees.
◊ March 26, 2011 – May 10, 2011:  $200.00 plus any unrecoverable fees.
◊ After May 11, 2011:  NO REFUND

Meals: B Breakfast, L Lunch, D Dinner, M Meals on Aircraft

The itinerary is subject to change due to local conditions or at the discretion and direction of the leader or guide.