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Day One – Saturday 21st May London Gatwick - Rome
Morning flights from Gatwick to Rome. Transfer to our accommodation within walking distance of the Vatican, the
Domus Romana Sacerdotalis. Mass will be celebrated in the chapel of the house before dinner, which will be in our
accommodation on each evening of our stay in Rome.
Day Two – Sunday 22nd May St Paul and the Early Christians
We start today outside the city with a visit to the Basilica of St Paul. This impressive Church built in the form of a
Roman Basilica contains Paul’s tomb and all along the nave portraits of all the Popes. We then continue by coach to
one of the Catacombs, burial place of the early Christians, for a guided tour. Mass will be celebrated during the course
of the morning. Today lunch is at choice. This afternoon, time at leisure or join a walk to visit the medieval quarter of
central Rome to discover the sites such as Piazza Navona, and the Pantheon, and view the Caravaggio masterpieces
in the Churches of San Luigi dei Francesi and Sant’ Agostino. Return to Domus Romana for dinner.
Day Three – Monday 23rd May St Peter and St Paul
Rome became the centre of the Christian Church because of its connection with the Apostles Peter and Paul. Today
we visit the great Basilica dedicated to St Peter, where the Emperor Constantine constructed his Cathedral on the site
where it was held St Peter offered his life for his faith, and is buried. We have a guided visit to discover the glories
of the present Basilica built in the 16th century. After time for lunch we join our coach and transfer to the Cistercian
Abbey of Tre Fontane (Three Fountains) which was founded on the site where traditionally St Paul was beheaded
on the orders of Nero. Mass will be celebrated during the course of the day. We return to Domus Romana for dinner.
Day Four – Tuesday 24th May Major Basilicas of Rome
Day Five – Wednesday 25th May Papal Audience - Loreto
This morning we drive to the Basilica of St Mary Major where we will celebrate Mass and have a guided visit. From
here we visit the nearby Church of S. Pressede (St. Praxedes) which is an Early Christian Foundation with some of the
finest apse mosaics in Rome. After, there will be a break for lunch (at choice). This afternoon we visit the cathedral of
Rome, St John Lateran, and afterwards cross the road to see the Scala Santa - the steps brought back from Jerusalem
by Empress Helena in the 4th century and said to be those ascended by Christ on his way to Calvary. We continue to
the Basilica of Santa Croce, which contains a fragment of the True Cross, again brought back by Empress Helena.
After breakfast we take our seats in St Peter’s Square for the weekly general audience (if the Holy Father is in Rome
at this time). After lunch (included) in our accommodation, we depart by coach for the journey to Loreto (about three
and a half hours). We check into our hotel in the main square of the small town for a three-night stay. Dinner will be
in our hotel on each night of our stay.
Say Six – Thursday 26th May Loreto
The small town of Loreto is situated a few miles south of Ancona and near the sea. Here, at least since the 15th
century, the “Holy House” has been numbered among the most famous shrines of Italy. The great basilica, built and
decorated by some of the great artists is merely the setting for a small house standing within the church itself. As
the inscription “Hic Verbum Caro Factum Est” reminds us, this building is honoured by Christians as the home at
Nazareth in which the Holy Family lived, and where the word was made flesh. However the building came to be
there, the archaeological evidence is compelling that this is truly the home of the Holy Family. Here we will have a
guided tour to include the Basilica and Mass will be celebrated. The rest of the day is at leisure.
Day Seven – Friday 27th May
Loreto – Optional excursion to Urbino
Today will be at leisure in Loreto or for those who wish there will be an optional excursion
to Urbino (cost £36). We will drive east to the city of Urbino in the mountains of the Marche
region, sometimes called the ‘ideal city of the Renaissance’, thanks to the work of one of
its greatest lords, Frederico da Montefeltro, Piero della Francesco’s patron. Fredrico was
very much a prince of his times and was a student of the classics and the new humanities,
the library that he assembled was one of the finest of his day. His intellectual interests led
him to redesign much of his city and his palace, which is a triumph of the Renaissance and
is a very fitting home for his art collection which now forms part of the Galleria Nazionale
della Marche. The star of this exhibition is Piero’s Flagellation (1445) and there is also his
Madonna of Senigallia (1470’s). The authorship of the Città Ideale is not certain, it could
be Piero or perhaps Laurana but what is not in doubt is its fascination and great interest as
a testament to Renaissance thought. A guided walking tour of some of the main sites of the
city will be included. During the morning we also hope to celebrate at one of the churches in
Urbino.
Day Eight – Saturday 28th May Ravenna – Bologna
Early breakfast and departure from Loreto. We drive to Ravenna, an important port on the
Adriatic coast founded by the Emperor Augustus, Ravenna became the capital of the Western
Roman Empire when the Emperor Honorius moved the Imperial Court here in 401 AD when
Rome was under threat from barbarian invasion. Despite itself falling to the barbarians and
then being reconquered by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 540, Ravenna contains the
finest Byzantine mosaics, sculpture and architecture in western Europe. In our guided tour, we
visit San Vitale (completed in 547 under Justinian), the tomb of Galla Placidia, the Cathedral,
Battistero Neroniano and Church of Saint Apollinare Nuovo. Mass will be celebrated during
the course of the day. Lunch will be at choice in one of the many cafés and restaurants. In the
afternoon we drive to Bologna for our return flight on British Airways to London Heathrow.
Price = £899
Includes: Scheduled flights by British Airways or Vueling: London Gatwick – Rome and on
British Airways: Bologna – London Heathrow. U.K. and Italy airport departure taxes. 7-nights
accommodation in shared twin or double en-suite room as follows: 21st – 25th May at Domus
Romana Sacerdotalis (or similar), Rome; and 25th- 28th May at Hotel Pellegrino e Pace (or similar), Loreto. Meal plan: 7 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 7 dinners. Entrance fees as per the itinerary. All
touring and transfers in Italy by air-conditioned coach as per the itinerary. Daily Mass and Papal
Audience tickets. Pax Travel Italian-speaking tour manager to accompany the group throughout
their pilgrimage. ATOL and ABTA financial protection
Extras: Travel insurance at £32. Single room supplement at £42 per person for 7 nights (lim-
ited availability). 6 lunches. Optional day excursion to Urbino at £36 per person. Entrance fees
not included in the itinerary. Transfers within the U.K not in the itinerary. Gratuities to driver,
guides and hotel staff. City tax if applicable at the time. Fuel charges if passed on by the airline.
City tax if applicable.
To reserve your place please send us a completed booking form along with a deposit of £180
per person (plus insurance premium if the insurance we offer is required). Final payment
payable two months before the departure date.
The above pice is guaranteed until Monday 17th August 2015. Any bookings received after this
date may be subject to a flight surcharge.
This tour involves a substantial amount of walking, some of which may be over irregular surfaces such as
cobblestones and badly-maintained walking areas. If everyday walking is something you find difficult, this tour
may be unsuitable for you.
This itinerary is a guideline and is subject to change without prior notification.
Copyright 2015 © Pax Travel Ltd
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Front page photo by Massimo Roselli. Back page photos by : Photos 1. © Marie-Lan Nguyen, 2. Public Domain, 3. Zorro2212, 4. Colin - CC-BY-SA-3.0, 5. and 6. Ludo Smith, and 7. Il conte di Luna.
Photos 1, 3, 4 and 7 are from users on Wikimedia Commons.