Rome & Assisi

A Pilgrimage to Assisi & Umbria, In the steps of St Francis

Introduction

Assisi is situated in the heart of Italy in the province of Umbria, a region celebrated for being verdant and an ever-changing landscape of mountains, wooded hillsides and wide open valleys. It was in this area sometimes also called ‘The Land of Saints’ that St Francis and St Clare were born at the end of the 12th century. Both of them were reluctant leaders but their stubborn devotion to following the gospel ideals proved to be a beacon, which attracted many people and has meant that the Franciscan and Poor Clare orders have had a profound effect on the Church. Time will be spent in Assisi and its surrounds seeing the places where the saints lived out their mission, whilst also being able to appreciate as Francis did the glory of the natural world in this special place.

Assisi is a medieval town which means that we are unable to gain access to the town centre by coach, therefore there is a considerable amount of walking involved in this itinerary.

Basic Itinerary

DAY ONE - FRIDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER

Stansted - Perugia - Assisi

Fly from Stansted Airport to Perugia. Transfer by coach to Hotel San Giacomo in Assisi for dinner and a seven-night stay.

DAY TWO - SATURDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER

Assisi

This morning we take a twisting taxi ride to the Hermitage, situated high above Assisi on Monte Subasio, which was a place of retreat and meditation for Francis and his followers and is still an oasis of quiet today. The taxis wait for about forty minutes here before driving down to San Damiano below Assisi, which was where St Francis received the message from the Crucifix to repair God’s church and where, later, St Clare spent her cloistered life and founded her community. The taxis will return you to your hotel. Dinner is at our hotel.

DAY THREE - SUNDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER

Assisi

Today is free for your own exploration. Edith will give a short tour of some of the major churches in Assisi. Dinner is at our hotel.

DAY FOUR - MONDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER

Santa Maria degli Angeli

This morning we go down the hill and visit the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, built on the plain below Assisi. This large church encloses a series of smaller chapels, including the Porziuncula (Little Portion). We also see the Rose Garden with its famous spineless roses. The rest of the day is at leisure. Dinner is at our hotel.

DAY FIVE - TUESDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER

La Verna

Travel by coach into Tuscany, past the birthplace of Michelangelo and up into the mountains to a sanctuary founded by St. Francis on land given to him by a local nobleman. It was here that two years before the end of his life, Francis was the first person recorded to have received the stigmata, the final great identifying sign of the Saint’s life with that of Christ. Lunch is included at a local restaurant in La Verna after which there will be the daily procession marking the occasion of Stigmata. We return to Assisi. Dinner is at choice this evening.

DAY SIX - WEDNESDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER

Assisi

This morning we have a guided tour of the Basilica by one of the resident friars, the twin basilica of St Francis, now fully reopened after the earthquake in 1997. We see the frescoes attributed to Giotto in the Upper Basilica and those by Cimabue and Simone de Martine in the Lower Basilica. The rest of the day is at leisure. Dinner is at our hotel.

DAY SEVEN - THURSDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER

Greccio and the Rieti Valley

After breakfast we leave Assisi by coach and head south into the province of Rieti and the area called ‘Holy Valley’ because of the particular attention that St Francis paid to this particular region. We stop mid-morning at the sanctuary of Greccio, where Francis brought home the mystery of the Incarnation by portraying a live nativity scene in 1223 and we see the grotto where this occurred and the early community buildings of St Francis and St Bonaventure’s time. Lunch will be in the picturesque Belvedere Restaurant in the village of Greccio. We return to Assisi via Fonte Colombo, where Francis wrote the rule of the Franciscan Order, and time permitting we will also visit Poggio Bustone.

DAY EIGHT - FRIDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER

Assisi - Perugia - Stansted

This morning we leave Assisi and drive to Perugia Airport where we check in for our return flight to Stansted.

Travel Dates and Cost:

10th September 2010 - 17th September 2010
Eight days
£799

Book now

Terms of Payment:

You can reserve your place on the tour by completing a booking form and sending it to Pax Travel Ltd with a deposit of £120 (plus the insurance premium if the cover we offer is required) per person.

This price is guaranteed until 30th March 2010, there may be a flight supplement after this date.

THIS TRIP INCLUDES:

Return scheduled flights: Stansted – Perugia, UK and Italy Airport taxes, 15kg luggage allowance per person on flights, 7-nights accommodation in shared twin bedded rooms at Hotel San Giacomo (or similar), Assisi, 7 x breakfast, 1 lunch at La Verna, 1 lunch at Greccio and 5 dinners. All touring and transfers in Italy by air-conditioned coach as per the itinerary, taxis to the Hermitage and San Damiano, assistance with booking Masses, a copy of “Every Pilgrim’s Guide to Assisi” by Judith Dean, ATOL and AITO 100% financial protection.

EXTRAS:

Single room supplement at £112 per person for 7-nights (limited availability). Travel insurance at £28.50 per person. Lunches (except at La Verna and Greccio), 2 dinners, drinks and souvenirs.

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS AND WORSHIP:

Ecumenical

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