ITALIA SACRA

ITALY. ITALIA SACRA - 11 DAYS

ROME • VATICAN • MONTE CASSINO • SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO • MONTE SANT’ ANGELO BARI  • MATERA • LANCIANO • LORETO • ASSISI • ORVIETO

DAY 1

Arrival in Rome and visiting the Roma Aeterna. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 2

Breakfast. W drive to Vatican and head to the St Peter Basilica, where we’ll also see the Pieta of Michaelangelo, the St Sebastian Chapel with a grave of John Paul II and the main altar with Berninis’ baldachin. A tour of the baroque Rome; Piazza  Navona, The Spanish Stairs, Fontaine di Trevi. The ancient Pantheon is one of the constructions differing from the usual baroque style. Visiting the Santa Maria Maggiore. The basilica was visited by John Paul II on the 8th of december, the day of the Immaculate Conception. It’s one of the bigger basilicas’, which kept its original form. In the marble interior, a special attention should be given to the mosaicas from the V century, showing the biblical scenes. Dinner and accomodation. 

DAY 3

Breakfast and drive to Vatican. Depending on the presence of the Holy Father, we’ll take part in the general audience or the Angelus prayer. We drive to the Laterans’ vicinity and visiting the St John in Lateran Basilica – ”The biggest Lateran church, mother and the head of the churches of the whole city and the world”. We head to the San Lorenzo chapel, where the Holy Stairs are found  - the biggest christian relic. Sightseeing at the antique Rome. We head to the Coloseum, Forum Romanum and Venice square, where the Altar of the Mother Land, with a statue of the Victor Emanuel II – the first king of the united Italy. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 4

Breakfast. We drive to Monte Cassino, to the benedictian abbey, built in year 529 by st Benedict from Norcia. Visiting the monastery constructions, the church and the basilica, which contains the grave of St Benedict and St Scholastic. This is where st Benedict wrote the ”pray and work” law. The valley with the benedict abbey during WWII was the key element of the German defense line of Gustav, conquered by the soilders of the Second Polish Corpus. At the foot of the monastery, we’ll visit the graveyard of the Polish soilders and their commander general Wladyslaw Anders. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 5

Breakfast. We head to San Giovanni Rotondo, where St Father Pio, lived a life full of kindness and sacrifice. Visit at the monastery temple of the Gracious Mother Mary, where for 52 years the monk shrived and performed the Eucharyst. A walk to the old part of the monastery, where a museum can be found and inside, the Saints’ cell. Visiting the Gracious Mother Mary Basilica, along with the new basilica of Father Pio. Transfer to the lower church – the vault – private prayer in front of the Saints’ grave. Our last stop is Monte Sant’ Angelo and visiting the St Michael Archangel Sanctuary, which its making had been connected with the four revelations. Time for adoration in the holy grotto. From 1996 the keepers of the sanctuary are the Polish michaelis priests. Dinner and overnight in San Giovanni Rotondo.

DAY 6

Breakfast. We drive up to Bari, a harbour city at the Adriatic Sea. Visiting the sanctuary and St Nicolaus Basilica. The body of the Saint was brought over here on the 9th of May  1087, with a sea way from Myra. We’ll see the altar of st Nicolaus carved in silver, a statue of the Saint and a vault with his relics. In 1984 in the basilica John Paul II prayed. Here we’ll see the gravestone of the queen of Poland – Bona Sforza – the wife of Sigmunt the Old. A walk along the city and the Adriatic. Dinner and accomodation.

DAY 7

Breakfast and drive to Matera, a city carved into the stone. Because of its unique character, Matera was written down into the list of the UNESCO world heritage. Wethen continue to see  multiple churches and houses carved in stone. Matera also captured the heart of Mel Gibson, who chose these places to film the movie ”Passion of Christ”. Return  to San Giovanni Rotondo for dinner and overnight.

DAY 8

Breakfast and drive to Lanciano. Visitting the Sanctuary of the Eucharyst Miracle, where untill this day relics of Christs’ body and blood are kept. Transfer to Loreto and visitting the Sanctuary of the Holy House, an unusual relic of the Nazareth house, where Mary grew up and later Jesus. At the main altar a wonderful statue of St Mary of Lorento had been placed, later crowned by the pope John XXIII, during his pilgrimage to Loreto in 1962. We’ll see the nearby chapels, along with the polish chapel. Drive for dinner and accomodation in Lorento or its vicinity.

DAY 9

Breakfast and drive up to Assisi. We stop for a while  at the Basilica of st Francis – the top church  with the famous Giotta fresco, which tell the story of the life od the Saint and the lower church with the vault, where the body of st Francis’ body can be found. We head to the basilica of st Clara, where in the underground church relics of the Saint can be found. A walk along the ancient streets of Assisi up to Plazza del Comune – the city centre. Near the palace is the house of he Saint and Chiesa Nuova. After this we continue to the Holy Mother Mary of Angels Basilica in Assisi. We end this day with a visit to the Portiuncula – the first church of the Franciscan Order and the cell, where st Francis of Assisi died. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 10

Breakfast. We drive to Orvieto. Here to commemorate the Eucharyst Miracle from the nearby Bolsena, by the order of Priest Urban IV, the most beautiful gothic catheral in Italy had been built and the holiday of teh Body of Christ had been established. In Capella del Corporale is a relic with a corporal from 1263, where the blood of  the host, held by the priest dripped into. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 11

Breakfast or lunchboxes. Flight back. Ending of the pilgrimage.