­The­Best­of­North­Italy,­Tuscany,­Umbria­&­Lazio CusTom Pilgrimage & CulTural Tour May 13 to 30, 2020 (18 days) $4,944 cdn (land tour only) Featuring­“The­Footsteps­of­St.­Francis­of­Assisi” st. Francis of the desert Island, assisi, La Verna, Gibbio, Rieti Valley, Greccio and Fonte colombo greaT CiTies oF : Milan, Verona, Venice, Padua, Bologna, Florence, and Rome. CounTry roaDs oF : tuscany with Lucca, arezzo and cortona. Pilgrimage /T our ChaPlain Fr. David Wathen oFm Lake Franciscan Monastery Como Venice Simione Lake Garda Washington, DC Padua (2) St. Francis of the Milan (2) Verona Desert Island Parma (1) Bologna Carrara Montecatini (2) ca uc L Florence Pisa LaVerna Arezzo Gubbio Cortona Assisi (4) Montefalco Orvieto Cascia (5) Rome Rieti Valley Greccio and Fonte Colombo C A L A B R I A MAP KEY Overnight Stays Sightseeing & Sicily Lunch Stops Bus Route Boat Crossing This is a personal itinerary custom designed by Arrival in Milan Liz Romeo Shachtay exclusively for Fr. David Wathen OFM Departure from Rome and tour participants (©2019­). Spring in Italy Please Note May 13 – May 30, 2020 USA Group Members: When arranging your flight, please take note of the group arrival in Milan on May 14 at 6:40 PM. It will help if you arrive before the group and wait for our arrival and also as close as possible after our arrival and we will wait for you. Regarding the group departure from Rome, we have 2 departures: 6:30 AM and 10:20 AM. May 13 – Wednesday: Vancouver – Amsterdam/Calgary–Amsterdam We depart Vancouver at 5:45 PM, KLM Flight #682 arriving in Amsterdam at 12:10 PM on Thursday, May 14. Depart Calgary at 3:10 PM, KLM Flight #678 arriving in Amsterdam at 8:05 AM on Thursday, May 14. May 14 – Thursday: Milan We depart Amsterdam at 5:00 PM on KLM flight #1633 arriving in Milan at 6:40 PM. We have set foot in Italy for the beginning of a spiritual and cultural journey of a lifetime. From Milan, to the Italian “Lakes District,” to the “Canals of Venice,” Country Roads of Tuscany, Umbria and “the Eternal City,” we will explore beautiful cities, villages, and hill towns. Italy is rich in art, culture, architecture, history, music, and people with a “great passion for life.” This adventure will connect us to the “real soul” of Italy and the Italian culture. It is an exciting program carefully composed with extensive sightseeing and excursions at a “value price.” It is a leisure journey with stays of 2, 4, and 5 nights in the same hotel. After meeting our tour guide and bus driver, we are on our way to Milan. Dinner and overnight in Milan (D). May 15 – Friday: Milan – Lake Como Milan is the commercial capital of Northern Italy and the world capital of Design and Fashion. We visit the magnificent Duomo which represents the “Heart of Milan.” Its Gothic Vaults are the highest in the world. It has the world’s largest collection of marble statues. We visit the oldest shopping mall in the world, the glass-domed “Galleria, Vittorio Emanuele II” which extends from the Duomo to Piazza Della Scala. La Scala is the world’s premiere opera house. Within a short walk we view the imposing Sforzesco Castle. In the afternoon, we travel to Lake Como set in the Alps with villages all along the shoreline. This is a half-day excursion with a private boat. We first stop at Bellagio, the pearl of Lake Como. On our excursion we see George Clooney’s Villa located in the village of Laglio, Villa Balbainello, and Comacina Island. We return to Milan for dinner and overnight (BB-D). May16 – Saturday: Milan – Simione (Lake di Garda) – Verona – Padua This morning we depart from Milan and drive to Simione, a small medieval city on the shores of Lake di Garda, the largest lake in Italy. We visit the charming village of Simione with a maze of Roman ruins. We continue to Verona immortalized by Shakespeare as the home of Romeo and Juliet. We visit Juliet’s balcony and view a Roman Amphitheatre where gladiators once fought. We continue to Padua, home of Italy’s second oldest university (1221) and Saint Anthony’s Shrine. Galileo lectured in Padua’s 13th century university. Dante, Petrarch, and Tasso studied here. We visit the Basilica of St. Anthony which is a mixture of Gothic, Romanesque, and Byzantine architecture. Here we find relics of the Saint and a huge collection of art treasures. Here we also find 3 frescoes by Tiziano, and Donatello’s masterpiece (Gatta Melata.) Dinner and overnight in Padua (BB-D). May 17 – Sunday: Padua – Venice - St. Francis of the Desert Island – Padua We transfer to Tronchetto Terminal and travel on a private boat 2 hours each way to “The Island of Saint Francis of the Desert.” In 1220, St. Francis of Assisi was returning from a trip to the Middle East and upon arriving on a small island owned by a Venetian Nobleman, he was greeted with songs of a multitude of birds. The island was donated to Friars Minor to build a convent. We return to Venice, the city where everything and everyone floats. This lovely Lagoon-City on the Adriatic Coast is like a giant maze with tiny alleys and hidden piazzas linked by narrow foot bridges over 400 large and small canals. It is with good reason that Venetians call their city “La Serenissima” (the most serene). Venice awakes each morning with a refreshing absence of speeding cars, and roaring mopeds. We arrive in St. Mark’s Square and visit St. Mark’s Basilica, a masterpiece of Venetian – Byzantine architecture built in 830 to shelter the tomb of St. Mark. We view the marble Ducal Palace, and the famous “Bridge of Sighs”. On foot is the best way to explore Venice. Perhaps you might take on optional “Gondola Ride” across the “Grand Canal” OR walk on the Rialto Bridge and visit the market. To experience the real Venice head towards the side streets to “Strada Nova” and you’ll see how Venice’s citizens live and shop. Here you find Venice’s best supermarket “Billa.” Dinner and overnight in Padua (BB-D) May 18 – Monday: Padua – Bologna – Parma This morning we depart Padua and travel to Bologna, one of the most developed cities in Italy. Bologna is known for its beauty, wealth, cuisine, and streets lined with beautiful arcades. A good place to walk in the rain! It is home to one of the oldest universities in the western world (1088), historically notable for its teaching of canon and civil law. It is also Italy’s gastronomic capital. For lunch try “Pasta Bolognese.” We stop in the medieval center and see Piazza Maggiore, which is still the same as it was during the Renaissance. We see Piazza Nettuno and climb if you wish the medieval tower of “Torre Degli Asinelli,” for a great view of Bologna. We visit one of the oldest libraries in the world with rare books, manuscripts, and coat of arms. An Italian expert, on manuscripts discovered the oldest known complete Torah Scroll. We also see the Anatomy Theater, used for staging the experiments conducted by the faculty of medicine. We continue to Parma and have a guided tour of the factory that produces Parmiggiano Reggiano. At the end of the tour we taste 3 types of Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar with bread sticks. Time available in Parma to explore and shop on your own. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Parma (BB-D). May 19 – Tuesday: Parma – Langhirano – Carrara – Lucca – Montecatini We depart from Parma and stop in Langhirano. Here we visit a factory that produces Prosciutto di Parma and we taste this delicacy. We continue to Carrara and visit a Marble Quarry and watch a demonstration as marble becomes art before our eyes. Michelangelo travelled to Carrara to choose the highest quality marble for The Pieta. Our next stop in Tuscany is Lucca, the land of the Mysterious Etruscans. Historic Lucca is a peaceful and picturesque fortress town protected by its 16th century city walls. Its residents rely mostly on bicycles to get about town. Giacomo Puccini, famous composer of La Bohème, Madame Butterfly, and Tosca was born here. Here we can enjoy a cup of coffee at a sidewalk café and participate in the life of a Tuscan Town. Continue to Montecatini nested between the walls of Lucca and the city of Florence. Dinner and overnight in Montecatini (BB-D). May 20 – Wednesday: Montecatini – Pisa – Florence – Montecatini After breakfast we depart for Pisa, famous for its 180 feet high Leaning Tower. We stroll in Piazza dei Miracoli (Miracles Square) with the largest Baptistery in Italy. We drive through the gentle hills of Tuscany to Florence. This is the city of Dante, Boccaccio, Botticelli, and da Vinci. It was a Florentine by the name of Amerigo Vespucci after whom a continent was named. From Piazzale Michelangelo we enjoy a panoramic view of this elegant city. On a walking tour of Florence with our local guide we see the city highlights: Piazza Santa Croce and the inside of the church, Piazza Signoria, the Palazzo Vecchio, Piazza Del Duomo and its Cathedral, Giotto’s Campanile, and the magnificent East Door of the Baptistery, known as “The Gate of Paradise” (Ghiberti’s masterpiece). Time to shop for Florentine gold and leather goods. Dinner and overnight in Montecatini. (BB-D). May 21 – Thursday: Montecatini – Arezzo – Cortona – Assisi After breakfast we depart from Montecatini to Arezzo, an authentic Medieval Town and one of the wealthiest cities in Italy.