DAY BY DAY ITINERARY

Day 01 Sun. Sep. 23, 2018: USA

DEPART FOR YOUR OVERNIGHT FLIGHT JFK TO ITALY; BREAKFAST AND DINNER WILL BE SERVED ON BOARD.

Day 02 Mon.Sep. 24: ROME

Meet and Assist by your Homeric Tours representative upon arrival and after clearing passport control. Transfer by private air-conditioned motor coach to your hotel diner and overnight accommodations at your hotel. ACCOMMODATION TO HOTEL TYPE CICERONE HOTEL **** OR SIMILAR- ROMA (HALF BOARD, VISITOR'S TAX INCLUDED) (D.)

Day 03 Tue. Sep. 25: ROME

AFTER YOUR INCLUDE BREAKFAST WE VISIT THE VATICAN MUSEUM, ENTRANCE TO ST PETER BASILICA,SISTINE CHAPEL (LUNCH ON OWN). IN THE AFTERNOON CONTINUATION OF THEGUIDED TOUR TO DISCOVER THE CHRISTIAN ROME, THE GROUP WILL VISIT THE ST CALLIXTUS CATACOMBS IN VIA APPIA ANTICA , AND THE MOST IMPORTANT CHURCHES OF ROME AS SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE AND THE CHURCH OF ST PAUL AT THE THREE FONTAINS (where Apostle Paul was beheaded), (EARPHONES INCLUDED) ENTRANCE TO ST. CALLISTO CATHACOMBS – ROMA DINNER AND OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS AT YOUR HOTEL.(B.D.)

Day 04 Wed. Sep. 26: ROME (PAPAL AUDIENCE) – ANCIENT ROME

BREAKFAST, IN THE MORNING THE GROUP WILL PARTECIPATE AT THE PAPAL AUDIENCE TO PIAZZA SAN PIETRO (VATICAN CITY).(LUNCH ON OWN) THE AFTERNOON MEETING WITH OUR LOCAL GUIDE TO DISCOVER THE ANCIENT ROME. ROME - GUIDED TOUR ANCIENT ROME(4H GUIDE) ENTRANCE TO COLISEUM, ROMAN FORUM AND PALATIN - ROMA (ENTRANCE FEE,) Continue the visit to St John in Lateran Basilica and the Holy Stairs. Return to Hotel for dinner & overnight accommodations. (B.D.)

St. Paul’s Pilgrimage Tour to Italy Coordinator: Fr. Geevarghese Puthoorkudilil 1010 Saint Jude Ct, Royse City, TX 75189 Email: puthoorachen@gmail.com Phone #:(972) 635-2548, Cell #: (845) 598-0203 www.stpaulspt.com

Day 05 Thu. Sep. 27: ROME - FLORENCE

BREAKFAST, ARRIVE IN FLORENCE AND MEETING WITH OUR LOCAL GUIDE FOR A GUIDED TOUR

FLORENCE - GUIDED TOUR (3H GUIDE, EARPHONES RENTAL). We will visit the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, Piazza del Duomo and its surroundings. Piazza del Duomo, together with Piazza San Giovanni, represents the heart of the city. The most important religious monuments of Florence are here, linked together by the vivid polychromy and geometrical design of the typical white, green and pink marble coating: the Baptistery (exterior), with its octagonal shape and three wonderful portals; the Cathedral, in Florentine Gothic style with the famous ribbed dome designed by Brunelleschi; Giotto's Bell Tower (exterior), one of the most beautiful bell towers of Gothic architecture, started by Giotto in 1334 and finished by Pisano and Talenti. The visit will continue through Piazza Signoria and its Palazzo Vecchio (exterior) with all the original statues, including Bellini's Perseus. The tour ends in the Straw Market and its famous wild boar mascot.

ENTRANCE TO - MONUMENTS IN THE COMPLEX SANTA MARIA DEL FIORE - FIRENZE (ENTRANCE

FEE)

The unique ticket for the Monumental Complex of Santa Maria del Fiore is formed by:

Brunelleschi's Dome, Museo dell'Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore (closed until November 2015), Giotto's Bell

Tower, Baptistery of San Giovanni and Crypt of Santa Reparata.

The ticket does not allow the reservation of the entrance priority, it is only a cumulative ticket. The pre purchase allows one entry to each site of The Grand Museum of the Cathedral. Dinner and overnight accommodations at the hotel. ACCOMMODATION TO HOTEL TYPE PALAZZO OGNISSANTI HOTEL **** OR SIMILAR - FIRENZE (HALF BOARD, VISITOR'S TAX). (B.D.)

Day 06 Fri. Sep. 28: FLORENCE – PISE - MISTRE

Breakfast at hotel, depart to mestre and stop long the way for a walking tour in Pise (entrance included). Stop for lunch on own. accommodations at the Ambasciatori / Delfino Hotel or similar **** - Mestre (half board, visitor's tax) dinner and night at hotel (B.D.)

Day 07 Sat. Sep. 29: VENICE

BREAKFAST AT HOTEL, TRANSFER TO MOLO TRONCHETTO TO PLACE SAN MARC

VENICE - BOAT TRANSFER TRONCHETTO/SAN MARCO private boat(RETURN TICKET)

MEETING WITH THE GUIDE FOR A WALKING TOUR

VENICE - GUIDED TOUR(2H GUIDE)

The tour starts from the magnificent Piazza San Marco, one of the most beautiful squares in the world and the center of Venetian life. On the north side of the square stands the Clock Tower and the Procuratie Vecchie (once the seat of the highest courts of the ancient Republic), on the west there is the Napoleonic wing and on the south, the Procuratie Nuove. The Basilica of San Marco and the Palazzo Ducale - the symbolic monuments of the Republic - stand on the background of the square. The church was built to house the body of St. Marc, transported from Alexandria in 828; in the inside of the church we can admire the beautiful decorations and the magnificent Byzantine mosaics. We will continue by walking to Rialto Bridge, one of the most beautiful bridges and symbols of the town. Schedule: historical-artistic illustration in Piazza San Marco - San Marco Basilica - Ducal Palace - Ponte dei Sospiri - Prisons.

ENTRANCE NOT INCLUDED IN THE AFTERNOON RETURN BACK TO THE HOTEL FOR DINNER AND OVERNIGHT. (B.D.)

Day 08 Sun Sep. 30: MESTRE - ASSISI

BREAKFAST AT HOTEL, TRANSFER TO ASSISI, On our way we will stop by the city of Loreto to view the “Sanctuary of Black Madonna” continue to our accommodations at the DEL CONGRESSI GRAND HOTEL **** OR SIMILAR - ASSISI (HALF BOARD, VISITOR'S TAX) DINNER AND NIGHT AT HOTEL. (B.D.)

Day 09 Mon. Oct. 01: ASSISI – CASCIA - ROME

MEETING WITH LOCAL GUIDE FOR A WALKING TOUR TO DISCOVER THE BIRTHPLACE OF SAN

FRANCIS ASSISI - GUIDED TOUR(2H30 GUIDE, EARPHONES RENTAL INCLUDED)

The tour begins with a visit to the Roman Amphitheatre, and continues with the Cathedral of Saint Ruffino

dedicated to the patron of the city: it was built from 1140 to the final consecration in 1228. The rich decoration of the façade represents the medieval traditional iconography of saints , animals, flowers and men. The bell tower, in Romanesque style, comes next to the place where the house of Saint Chiara used to be. Its interior was rebuilt in the late 1500s by the architect G. Alessi and, inside it, Saint Francis, Saint Clare and Frederick II of Swabia were baptized. We descend to reach the Basilica of St. Chiara, which has many similarities with the facade of the upper basilica of St. Francesco: the same period of construction (mid- 1200), the simplicity of the Gothic lines , the three horizontal orders, the pink and white stone of Subasio, and the portal. Descending from the town square to Via St. Francis, we arrive to the Basilica* intitled to the same saint, which is on the side of the square, ideally dominating the urban core.

The Pope laid the foundation stone in 1228, giving charge to Brother Elias, a companion of Francis, to bild a

church to house the body of the saint, a convent and a palace to welcome the Popes. In the crypt, the body of the saint was placed, later closed up for fear that could be stolen by the enemy city of Perugia. When the lower basilica was completed, the upper one was then erected and later consecrated by the Pope in 1253. It strongly contrasts with the first curch for its Gothic structure and its brightness. Inside it, on the top walls, we can admire a cycle of frescoes by the Roman school painters (especially Torriti) and by the followers of Cimabue, such as Duccio and a young Giotto. On the lower walls, we will see the famous cycle of frescoes by Giotto, in 28 panels with episodes from the life of St. Francis, which the teacher began to paint in 1296 .

(LUNCH ON OWN) TRANSFER TO ROME AND STOP LONG THE WAY TO VISIT THE SANTUARY OF SANTA RITA DA CASCIA MEETING WITH LOCAL GUIDE CASCIA - GUIDED TOUR(2H30 GUIDE)

Cascia is a town and municipality of the Italian province of Perugia about 21 km from Norcia on the road to Rieti in the Lazio. Cascia was the home of Saint Rita of Cascia, who was born in the nearby of Roccaporena in 1381 and died there in 1457. After her canonization in 1900, a large shrine was built in Cascia, which is still an important place of pilgrimage, the splendid Basilica made of white travertine marble. Ten beautiful low reliefs frame the gateway and portray some scenes of Rita's life.

ARRIVE IN ROME AND ACCOMMODATION TO CICERONE HOTEL **** OR SIMILAR - ROMA (HALF

BOARD, VISITOR'S TAX) DINNER AND NIGHT AT HOTEL (B.D.)

Day 10 Tue. Oct. 02: ROME - USA

BREAKFAST AT HOTEL, TOUR ESCORT ROME - TRANSFER FROM HOTEL TO FIUMICINO APT (BUS 53 SEATS) TRANSFER TO AIRPORT TO CATCH THE FLIGHT BACK HOME . (B)