DAY 1: U.S.A. / EUROPE. –Monday, 28 April

Tour members will depart to Venice. Dinner and breakfast will be served aboard the flight.

DAY 2: PADOVA – Tuesday, 29 April

Arrival at Venice airport, meet with the Tour Guide and driver and transfer to Padova.

Accommodation in our hotel. Time to rest. Dinner and overnight.

Mass at Padova – Church of Santa Margherita upon arrival

DAY 3: PADOVA/VENICE – Wednesday, 30 April

Breakfast in hotel and transfer to Venice. Transfer to the center of the city by boat and meeting with our day guide. Half day Guided walking tour of the City of Venice passing by the Rialto Bridge, The Canal Grande, San Marco Square and San Marco’s Cathedral. Visit of the St Marco’s Cathedral. Free time for lunch and time to glance at the center of the city. We return to Tronchetto parking by boat and transfer to Padova. Dinner and overnight

Mass: Venice – Church of Santa Maria della Salute after the guided visit

DAY 4: PADOVA/FERRARA/RAVENNA –Thursday, 01 May

Breakfast in hotel. Then we visit the Center of Padua. We will continue with the visit of the Basilica  of Saint Anthony built to house his remains starting from 1238. It’s an imposing spiritual monument blending several architectural styles – Romanesque, Gothic, Byzantine, Moorish – which houses many splendid works of art. Today, the church is a center of pilgrimage from all over the world. Time for lunch and departure to Ravenna with a stop in Ferrara for a visit. Ferrara is one of the most important cities of the Italian Renaissance. The House of the Estensi shaped this medieval jewel. There is so much to see in the city, from the majestic Castello Estense and the Cathedral.

Accommodation in our hotel. Dinner and overnight.

Mass : Padova – St. Anthony Basilica

DAY 5: RAVENNA/ASSISI– Friday, 02 May

Breakfast in hotel and guided visit of the City of Ravenna.

We will begin our visit with the Mausoleum of Teodoric. It’s the most important burial monument built by the Ostrogoths in Italy. We will end then our visit with the Church od Sant’Apollinare in Classe. At the end of the visits, we transfer to Assisi. Accommodation in our hotel. Dinner and overnight.

Mass: Ravenna – St Mary the Major church after the visit

DAY 6: ASSISI – Saturday, 03 May

Breakfast in hotel and a full day visit of Assisi with our guide. Visit the Church of St. Clare which houses her incorrupt body. One of the chapels contains the crucifix that bowed its head and ordered St. Francis to “repair God’s Church”. Then, we tour the Basilica of St. Francis built in 1228 to house the Relics of the Saint. The “upper” basilica houses beautiful frescoes of Giotto. Time for lunch.

In the afternoon, we visit St. Mary of the Angels Basilica. This basilica is where St. Francis spent most of his life, and is made up of two structures.

During this visit, you will have the opportunity to visit the beautiful Rose Garden where St. Francis and other friars lived, as well as the cave where the Saint retired to pray. At the end of the visit. Dinner and overnight.

Mass : Assisi – Santa Maria degli Angeli after the visit

DAY 7: ASSISI/LORETO/SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO – Sunday, 04 May

Breakfast in hotel and then departure for Loreto. Visit of the Basilica. The basilica construction begun in 1469 and sponsored by Paul II. The Heart of the Basilica is the Shrine of the Holy House. It consists of three walls which - according to the ancient and authoritative tradition - would be the walls in front of the Cave of Nazareth where the Blessed Virgin Mary was born, lived and received the Annunciation. At the end of the visit. Time for lunch and depart to San Giovanni Rotondo. Accommodation in our hotel. Dinner and overnight.

Mass: Loreto - Basilica of the Holy House after the visit

DAY 8: SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO – Monday, 05 May

Breakfast in hotel. Then, we visit the Shrine of San Pio. The Church of San Pio da Pietrelcina was strongly desired by the Minor Capuchin Friars, brothers of Padre Pio, and by his numerous devotees, in order to best accommodate the relics of the Saint and at the same time give dignity to the Eucharistic celebrations, especially those on Sundays with large attendances.

Time for lunch. In the afternoon, we visit Monte Sant’Angelo. Monte Sant’Angelo as a town appeared only in the eleventh century.

Dinner and overnight.

Mass : San Giovanni Rotondo – St. Pio Shrine after the visit

DAY 9: SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO/LANCIANO/MANOPELLO/ROMA – Tuesday, 06 May

Breakfast in hotel and departure to Lanciano. Lanciano is famous for the Miracle of Lanciano which dates back to the eighth century.

Time for lunch. We will continue our journey to Rome. Stop in Manopello to visit the Shrine of the Holy Face located on the Tarigni Hill, about 1 km from the historic Centre of Manoppello. The Sanctuary of the Holy Face was founded in 1620 together with the Capuchin Convent and initially entitled to San Michele Arcangelo. After the visit, we will continue our way to Rome. Accommodation in our hotel. Dinner and overnight.

Mass: Lanciano – Church of the eucharistic Miracle

DAY 10: ROME –Wednesday, 07 May

After Breakfast, we will transfer to St. Peter Square for the Audience with the pope**. Afterward, we have free time for lunch and then visit the Vatican Museum, The Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Cathedral

Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel between 1508 and 1512, and later painted The Last Judgment between 1535 and 1541 for Popes Clement VII and Paul III. The primary function of the chapel is the Papal Conclave, providing the place where the College of Cardinals of the church gathers to select a new Pope. Then walk through Saint Peter’s Basilica. The present structure completed in 1590 was built over the Byzantine and Middle Ages structures that marked the tomb of Saint Peter. There are more than 100 tombs within the basilica, including most recently Saint John Paul II. Celebrate.

Mass : Rome – Church of Santo spirito in Sassia after the Vatican visit

DAY 11: ROME –Thursday, 08 May

Breakfast in hotel. We will then have a guided tour of the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran. Six Popes are entombed here. Next door is the Holy Staircase (Scala Santa) brought from Pilate’s Palace in Jerusalem by Saint Helena in the 4th century.  Climbing the stairs on your knees is a devotion that many pilgrims perform, and a plenary indulgence is granted for completing this feat.  Time for lunch.  In the afternoon, we will continue on your pilgrim journey to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Maria Maggiore). This is the largest Marian Church in Rome. Its construction began after the Council of Ephesus in 431 proclaimed that Mary was the Mother of God. Saint Jerome, translator of the Bible into the Latin Vulgate, is buried here. Afterward, we have guided tour of ancient Rome. We will start with the visit at the Coliseum, also called Anfiteatro Flavio. Then we will proceed through Via dei Fori Imperiali and we will end the visit with the Carcere Mamertino where St. Peter was imprisoned. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

Mass : Rome – St Mary the Major after the visit

DAY 12: ROME – Friday 09 May

Breakfast in hotel. We will visit of Saint Paul outside the wall.

Time for Lunch. In the afternoon, we have a guided visit of the center of Rome where we can admire Piazza Navona and the Pantheon, The Church of St. Agostino where is conserved the Michelangelo famous painting “The Pilgrim’s Virgins”, The Church of San Luigi dei Francesi where we can admire the other famous Caravaggio Painting “The Conversion of St. Matthew”. We will end with Fontana di Trevi and The Spanish Steps. Farewell dinner in restaurant and overnight.

Mass: Rome – Basilica of st Paul outside the Wall

DAY 13 ROME/USA – Saturday, 10 May

Breakfast in hotel and transfer to the airport for the departure.