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Rome & Assisi: the See of Peter & The Home of St Francis led by Fr Anthony Churchill
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 closely.
Basic Itinerary
DAY ONE - TUESDAY
Gatwick - Rome
Scheduled flight from Gatwick Airport to Rome. Upon arrival at Rome Airport we transfer to our guesthouse, the Casa S. Maria alle Fornaci, near to St Peter's. Before dinner we take a stroll to St Peter's Square. Dinner tonight is at a local restaurant.
DAY TWO - WEDNESDAY
Papal Audience - St Paul Without the Walls
This morning after breakfast we will walk to St Peter's to take our seats for the weekly general audience with the Holy Father, providing he is in Rome at the time. This afternoon we drive to the Basilica of St Paul Without The Walls, built over the Saint's tomb. Mass will be celebrated here. Drive past the Coliseum on the way back to St Peter's.
DAY THREE - THURSDAY
St Peter's Basilica
After breakfast we travel to the church of Santo Spirito, not far from St Peter's where we celebrate Mass. Afterwards we walk the short distance to St Peter’s where there will be a guided walking tour and time to look around the square or even take the lift up into the dome (for a small additional charge). The afternoon will be at leisure. This evening we take a bus ride to Piazza Navona and walk from here past the Trevi Fountain to the Pantheon. Dinner this evening is in L’Eau Vive Restaurant, run by an order of Belgian Missionary Nuns, who after our meal will serenade us with hymns.
DAY FOUR - FRIDAY
The English College - St John Lateran
This morning is at leisure, when you can use this time to visit the Vatican Museums (extra cost for a timed entrance). After time for lunch we visit the English College where we celebrate Mass, followed by a short tour of this venerable seminary, still used for training priests today. Continue to the Basilica of St John Lateran, the cathedral of Rome, and afterwards cross the road to see the Scala Sancta, 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.
DAY FIVE - SATURDAY
St Mary Major - Assisi
After breakfast we travel to the Basilica of St Mary Major for Mass. Afterwards we meet our coach and drive north to Assisi (a stop will be made en route to purchase lunch), we make a stop at the 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, before we continue to the old town of Assisi where we check into our hotel for dinner and a three-night stay.
DAY SIX - SUNDAY
Assisi
This morning will be free for the celebration of Sunday Mass. This afternoon we have a guided tour of the Old Town as St Francis and St Clare would have known it. We see the newly restored Cathedral of San Rufino and both the saints’ houses. 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.” Dinner in the hotel.
DAY SEVEN - MONDAY
Assisi
This morning we walk to the Basilica of St Francis where we have a guided tour by a resident friar. 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 we travel by taxi to two Franciscan sanctuaries on the edge of town. 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. We return to our hotel for dinner.
DAY EIGHT – TUESDAY
Assisi - Greccio - Gatwick
After breakfast we leave Assisi and drive south to the Rieti Valley, where St Francis spent much time after being driven from Assisi, and Greccio where he devised the first nativity play. We will celebrate Mass here. There is an optional lunch today in a local restaurant (at £14 per person) in the village of Greccio. We drive to Rome Fiumicino Airport for our return flight to Gatwick.
Travel Dates and Cost: | ||
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18th September 2012 - 25th September 2012
8 days
£899
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Terms of Payment:Terms of Payment: Deposit of £150 (plus the travel insurance premium if the cover we offer is required) per person on booking, balance payable two months before the departure date. | ||
THIS TRIP INCLUDES:This Trip Includes: Return scheduled flights on British Airways or easyJet: Gatwick – Rome. U.K. and Italy airport taxes. Seven-nights accommodation in shared twin-bedded rooms with private facilities as follows: 18th - 22nd September Casa Maria alle Fornaci (or similar), Rome. 22nd - 25th September Hotel San Giacomo (or similar), Assisi. Meal plan: 7 continental breakfasts and 7 dinners. Rome City Tax. All touring and transfers in Italy by air-conditioned coach as per the itinerary. Pax Travel Italian-speaking Tour Manager to accompany the group whilst in Italy. Guided tours by fully licensed English-speaking guides as per the itinerary. Entrance fees as per the itinerary. ATOL and AITO financial protection. Daily Mass.
EXTRAS:Extras: Travel insurance at £29.50 per person. Single room supplement at £119 per person for 7 nights (limited availability). Lunches and drinks. Refreshments on board easyJet aircraft. Fuel surcharges if passed on by the airline. U.K. coach transfers. Gratuities to guide, driver and hotels. Optional lunch at Greccio at £14 per person. Timed entry and guided tour of the Vatican Museums at £18 per person.
RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS AND WORSHIP:This tour will be led by a Roman Catholic priest. However, members of all Christian denominations will be welcome. Daily Mass will be celebrated. | ||
OTHER PILGRIMAGES IN Italy | ||
