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Rome & Assisi
Introduction
Rome and Assisi were two of the most popular pilgrimage destinations in the Middle Ages and continue to be so today because they represent the antiquity of our Christian heritage and the enormous contribution that some individuals have made to the life of the church. After visiting the principal Holy places of Rome which chart the history and development of Christianity from the time of the first martyrs, we move to Assisi where both St Francis and St Clare gave the world their shining example of how to follow Christ more closley.
Basic Itinerary
DAY ONE - MONDAY
London - Rome
We fly from London or a regional airport to Rome on a scheduled flight. Transfer to our hotel near to the Vatican, for a four-night stay. Before dinner in a local restaurant (included tonight), we walk to St Peter’s Square for our first view of the Vatican.
DAY TWO - TUESDAY
St Peter's Basilica - St Paul Without the Walls - Catacombs
This morning we walk to St Peter’s for a tour of the basilica including the Pieta and the crypt, which contains the tombs of several popes, including the late Pope John Paul II. After time for lunch at choice we visit the Basilica of St Paul Without the Walls, built over the site of the saint’s martyrdom, then go on to one of the catacombs, burial place for the early Christians. In the afternoon we return to our hotel.
DAY THREE - WEDNESDAY
Papal Audience - St John Lateran - Santa Croce
This morning we take our seats in St Peter’s Square for the weekly General Papal Audience (if His Holiness is in Rome at the time). After lunch (included today) our coach and guide take us to two of the churches that all pilgrims to Rome must see. We visit the cathedral of Rome, St John Lateran, and afterwards cross the road to see the Scala Santa – the steps brought back from Jerusalem by Empress Helena in the 4th century and said to be those ascended by Christ on his way to Calvary. We continue to Santa Croce, which contains a fragment of the True Cross, again brought back by Empress Helena. Dinner is at our own expense tonight.
DAY FOUR - THURSDAY
Ancient Rome - Assisi
After breakfast we ascend Michelangelo’s Campidoglio for the view over the Forum and continue past the Coliseum, visiting the Mamertine Prison, where Ss. Peter and Pail were imprisoned. Our final visit is to the beautiful church of San Clemente with its splendid mosaics, built over the remains of a Temple of Mithras and ancient catacombs. Afterwards we leave Rome and drive north with a lunch stop en-route. Drive to the Assisi suburb of Santa Maria degli Angeli and visit the Baroque church, which envelops St Francis’ original tiny chapel the Porziuncula, near to where he died. Afterwards check into our hotel for dinner and a two-night stay.
DAY FIVE - FRIDAY
Assisi
This morning we have a guided tour of the Old Town as St Francis and St Clare would have known it. We visit the basilica of St Clare and see the Crucifix, originally in San Damiano, that told Francis to “Rebuild my church, which stands in ruins.” The highlight of the morning is 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. This afternoon you can explore Assisi on your own or alternatively join our optional excursion by taxi to two Franciscan sanctuaries on the edge of town (£8): 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.
DAY SIX - SATURDAY
Greccio – Rome – London
After breakfast we leave Rome and drive south to the Rieti Valley, where St Francis spent much time after being driven from Assisi, and the Sanctuary of Greccio where he devised the first nativity play. Here we have a visit of the sanctuary and have lunch in the town of Greccio which is included in a local restaurant. We drive to Rome Ciampino Airport for our return flight to London
Travel Dates and Cost: | ||
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8th June 2009 - 13th June 2009
14th September 2009 - 19th September 2009 6 days
£609
£649 |
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Terms of Payment:Deposit of £120 on booking (+ insurance if required). Balance payable two months before departure date. | ||
THIS TRIP INCLUDES:UK and Italy airport taxes and return flights on a scheduled airline: London - Rome return. Five-nights accommodation on a shared basis in twin-bedded rooms with private facilities. Other touring on foot, as per itinerary. Services of a Pax Travel tour escort throughout. Entrance to all churches. Meals as per the itinerary.
EXTRAS:Travel insurance currently at £27 unless insured elsewhere. Single room supplement at £90 for the five nights (limited number of single rooms available). All food and drink on board the flights. Lunches; drinks; souvenirs. Optional taxi-ride to Hermitage & San Damiano (£8).
RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS AND WORSHIP:Ecumenical |
