venice

Venice City of St Mark
Spiritual Director: Fr Norman Banks

Introduction

The base for this tour is Venice, once a powerful republic but still today fiercely proud of its unique character where we shall enjoy time visiting San Marco and other great churches as well as wandering across canals and through atmospheric streets. We shall be in Venice for the feast of the Immaculate Conception on 8th December, when there will be the opportunity to attend High Mass in the Basilica of St. Mark.

Basic Itinerary

DAY ONE - TUESDAY 7TH DECEMBER

Regional Airports - Venice

Daytime flight from London and regional airports to Venice. Transfer by coach to Piazzale Roma, and then on by boat to our accommodation in Venice, the Casa Cardinale Piazza, situated in the historical centre of Venice. Check in for a four-night stay. Dinner will be in the guesthouse tonight, and on each night of our stay.

DAY TWO - WEDNESDAY 8TH DECEMBER

Venice

Today is the feast of the Immaculate Conception. We walk the short distance to St. Mark’s square, to the Great Basilica, which was built in the 11th Century to house the body of Venice’s patron saint, St Mark the Evangelist, where we will have the opportunity to attend High Mass to celebrate the feast day. In the afternoon there will be a guided tour of the Basilica before time at leisure to walk through the Labyrinth of streets, bridges and canals or take a boat to the Island of Murano with its glass showrooms, as well as the churches of San Pietro Maria and Ss Maria e Donato.

DAY THREE - THURSDAY 9TH DECEMBER

Venetian Islands

Today we travel out by boat into the lagoon to visit some of the inhabited Northern islands. San Francesco del Deserto is so named because St. Francis of Assisi landed here on his way back from the Middle East in 1220 and founded a sanctuary. A small Franciscan community still lives here today and we will be able to visit the small medieval church and enjoy the great peace and tranquillity of this special place. The first cathedral of Venice was built on the island of Torcello in the 7th century and although there are few inhabitants today, in the 14th century there were nearly 20,000 people living here! Today, Torcello is quiet but its beautiful cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption is definitely worth the visit. Burano in contrast to Torcello is still very much a working island, where many of the men still depend on fishing and some of the women still practise lace making and the brightly coloured houses lend it its own particular character. There will be an optional lunch in Burano at £16 per person.

DAY FOUR - THURSDAY 9TH DECEMBER

Venice

After breakfast, we walk through a maze of streets to meet our tour guide at one of the gems of Venice – Santa Maria Gloriosa Dei Frari, the second-largest church in Venice, founded by the Franciscan order in 1250. Amongst the famous buried here is the composer, Monteverdi. The Frari church contains some of the greatest examples of religious art in Venice, including Titian’s Assumption of the Virgin, Donatello’s St John the Baptist and Bellini’s Madonna and Child with Saints. We will spend some time here in order to enjoy what could be argued to be the jewel in Venice’s crown. Our second organised visit will be to the baroque church of Santa Maria della Salute, towering over the entrance to the Grand Canal, built in thanksgiving after the Plague of 1630 had ended. The rest of the day will be at leisure.

DAY FIVE - SATURDAY 11TH DECEMBER

Venice - London or regional airports

During the morning, transfer by coach to the airport for our return flight to London or to other regional airports.

Travel Dates and Cost:

7th December 2010 - 11th December 2010
Five days
£599

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Terms of Payment:

Deposit of £120 per person on booking (plus the insurance premium if the cover we offer is required). Final payment due two months before the departure date. THIS PRICE IS GUARANTEED UNTIL THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE DEPARTURE DATE, AFTER THIS TIME THERE MAY BE A FLIGHT SURCHARGE.

THIS TRIP INCLUDES:

Return flights on Ryanair, easyJet or British Airways: Stansted – Treviso / Gatwick – Venice / Bristol – Venice. UK and Italy departure taxes. 4 nights accommodation on a shared basis in twin-bedded rooms with private facilities at Casa Cardinale Piazza (or similar). Transfers to and from Treviso or Venice Airport. Guided tour of Venice as per the itinerary. 4-day boat ticket within Venice. Entrance fees as per the itinerary. Services of a PAX Travel tour manager. Meal Plan: 4 breakfasts and 4 dinners.

 

Members of all Christian denominations will be welcome. Walking: Please note that you will need to do a considerable amount of walking on this tour, and you should be prepared for this before booking.

 

EXTRAS:

Travel insurance at £23, unless insured elsewhere. Single room supplement at £72, for the 4 nights. (Limited number of single rooms available). Optional lunch Burano at £16. Souvenirs. Religious denomination and worship: Members of all Christian denominations will be welcome on this tour. There will be the opportunity to attend daily Mass. Small Group: This group is limited to 22 participants.

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS AND WORSHIP:

Anglican

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