About the Pilgrimage

Brochure, pricing and registration soon…

We will be offering our very popular “Saints & Shrines of Italy” again in 2027. We have run this trip many times, and it is one of our favorites. It always gets rave reviews, and nothing else compares.

Here is the two-hour movie from our last Saints & Shrines of Italy Pilgrimage.

Janet and I will be leading the group. We have already secured Liz Lev as our guide and Luca Maglietta as the tour manager.

 

These trips sell out fast.

Here is the planned itinerary, though it may change slightly as we continue planning.

 

Saints and Shrines of Italy & Rome, November 2027

Day 1: Depart for Italy

Depart the USA on overnight flights to Milan, Italy

Day 2: Arrive in Milan (D)

Arrive at Milan Airport, where Steve and Janet Ray, along with your Italian, Catholic tour manager, will greet you. Board the motor coach. Visit the Scala and Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery, time permitting. Visit the Duomo in Milan and celebrate Mass. Check into the hotel and enjoy a Welcome Dinner. Overnight in the Milan area

 Day 3: Milan (B, D)

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before departing for Milan city center. Tour the Sforzesco Castle and the basilica where the bodies of St. Ambrose, one of the original four Doctors of the Church and the Patron Saint of Milan, and Saints Gervase and Protase are on display. Celebrate Mass at the Basilica (pending confirmation). Enjoy a group dinner before overnight in Milan area.

Day 4: Milan | Pavia | Florence (B, D)

After breakfast at the hotel, check out and depart for Pavia. Tour and celebrate Mass at St. Augustine’s Tomb at the Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oroin. Continue to Florence. Enjoy a walking tour upon arrival including the Baptistry Doors, Palazzo Vecchio, and Ponte Vecchio, where locals sell their leather and gold. Enjoy dinner and check in to the hotel for an overnight stay in the Florence area.

Day 5: Florence | Cooking Class (B, D)

This morning, celebrate Mass at the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Florence Duomo), then tour Santa Croce, a minor basilica in Florence that includes the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei, and Niccolò Machiavelli. Tour the Accademia Gallery. This evening, attend a cooking class to learn about the region’s cuisine, followed by a group dinner. Overnight in the Florence area.

 

Day 6: Florence | Siena | Assisi (B, L, D)

After breakfast, say farewell to Florence with a beautiful view from Piazzale Michelangelo. Continue to the city of Siena, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Celebrate Mass at St. Catherine of Siena, followed by a tour. Enjoy a guided tour of the city, including the Piazza del Campo and Church of St. Dominic, where an ornate reliquary displays the head of St. Catherine. Enjoy lunch before departing for Assisi for hotel check-in. Dinner and overnight in Assisi.

IN ASSISI WE WILL SEE THE TOMB OF — BLESSED CARLOS ACUTIS

 Day 7: Assisi | St. Francis Basilica | Wine Tasting (B)

 Begin your day by celebrating Mass at St. Francis Basilica, followed by a guided tour. Continue to the Basilicas of St. Clare and St. Mary of the Angels. Enjoy lunch on your own before a visit to Eremo delle Carceri di San Francisco. This small hermitage in the hills above Assisi is where St. Francis came during his life to pray and contemplate. Time for reflection. Wine tasting at Sportoletti Winery. Enjoy dinner on your own and overnight in Assisi.

Day 8: Assisi | Loreto | Manoppello |Ancona (B, D)

Depart this morning for Loreto. Visit the Basilica della Santa Casa, a Marian pilgrimage shrine in Loreto, Italy. The basilica is known for enshrining the house in which the Blessed Virgin Mary is believed to have lived. Depart for Manappello to see the face cloth thought to be the Veil of Veronica. Celebrate Mass. Depart for Ancona for dinner and overnight in Ancona.

Day 9: Ancona | Lanciano | San Giovanni Rotondo (B, D)

This morning, travel to Lanciano to visit the site of the Eucharistic Miracle and celebrate Mass before the Face Cloth. Then depart for San Giovanni Rotondo, home of St. Padre Pio. Visit St. Michael the Archangel, the oldest shrine in Western Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy dinner and overnight in San Giovanni Rotondo.

Day 10: San Giovanni Rotondo | Shrine of Padre Pio | Rome (B, D)

After breakfast, depart on a guided tour and celebrate Mass at the Shrine of Padre Pio. Tour Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie Church and Convent before departing for Rome. Enjoy a farewell dinner and overnight in Rome.

Day 11: Return to the USA

Depart on your return flights back to the USA.

Optional Rome Extension

Pricing and brochure soon…

Day 11: St. Peter’s | St. Paul Outside the Walls | Catacombs (B, L, D)

Begin your day by celebrating Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. Guided tour of St. Peter’s. Depart for St. Paul Outside the Walls, one of Rome’s four ancient major basilicas and the site of his burial. Enjoy lunch. Visit the catacombs of St. Sebastian and Tre Fontane Church. Enjoy dinner and a special presentation on the Sistine Chapel with guest speaker and art historian, Dr. Liz Lev (pending availability). Overnight in Rome.

Day 12: Vatican Museums | Sistine Chapel (B)

After breakfast at the hotel, tour the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with Dr. Lev. Celebrate Mass at the Divine Mercy Church, Santo Spirito of Sassia. Enjoy the remainder of the day on your own. Overnight in Rome.

 Day 13: Papal Audience | Walking Tour (B, D)

Depart early for the Papal Audience in St. Peter’s Square (pending the Holy Father’s schedule). Enjoy lunch on your own before a walking tour of the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and Piazza Navona. Celebrate Mass at the Basilica of Santo Stefano Rotondo where Steve gives his talk on martyrdom. Dinner and overnight in Rome.

Day 14: St. Peter in Chains | San Clemente | Ancient Rome (B, D)

This morning, enjoy a guided tour of St. Peter in Chains and celebrate Mass. Tour San Clemente Basilica, visit the tomb of the Apostolic Father Ignatius, and see the first-century Rome excavations. After lunch, explore Ancient Rome on your own, including the Colosseum, Capitol Hill, the Vittorio Emmanuel Monument, the Roman Forum, and the Circus Maximus. Enjoy a Farewell Dinner and overnight in Rome.

Day 15: Return to the USA

Depart on your return flights back to the USA.

 *Itinerary is tentative and subject to change.

Contact our Reservations Team at 866.557.2364 or FootprintsOfGod@ctscentral.net