Catholic Shrines of Italy 13 Day Tour

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MARIAN SHRINES TOUR
LOS ANGELES
with
Fr. Pedro Rivera
&
Mrs. Sandra Maola

JUNE 18 - 30, 2012

CATHOLIC SHRINES OF ITALY TOUR

Most popular Italy tour visiting most important and spiritually powerful Catholic shrines and sanctuaries in Italy…

JOIN US ON THIS TOUR IN SEPTEMBER:
Sep. 17 - 29, 2012

Spiritual director on tour - Fr. Joseph A. Nahas
of the
Archdiocese of New York

Rome, Montecassino, San Giovanni Rotondo, Lanciano, Monte San't Angelo, Loreto, Assisi, Florence, Venice, Padua, Milan

Details from the inside of St. Paul's basilica in Rome

SEE THIS TOUR ON THE MAP CATHOLIC SHRINES OF ITALY

SAMPLE ITINERARY

Day 1 DEPARTURE

Depart from your gateway airport / city, intercontinental flight to Europe, your final destination is Rome, Italy.

Day 2 ARRIVAL TO ROME

We will arrive at the Rome airport; you will meet with Blue Heart Travel tour escort and your Christian tour of Rome can begin. First to have on our schedule today is the Holy Mass at St. Mary Major basilica and visit of St. John Lateran. This is the Cathedral of Rome and was Papal residence from the 5C until the papacy departed to Avignon in France. Today we will also see the nearby Holy Staircase (Scala Sancta) actual stairs that Jesus Christ walked on the day he went to Pilate. We will end our day in the hotel, dinner and overnight.

Day 3 AUDIENCE AT ST. PETER'S & VATICAN MUSEUMS

Today we have an early breakfast to be on time for the general audience with Pope Benedict XVI at the St. Peter's Square. Following is a visit to the Vatican Museums where we will see art masterpieces of Michelangelo, Bernini… We will walk through Geographical maps Gallery, Sistine Chapel with the magnificent fresco of The Last Judgment and many more halls and rooms filled with Christian paintings, sculptures, tapistery....art from Greeks & Romans until modern times. Same day is our visit to the heart of Vatican State, St. Peter's basilica, and underground burial stones with the tomb of St. Peter, and Pope John Paul II tomb chapel and end at the Square. After some free time in the late afternoon for shopping we end our day in our hotel with dinner.

Day 4 ROME HISTORICAL

Today we will tour Rome and will first go to the basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls and then to celebrate Holy Mass in the Domitilla Catacombs. As the second part of our today's tour we will be sightseeing, walk from the Coliseum & Imperial forums (Caesar, Augustus, and Trajan), via Piazza Venezia, with King Victor Emanuel II monument, Piazza di Spagna, Trevi fountain, Pantheon and Piazza Navona - truly the best of Rome!. Our entire day will for sure be inspirational and educational. Return to our hotel for third overnight in Rome.

Day 5 ROME - MONTECASSINO - SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO

After the breakfast we leave Rome. After about 3 hours of driving we are at Montecassino, spectacular Benedictine abbey on the top of the mountain. This monastery was founded and built by St. Benedict (patron saint of Europe) around 529 on the remains of Roman fortification. After the visit we continue to San Giovanni Rotondo, to the church of Our Lady of Grace with the tomb of the St. Pio. Dinner and overnight is in San Giovanni Rotondo.

Day 6 SAINT PADRE PIO - MONTE SAN'T ANGELO

After the breakfast we will spend the morning in the sanctuary of St. Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo, walk to the church of Our Lady of Grace, celebrate the mass, visit the tomb of the St. Pio. After a sightseeing of the Shrine of St. Padre Pio we are on the way to Monte Sant´ Angelo to visit the Grotto where Michael Archangel had been appearing from 5th to 17th century. Return to our hotel, dinner and overnight is in San Giovanni Rotondo.

Day 7 SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO - LANCIANO - LORETO

This morning we will leave Saint Pio, head northwest, to Lanciano, to the great Eucharistic Shrine from the 8th century. Time for prayer in the church before relic which is exposed above the main altar. Lunch break and we will continue to Loreto. Loreto is a beautiful little town where church dedicated to Saint Mary was built already in 14th century. Legend says that the House of the Holy Family was miraculously transferred from Nazareth, while probably some parts of it were brought here by crusaders. "The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary, and She Conceived of the Holy Spirit" - words that in Loreto in the House of the Holy Family touches us even deeper. On the ruins of the house one can see the actual place of the event. Tonight we will stay in Loreto for dinner and overnight.

Day 8 LORETO - ASSISI, ST. FRANCIS AND ST. CLAIRE

After the visit and Holy Mass in the Basilica of Loreto sometime after the lunch break we will drive to the Assisi to the Town of Peace, encounter with St. Francis and St. Claire. Group will have free time for to visit the crypt with the St. Francis tomb, see the reliquary, frescoes made by Giotto and Cimabue, early part of the evening is free until the dinner in our hotel.

Day 9 ASSISI

This morning we will continue exploring and learning about St. Francis and his life. Our guided tour will start from the church of Santa Chiara to see The Cross that spoke to St. Francis and pray his prayer before the same Crucifix. We will learn more about St. Claire the founder of Poor Claire’s and see her incorrupt body. We will go down to the "Porziuncola" one of three restored churches by young Francis that nowadays is embraced by basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. Today private Holy Mass for the group is in the basilica of St. Francis. Dinner and overnight is at our hotel in Assisi.

Day 10 ASSISI - SIENA, ST. CATHERINE - PADUA

Today we leave Assisi for Padua via Siena. We will walk through well preserved city of Siena, the birthplace of St. Catherine Virgin and Doctor of the Church; we will stroll through the streets from the church hosting the relics of St. Catherine to the Piazza del Campo! In the Padua we will arrive in the late afternoon and time permits visit the St. Anthony's basilica. Tonight we are in Padua for dinner and overnight.

Day 11 VENICE

Today is entire day excursion to Venice. Short water taxi ride to the city and we start with the Holy Mass in the Cathedral of St. Marc. Sightseeing will include St. Marc Square with basilica, Bridge of Sighs and a walk to the Grand Canal & Rialto Bridge. After about two hour tour we will have some free time for shopping on the Rialto Bridge with hundreds of souvenir shops, restaurants.The beauty of Venice is ours for the entire afternoon. In the early evening we will return to Padua for dinner and overnight at our hotel.

Day 12 PADUA - MILAN

After morning Holy Mass in the basilica of St. Anthony of Padua and city tour of about 2 hours we will go to Milan, city of St. Ambrose. Here we will visit Sforza palace seat of the Dukes of Milan, Il Duomo or Cathedral of Milan, 357 feet high church with 3600 statues of different dimensions, the Cathedral that had been built from 1386. On our walk through the center we see the famous Opera House "Scala". In the late afternoon some free time for shopping. Our farewell dinner is in one of the typical Italian restaurants near Il Duomo and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.

Day 13 MILAN - USA, FLIGHT HOME

After breakfast transfer to Milan International airport, flight back home – arrival the same day.

RATES & DATES:

August 13 - 25, 2012 (rate is based on minimum 25 people in the group):

Land only.............................................................................US$ 2590.00
Land and air..........New York JFK, Newark EWR.........US$ 4490.00
Single room supplement.................................................US$ 560.00

September 17 - 29, 2012 (rate is based on minimum 25 people in the group):

Land only..............................................................................US$ 2790.00
Land and air..........New York JFK, Newark EWR..........US$ 4190.00
Single room supplement..................................................US$ 590.00

Spiritual director on tour Fr. Joseph A. Nahas
of the Archdiocese of New York

.....September rate includes the group travel insurance....

FOR PRICES FROM YOUR DEPARTURE CITY PLEASE CALL OR E-MAIL US:

MARINA : marina@auxanotravel.com

GORDAN: gordan@bluehearttravel.com

PHONE: + 1 307 222 4856

November 5 - 17, 2012 (rate is based on minimum 25 people in the group):

Land only.............................................................................US$ 2690.00
Land and air..........New York JFK, Newark EWR.........US$ 3945.00
Single room supplement.................................................US$ 560.00

March 4 - 16, 2013 (rate is based on minimum 20 people in the group):

Land only............................................................................US$ 2390.00
Land and air..........New York JFK, Newark EWR.........US$ 3690.00
Single room supplement................................................US$ 490.00

June 10 - 22, 2013 (rate is based on minimum 20 people in the group):

Land only............................................................................US$ 2690.00
Land and air..........New York JFK, Newark EWR.........US$ 3890.00
Single room supplement................................................US$ 490.00

INCLUDES:

Airline tickets and airport taxes - SUBJECT TO CHANGE BY THE AIRLINES
11 nights in 3* superior tourist class hotel and 4* first class hotels
Dinner and breakfast daily, drinks included
Escort guide from Rome to Milan
Local English speaking guides in Rome, Assisi, Siena, Padua, Venice, Milan
High class tourist coach from Rome to Milan
Porterage of one piece of luggage
Water taxi for excursion to Venice (or round trip by train, with dinner in Venice)
Entrance fees to Vatican Museums, Catacombs, Opera House Scala in Milan,
Headsets, whispers for visits to Vatican, St. Paul basilica, Assisi St. Francis basilica
Farewell dinner in Milan, wine and soft drinks included
Daily Holy Mass with the priest with the group
Tickets for the General Audience with Pope Benedict XVI

NOT INCLUDED

Tips for guides, drivers and hotel staff
Items of a personal nature, visa, passport...
Travel insurance - highly recommended - September rates include the travel insurance

► GROUP RATES AVAILABLE
►ENGLISH AND SPANISH TOURS
►TRAVEL FREE WITH YOUR GROUP + GROUP TRAVEL INSURANCE INCLUDED
►FIRST CLASS OR BUDGET & CONVENT TYPE OF HOTELS
►PRIVATE HOLY MASS
►WE KNOW YOUR ARE ON CATHOLIC PILGRIMAGE TOUR....

Please fill in the form on the left side of the page or give us a call:

♦ TOLL FREE: +1 877 545 5562

♦ US: +1 307 222 4856

♦ UK: +44 20 8144 9212

See here some more photos by Blue Heart Travel from this tour