ITALY
«Called to holiness»
Suggested itinerary
Day 1 – Montreal – Rome
(Night Departure with aTransatlantic flight)
Day 2 – Rome – Assisi
Arrival at Fiumicino Airport in Rome and departure for Assisi. Check-in at the hotel and free time to explore the magnificent town of Assisi. Assisi is perched on the slopes of Mount Subasio and still encircled by ramparts. Supper and briefing. Overnight in Assisi.
Day 3 – Assisi – Loppiano
In the morning, a guided tour of Assisi. Discover the places where lived Francis and Clare of Assisi.*
*Francis of Assisi, born Giovanni Francesco Bernardone in 1182, in Italy, to a rich merchant family. He was a great spiritual teacher, mystic, and preacher. In 1212, he accepted a young woman amongst his members, Clare Offreducio, born in Assisi in 1193 to a noble family. Francis entrusted her to a Benedictine Monastery; then, a few years later, he established her with her sister and a few companions at the San Damiano Monastery, near Assisi, where together they started what has become known as The Order of the < Poor Clares>.
After lunch, departure for Loppiano. Check-in and discovery of the surroundings.
Overnight in Loppiano.
Day 4 – Loppiano
Visit the small town of Loppiano, of the Focolare Movement *, where the Gospel is lived through the Gospel Law of Love. Loppiano is the first of thirty-three pilot cities that are found on all five continents. It is located near the hills of Tuscany near Florence, with schools, businesses, and artistic centers. It has more than 1 000 inhabitants from different countries.
* The Focolare Movement is an international movement anchored in the Catholic Church. Its goal is the realization of the prayer of Jesus to his Father: “That they may all be one”. This is made possible through the application of the Gospel, which finds its achievement through mutual love.
Dinner and Overnight in Loppiano.
Day 5 – Loppiano - Florence – Sienna – Rome
Morning departure to Florence and a guided tour of the City *
* A must-see for any visit to Tuscany, Florence embodies the Italian Renaissance with its architectural wealth and some of the world’s most unique museums.
In the afternoon, visit Sienna, where we shall visit the house of Saint Catherine of Sienna, the San Domenico Church, and the dazzling Plazza del Campo, in front of the Palazzo Publico. Late afternoon departure towards Rome. Dinner and Overnight in Rome.
Day 6 – The Vatican – San Giovanni Rotondo
A visit of the Vatican* followed by the Papal audience with Benedict XVI.
* The Vatican City is a sovereign city-state within Rome. This extraterritorial enclave includes Saint Peter’s Basilica as well as other Roman buildings.
We shall visit the Vatican crypt. In addition to Saint Peter’s tomb, it holds also the graves of several popes, amongst which the most famous is that of John Paul II. Late afternoon departure to San Giovanni Rotondo. Dinner and Overnight in San Giovanni Rotondo.
Day 7 – San Giovanni Rotondo –- Rome
Visit Padre Pio’s town and Cathedral. Upon opening his coffin, his body was found to be intact and well-preserved. The quintessential message of Padre Pio is a life based on the Beatitudes. Departure from San Giovanni Rotondo towards Rome. Stop over at Rocca di Papa on the way back to visit the home of Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement, a woman who was convinced that everyone, without exception, is called to Holiness which is manifested through mutual love, as we are all sons and daughters of the same Father. She devoted her whole life to the unity of the human family. Dinner and Overnight in Rome.
Day 8 – Rome
Visit the Ancient City of Rome* (Catacombs, Coliseum, etc.). Dinner and Overnight in Rome.
Day 9 – Rome
In the morning, a guided tour of the main basilicas: St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside the Walls (believed to hold the tomb of Paul The Apostle) and St. Mary Major. In the afternoon, free time. Dinner and Overnight in Rome.
Day 10 – Rome
Free time in Rome. Dinner and Overnight in Rome.
Day 11 – Back to Montreal