Pilgrimage to Italy with Lino Rulli and The Catholic Guy Crew

Dates

July 9, 2010 – July 18, 2010

Price

$2,499* (with air)
$1,899 (ground only – email if you are interested in this option)

$300 deposit secures your space. - This trip is full! Email me to be placed on a waiting list in case something opens up!
Final payment due May 24, 2010.

Included

Roundtrip airfare from New York (flight details below) – If you wish to fly with the group, you are responsible for getting to JFK Airport in New York.

Accommodations for 8 nights – Hotel Alimandi, Hotel Umbra, Hotel Loggiato dei Serviti

Breakfast daily plus 5 additional dinners – Dinners in authentic Italian restaurants. Water and wine and tips already included with group dinners.

All group ground transportation – Airport transfers, coach service in Rome, coach service from Rome to Assisi and from Assisi to Florence.

Full time service of a guide – A guide will be with you at all times, except during free time. Suggestions of what to see and do during free time will be available in advance.

Local guides per itinerary – Local guides for the San Callisto Catacombs, Ancient Rome, Vatican Museums and the Uffizi Gallery.

All tips for group meals, local guides, drivers, hotel staff – No need to worry about tipping, it’s already included!

Sightseeing tours, including admissions to sights seen as a group – Entry and guides for Saint Paul Outside the Walls, San Callisto Catacombs, Saint Mary Major, Colosseum, Roman Forum, Capital Hill, Mamertine Prison, Pantheon, Vatican Museums, Saint Peter’s Basilica, Saint John Lateran, Santa Croce (Rome), Scala Santa, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Duomo (Orvieto), San Ruffino, Santa Chiara, Basilica of Saint Francis, Santa Maria degli Angeli, Piazzale Michelangelo, Duomo (Florence), Baptistry (outside), Uffizi Gallery, Santa Croce (Florence), Accademia Gallery.

No hidden costs – If we do it as a group, it’s included in the price!

Guaranteed cost – Once we receive your deposit, your tour price will not go up, even if the Euro increases!

Tour Cancellation/Interruption Coverage – Details here.

Flight Info

Delta Flight 848 (nonstop)
Departs JFK at 5:35 PM on 07/09/10
Arrives FCO at 8:25 AM on 07/10/10

Delta Flight 137 (nonstop)
Departs PSA at 1:25 PM on 07/18/10
Arrives JFK at 5:15 PM on 07/18/10

Itinerary

Friday, July 9, 2010
Overnight flight from New York to Rome.

Saturday, July 10, 2010
Rome: After arrival in Rome, we’ll transfer to Hotel Alimandi, located just steps away from the Vatican. We’ll begin our pigrimage with Mass at the ancient basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, the burial place of Saint Paul. After Mass we’ll experience early Christian Rome with a visit to the San Callisto Catacombs. Our guide will lead us deep underground to where so many early Christians, including six popes and Saint Cecilia, were laid to rest. We’ll have an early dinner this evening.

Sunday, July 11, 2010
Rome: We’ll start today with Mass at Saint Mary Major. Then we’ll dig in to Ancient Rome with tours of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Capital Hill. We’ll also visit Mamertine Prison, which once held Saints Peter and Paul. We’ll end at the Pantheon. You’ll have the remainder of the day free to explore Rome on your own. – The Holy Father typically leaves for his Alpine vacation before or around this date. If he is still in Rome or at Castel Gandolfo for the Angelus, we will see him. The itinerary will be adjusted accordingly, without cutting anything.

Monday, July 12, 2010
Rome: We’ll begin today with an early morning Mass at Saint Peter’s Basilica. Then, after breakfast, we’ll tour the Vatican Museums. Here we’ll see masterpieces by Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Leonardo, and more. We’ll spend some prayerful time in the Sistine Chapel before crossing over into Saint Peter’s to tour the basilica. We’ll end inside the basilica, giving you the opportunity for prayer or even adventure, in climbing the dome.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Rome: You have the morning free to explore Rome. This afternoon we’ll reflect on the Passion of our Lord. We’ll begin at Santa Croce in Gerusalemme which holds relics of the Passion, including two thorns from the crown of thorns, a nail from the crucifixion, a portion of the Titulus, and splinters from the cross. Next we’ll walk to Santa Scala, the stairs Christ climbed the day he was sentenced to death. You’ll have the opportunity to climb the stairs on your knees. From here we’ll visit the Cathedral of Rome, Saint John Lateran where we’ll celebrate Mass. Tonight we’ll see Rome in a different light – floodlight – as we walk a path from the Spanish Steps to the Trevi Fountain to the Pantheon to Piazza Navona and ending at Saint Peter’s Basilica. We’ll have dinner along the way.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Assisi: Today we leave the Eternal city and venture north to Umbria. We’ll stop in Orvieto to view the Corporal of Bolsena. This corporal is tied to the Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena which is thought to have occurred in the 14th century. We’ll celebrate Mass in the gothic Duomo before continuing on to Assisi. Our hotel is Hotel Umbra, just off the main square, Piazza del Comune. Once we settle into our hotel we’ll visit San Ruffino, the Cathedral of Assisi and also the place where both Clare and Francis were baptized. Then we’ll visit the Basilica of St. Clare and view the San Damiano cross that spoke to Francis instructing him to rebuild the Church. We’ll have a traditional Umbrian dinner outdoors tonight (weather permitting).

Thursday, July 15, 2010
Assisi: Early this morning we’ll celebrate Mass at the tomb of St. Francis. Afterwards we’ll tour the basilica built in his honor. You’ll have the remainder of the day to explore Assisi on your own. Visit San Damiano, the Hermitage, climb to the Rocca Maggiore or just find a quiet place to relax. We’ll meet up for dinner this evening.

Friday, July 16, 2010
Florence: We’ll head out early this morning for Florence. First we’ll stop just outside Assisi at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli to visit the Porziuncola. The Porziuncola is the small chapel where St. Francis founded the Order of the Friars Minor. He later died nearby. We’ll celebrate Mass here before continuing on to Florence. Our first stop in Florence will be Piazzale Michelangelo, for a gorgeous view of the town below. Our beautiful hotel, Hotel Loggiato dei Serviti, is located directly behind the Accademia Gallery. This is the art capital of Europe and today we’ll journey back into the Renaissance with a visit to the Duomo, a look at the famous doors of the Baptistry and a tour the impressive Uffizi Gallery, where we’ll see more works by Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, and many more. You’ll have the evening free.

Saturday, July 17, 2010
Florence: On our last day in Italy, we’ll visit the Accademia to see the trophy of the Renaissance, Michelangelo’s David. Next we’ll head over to Santa Croce to visit the ‘Who’s Who’ of Florence. Here we’ll see the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo with funerary monuments to other hometown heros, Machiavelli and Dante. We’ll end here with Mass. You’ll have a few hours to explore Florence before our final dinner together this evening.

Sunday, July 18, 2010
Return to New York from Florence.

Sign Up

This trip is full, please email me to join the wait list in case something opens up!

Any questions, contact Mountain Butorac at
404.717.2460 or mtn@thecatholictraveler.com