Detailed Itinerary

DAY 1 - 16 February, 2026: Depart the USA on an overnight flight to Italy 

DAY 2 - 17 February, 2026: ARRIVAL / PADUA- CITY OF ST. ANTHONY 
Early morning arrival at Venice ‘s airport. We will meet our tour manager after the baggage claim area , continue to Padova where we will explore the Basilica of St. Anthony and celebrate Mass Then transfer to the hotel- Check in, dinner and overnight (D).

DAY 3 - 18 February, 2026: VENICE- LA SERENISSIMA 
We enjoy the entire day in Venice. An incredible site awaits us as we approach this romantic city by private. In the morning we visit the Basilica of St Mark, including the incredible PALA D'ORO , and walk through the city to see the most famous bridges: Rialto and Bridge of Sights. We celebrate Mass. The afternoon is at our leisure for optional tours (Murano and Burano islands to visit the glass factory) or Gondola ride Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight (B. D).

DAY 4 - 19 February, 2026: VERONA- ROMANTIC TALES OF LOVE / OLIVE OIL 
We visit the romantic city of Verona, best known for the tale of Romeo and Juliet, whose famous balcony we see today, but also knows as a cultural center with the famous Opera house and festival . Our first stop is at a olive oil mill on the Garda Lake, where we will learn about the production of the Italian Extra Virgin olive oil, followed by a tasting After our great oil adventure today we visit the city and enjoy some free time. Verona is considered to be one of the most elegant Italian cities, for the high concentration of fashion shops ! In the late afternoon, we proceed our trip to Florence, where we will spend the next two nights Dinner at the hotel. (B. D)

DAY 5 - 20 February, 2026: FLORENCE 
After breakfast in the hotel this morning, we meet our local guide and we will soon discover why Florence is the undisputed cradle of the Renaissance era. Here one almost breathes art and culture in its charming medieval streets, in craftsmen's workshops, Renaissance palaces, and the world renowned museums, all found within the downtown area of Florence. The memories of the Medici family are united with the splendor of the works of illustrious artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Botticelli The day’s piece de resistance is unquestionably the pinnacle of our bus tour: we’ll enter The Academia Gallery, the location of Michelangelo’s incredible marble statue of David! We’ll visit the busy San Lorenzo Market in the heart of the city! The swarm of colors and delicious smells is truly a kitchen gourmet’s muse with its plethora of artisan breads in all shapes and sizes, tables overflowing with fruits and vegetables fresh from the farms, and surrounded by an immense variety of cheeses and cured meats. Gourmands and wine connoisseurs alike lap up the morning inside this fabulous market, followed by a Florentine wine & cheese tasting extravaganza. Rest of the afternoon is at leisure to explore Florence on your own. A site not to be missed is the Ponte Vecchio, a bridge covered since medieval times with goldsmiths' shops featuring a Florentine specialty—handcrafted gold jewelry, with other unique creations. We meet up again at an authentic Florentine wine bar.This exclusive food-lovers' excursion allows you to be guided by a distinguished sommelier as he matches four traditional wines with a luscious tasting of an assortment of locally sourced artisan cheeses accompanied by the many other authentic Italian food pairings that are traditionally served with wines— such as fresh figs, truffle honey, aromatic strawberry preserves, aged balsamic vinegars from Modena, and fresh breads. In the afternoon continue with the walking tour, to see Baptistry of St. John, (Outside) the religious historic jewel of the city with Michelangelo’s Gates of Paradise, so called because of their exquisite beauty; it is believed that the creation of these art pieces marked the beginning of the period to be known as the Renaissance. We see the Piazza della Signoria, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Giotto’s Bell Tower And theneturn to our hotel for dinner and overnight (BD.).

DAY 6 - 21 February, 2026: FLORENCE/ SAN GIMIGNANO/CHIANTI WINE /ASSISI 
In the morning we head to the historic town of San Gimignano, the epitome of a Tuscan hill town with fourteen remaining medieval towers, for an afternoon walk-about. Here you can search out the gourmet shops that specialize in the best saffron in all of Italy, and enjoy a tasting of freshly-made salami that is well known in this region. After break for a leisure lunch, continue to one of the most interesting wine estate in the Chianti area for wine-tasting and lunch Continue to Assisi, where we will spend the next two nights. (B..LD).

DAY 7 - 22 February, 2026: ASSISI 
This morning, we will have a guided tour of this famously charming and historic city, birthplace of the beloved St. Francis! We will visit the Church of Santa Chiara at the site where St. Francis was born, and then see the house where he spent his childhood. We reach the very heart of the town, the Piazza del Commune (Town Hall square), with its Roman and medieval buildings, continuing towards the ancient city walls to the Basilica of St. Francis built above the inspiring final resting place of the saint. The interiors of the basilica are intricately decorated with frescoes from the 12th and 13th centuries depicting the various stages of the saint’s life and spiritual transformation to a life of poverty and dedication to the poor. Within the Basilica’s rose garden is The Rose Chapel (Cappella delle Rose) built over the place where Francis lived in his later years. We also explore Santa Maria DegliAngeli. In the afternoon we take an excursion to nearby Perugi famous for the baci chocolates. The scent of fresh chocolate from roasting the cocoa beans envelops us like a warm blanket as our private tour of the chocolate factory begins. As we make our way from station to station through the factory we learn about the making of their delectable product. The tour ends at the Chocolate Museum. Return to Assisi for dinner and overnight (B.D).

DAY 8 - 23 February, 2026: ASSISI / ORVIETO Eucharistic Miracle, Special wine tour / ROMA
After breakfast we depart early to Orvieto to the magnificent Duomo with the Chapel where the corporal of the Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena is preserved – Lunch will be served in a local restaurant, where we will also taste the famous Orvieto white wine. Following time to explore Orvieto on our own, we depart for Rome . Dinner and overnight at the hotel. (B.L.D.) The Marvelous Ancient City Faith, history and art combine in 

Rome to flood the heart, mind and eye, bringing the stories from the New Testament to life, many of these stories rendered by the most talented artists ever to live. Nothing you see in Rome is incidental, seeing detail upon stunning detail, will make you realize just how much care and craftsmanship has gone on for centuries to provide what we now wrongly consider as past.

DAY 9 - 24 February, 2026: ROMA- IMPERIAL ROME & CHRISTIAN ROME 
This morning we are transferred to the Basilica of St Paul Outside the walls. In 313 the Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan which marked the end of the Christian persecutions and conferred on them freedom of worship, encouraging the construction of places of prayer. In virtue of this, the site of St Paul’s martyrdom, which had been a place of unceasing pilgrimage since the first century, was enhanced by the creation of a modest basilica of which only the side of the apse remains. It was most likely a small building with three naves which housed, close to the apse, the tomb of Paul, decorated with a golden cross. Paul’s death is not the end of the story: on the contrary, it is the beginning of the development of Christianity and the Good News. During the following days, we will learn, how much important it has been for Paul to preach in Rome, from where the greatest witness of the Risen Christ spread far and wide. Return to the city center. Our walking tour starts at the Colosseum ( inside visit) which was dedicated to the memory of the Christian martyrs by Pope Benedict XIVthe Arch of Constantine, erected to commemorate the victory of the emperor over , where fights between men and beasts, gladiatorial contests, races, and simulated naval battles took place Maxentius in the 4th century AD, and the Roman Forum with its important buildings and all around temples and columns and arches of triumph erected to commemorate gods of Roman history.- Break for lunch In the afternoon we will visit the Basilica of St John in Lateran which houses a fragment of the table on which Jesus consumed his last supper. From there we will cross the street to visit the . Holy Stairs so named because they are the steps which led to the praetorium of the Roman Procurator Ponzio Pilato. Finally we reach the Basilica of St Mary Major. The cryptis built to resemble the cave of the Nativity in Bethlehem and here there is a reliquary containing part of the Holy Crib in which our Lord Jesus Christ once lay. Dinner and overnight in Rome. (B.D.).

DAY 10 - 25 February, 2026: ROME
After our breakfast at the hotel, we reach the city center for a walking tour through the most beautiful monuments of Rome. "Rome is not a city like the others. It is a large museum, a living room to cross at the tip toe" (Alberto Sordi, roman actor). We start from the Trevi Fountain. Then we continue to the Pantheon and, finally, we reach Navona Square with the famous Bernini’s fountain of the Four Rivers. Celebrate Mass at the Church of St Augustin that houses the Caravaggio’s painting “Madonna dei Pellegrini” and the tomb of Santa Monica.- Break for lunch. Next we cross the river Tiber . We will see Castel Sant’ Angelo and reach San Peter’s Basilica. . Take in the awesome architecture and the statuary adorning this largest of all Christian churches, including Michelangelo’s magnificent “Pieta.” Pray at the new tomb of Blessed John Paul II, in St. Sebastian’s Chapel, and pray near the tomb of St. Peter and where numerous pontiffs are buried, among incredible works of art. – Time at leisure for shopping or for an optional visit to the Vatican Museum, including the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight (BD).

DAY - 11: 26 February, 2026: RETURN to USA 
This morning we are transferred to the airport and our flight to the USA (B)

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