To Book or for Information, Contact: Mike Milano from M and M Travel 1-800-773-2660 or [email protected] M and M Travel, P.O. Box 1341, Patchogue, NY 11772

[email protected] 800-206-TOUR (8687)   mon - fri 9am - 5pm EST   YOUR TRIP INCLUDES: † Round Trip Airfare        *Fares from other US or Canada Airports † Fuel Surcharges and Airport Taxes † 11 nights at centrally located 3* Hotel (or similar):        ~ 3 nights: Sep 15 - Sep 18: Hotel El Cantico, Rome        ~ 2 nights: Sep 18 - Sep 20: Grand Hotel Paradiso, San Giovanni Rotondo        ~ 2 nights: Sep 20 - Sep 22: Hotel dei Priori, Assisi        ~ 1 night:  Sep 22 - Sep 23: Hotel AC Padova, Padova        ~ 3 nights: Sep 23 - Sep 26: Hotel Oropa Sanctuary, Oropa † Transfers by private motor coach † Tour Escort † Breakfast and dinners daily † Assistance of a professional local Christian guides † Entrance fees as per itinerary † Tickets for The Passion Play of Sordevolo † Mass daily & Spiritual Activities † Luggage Handling (one piece per person except in Oropa) † Flight bag & portfolio of all travel documents Not Included: Lunches, Beverages, Travel Insurance, Tips to your guide & driver, Items of personal nature.

Sample Day-by-Day Itinerary:

Day 1: Mon, Sep 14: Depart USA
Depart USA for your overnight flight to Europe. Dinner and breakfast will be served on board.

Day 2: Tue, Sep 15: Arrive Rome
Arrive Rome. Transfer to hotel. Balance free.This evening enjoy dinner at hotel

Days 3: Wed, Sep 16: Rome
Breakfast. Morning transfer to St. Peter’s Square for Papal Audience. Afternoon Rome tour including the Coliseum and Forum.Dinner at hotel.

Day 4: Thu, Sep 17: Rome
Breakfast. Morning tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. Afternoon tour of Christian Rome including St. Mary Major, St. John Lateran and Catacombs. Dinner at hotel.

Day 5: Fri, Sep 18: Rome - Monte Cassino – San Giovanni Rotondo
Following breakfast and checkout stop at Montecassino, a beautiful town founded by Saint Benedict. Continue through the countryside heading east to St. Padre Pio’s town, San Giovanni Rotondo, will be our base for the following two nights. Dinner and overnight.

Day 6: Sat, Sep 19: San Giovani Rotondo – Monte San’Angelo – San Giovanni Rotondo
Breakfast. We tour the sanctuary, see the old Church and the crucifix from which he received the stigmata in 1918. You will see the confessional where St. Padre Pio spent innumerable hours with a multitude of pilgrims, directing them on their journey toward God. Enjoy a breathtaking view of the Gargano Peninsula and a visit to the Grotto of Michael the Archangel. Return to San Giovanni for dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Sun Sep 20: San Giovani Rotondo – Lanciano – Loreto – Assisi
We will have breakfast at our hotel before we make our way to Lanciano, and visit the Church of St. Longinus where we will see the Eucharistic Miracle. After free time, we will continue on toward the Adriatic coast to the great Marian Shrine of Loreto to visit the Holy House of Nazareth and the beautiful Madonna of Loreto. Enjoy lunch (on own) before we make our way to Assisi, the hometown of St. Francis, the patron saint of animals and the environment, and the founder of the Franciscan Order. Dinner at hotel.

Day 8: Mon, Sep 21: Assisi
Breakfast. Following breakfast, we will begin a tour of Assisi. Visit the tomb of St Francis. Explore the quaint hilltop birthplace of St Francis that still retains something of the atmosphere of the early 1200s, the period when St Francis began his ministry. Contained within the huge 13th-century Basilica are many of the saint's possessions and a series of frescoes depicting his life. You may kneel before the crucifix from which Jesus spoke to St Francis, asking him to rebuild His Church. It was in St Mary of the Angels Basilica where St Francis spent most of his life. Here we visit the Chapel, Portiuncola, the rose bush, and the cave where the saint retired for prayer. Stroll the medieval streets of the compact little town. You will have some free time to shop or eat lunch at an outdoor cafe with a view of an ancient Roman temple. Our tour continues with the Church of St. Clare to see the saint's incorrupt body. The foundress of the Order of Poor Clares followed the teachings of St Francis by living a life of poverty and humility. We will visit these two saints' tombs before dinner and retiring for the evening. Dinner at hotel.

Day 9: Tue, Sep 22: Assisi – Padua
Breakfast. Morning we travel to Padua. Visit St. Anthony's Basilica, built in 1232, where his tomb lies in the north transept. Afterwards, head to the Basilica of St. Justina, a 4th century martyr and another of Padua’s patron saints. It enShrines relics of St. Matthias the Apostle and St. Luke the Evangelist. Finally visit the splendid Cappella degli Scrovegni, with beautiful frescoes painted by Giotto. Dinner and overnight in Padua.

Day 10: Wed, Sep 23: Padua – Milan – Sanctuary of Oropa
Breakfast. Morning departure for Oropa. Stop in Milan for orientation tour. Continue to the Oropa. The Sanctuary here is the most important and largest Sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary to be found in the Alps. It is located in a unique, natural and unspoilled setting at 1200 mt. Dinner and overnight

Day 11: Thu, Sep 24: Sanctuary of Oropa – Turin – Sanctuary of Oropa
Breakfast. This morning depart for Turin. Explore the city’s major monuments and Piazza Castello with its beautiful buildings. A highlight of the day will be the Cathedral and museum of the Holy Shroud, whose last public display was April-May 2010. Time at leisure to shop and explore on your own. In the afternoon, return to the Sanctuary and enjoy dinner.

Day 12: Fri, Sep 25: “The Passion of Christ”
Breakfast. Morning tour of the Sanctuary.The sanctuary walls are lined with stories, photos and illustrations depicting accounts of people reportedly receiving help from the Virgin Mary. The most frequent are incidents from World War II. Two Churches keep the sanctuary active: a Basilica that holds daily Mass and La Chiesa Nuova, a huge Cathedral. The Basilica is home to a famous statue in the region, “The Black Madonna,” so named for the color of wood used to carve it. La Chiesa has an immense interior and, like most European Cathedrals, large paintings and ornate iconography. Some free time. Enjoy an early dinner before departing for Sordevelo, the village where, every 5 years, a Passion Play is performed, with all the actors being local village people. We will attend this remarkable performance of “The Passion of Christ” . Return to Oropa for overnight.

Day 13: Sat, Sep 26: Sanctuary of Oropa – Milan Airport - USA
After breakfast, we transfer to Milan Airport for our return flight home.

Additional Information & Travel Tips:  Italy
 

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St. Peter's Basilica, Rome, Italy
Assisi Basilica
Prato Della Valle, Padua, Italy
Piazza San Carlo, Turin, Italy
Sanctuary of Oropa, Biella, Italy

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