Breaking Bread A Pilgrimage to Italy with Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello

We depart for an overnight flight to Rome from the NYC area tonight. Dinner and breakfast are served on the flight. Add-on flights from most major airports or optional premium economy and business class fares are available upon request.

Welcome to Italy! We arrive in Rome and are greeted by our professional English-speaking guide, who meets us at the airport and assists us with the luggage and bus boarding. En route to Rome, we stop at St. Paul Outside the Walls, where we celebrate Mass and enjoy a tour of the Basilica. Nearby we stop at Tre Fontane Convent to see where St. Paul was beheaded and to see the Virgin of the Revelation Grotto. Check into your hotel and enjoy some much-deserved rest and time to acclimate to a new time zone. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight Rome. (D)

After breakfast, we head to the local market, where we see the abundance of flavors and colors in the produce and food on display. We then visit the Gesu Church to see the relics of St. Francis Xavier and the rooms where St. Ignatius lived, and where we celebrate Mass. The day continues with a 2-hour (approximate time) walking tour of Rome, including the Colosseum (inside visit), the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, the Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, and the Pantheon. Our walking tour ends in Piazza Navona, where we may choose to have lunch on our own among the Bernini statues and fountains or see the newly opened museum where Julias Caesar was murdered on the steps of the senate. Tonight we explore the Trastevere neighborhood as our hosts will assist the chef of Antica Pesa, an excellent local restaurant with an outpost in Brooklyn, in cooking our meal which we enjoy along with some local wine. Overnight Rome. (B. Special dinner)

We are transferred to St. Peter’s Square early to attend the Papal Audience. We have time to post a postcard from the Vatican Post Office and shop for souvenirs before lunch at a local restaurant with one glass of wine. Enjoy the afternoon to explore the city on your own. Get tickets (online in advance) to visit the Vatican Gardens or the Vatican Museum on your own. Tonight dinner is at the Pommidoro Restaurant on Piazza Dei Sanniti where our group leaders will host us along with the restaurant chef. Overnight Rome. (B. Special Lunch. Special Dinner)

This morning we have a tour of St. Peter’s Basilica and the Scavi (TBC) underground tunnels. Following the included lunch with one glass of wine, we embark on a Christian Rome tour with visits of the Basilicas of St. Mary Major with the relic of the Manger of the Infant Jesus. Nearby we see the beautiful Basilica of Santa Prassede with the relic of the column of the scourging of Christ and magnificent Byzantine mosaic. We drive over to St. John the Lateran, where we see relics of Sts. Peter and Paul and the Holy Stairs and, time permitting, visit Holy Cross in Jerusalem to see the relics of the true cross. Mass will be celebrated. Tonight we have dinner at Ristorante La Locanda, where we get to taste Birra Nursia, the famous beer made by the monks of Norcia.(2 glasses)(Per special request, replace with wine if somebody does not drink beer ONLY) Overnight Rome. (B. Special Lunch. Special dinner)

Following breakfast, we depart for Orvieto. Upon arrival, we celebrate Mass at the Duomo, the gothic Cathedral built to house the holy relics of the Eucharistic Miracle of Orvieto. This miracle occasioned the proclamation of the Feast of Corpus Christi and inspired St. Thomas Aquinas to write the famous hymn “Tantum Ergo.”We enjoy lunch in a local restaurant with a tasting of the Orvieto and Orvieto Classico wine this region is famous for. Umbria is known as the “ green heart of Italy” and features vineyards throughout the region. It is known primarily for its white varieties, and Orvieto is the most famous. In the afternoon, we proceed to Assisi. On the way, we stop to visit Santa Maria of the Angels Basilica, where St. Francis spent most of his life and where we see the thornless rose bush. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Assisi. (B. Special Lunch. D)

This morning we tour the Basilica of St. Francis and celebrate Mass in one of the side chapels. We visit the Church of St. Clare to see her tomb and the Cross, which spoke to St. Francis, and then visit San Damiano. Our last stop of the day is the Sanctuary of the Spoliation to see the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis in the Church of St. Mary Major. The afternoon is at leisure to explore this charming little hilltop town on our own. Overnight in Assisi. (B. D)

After a bountiful breakfast at our hotel, we depart to the lovely, historic town of Siena, home of St. Catherine, the patron saint of Italy. We start with Mass, followed by a visit of St. Domenico’s Cathedral, which houses the relics of St. Catherine. Continue with a walking tour of St. Catherine’s house - surrounded by cloisters and chapels. We explore the Duomo, one of Italy’s greatest cathedrals. It is a spectacular mixture of sculptures, paintings, and Pisan-influenced Romanesque-Gothic architecture. Our tour ends in Piazza del Campo, the finest square in Italy, where the annual Palio delle Contrade horse race occurs. Following lunch on your own we drive to our hotel in Tuscany. Settle into the hotel before departing for San Gimignano to explore the city and enjoy dinner at leisure in one of its many excellent restaurants. Overnight Tuscany. (B)

After breakfast, we enjoy a full-day visit of Tuscany. The tour begins by driving through the rolling, grape-clad scenery leading you to Montalcino. Once here, you can breathe in the timeless character of this hill town with its narrow and winding alleyways and squares. The town is also the home of the world-famous Brunello wines. Visit a famous and renowned wine cellar/museum set on an estate with a rich history. Here you can taste these rich and aged wines and receive expert advice and suggestions from a connoisseur. Go up to the town’s top along alleys, streets lined with flower-covered houses, and peeks of the plains spreading out before you. Here you can feast your eyes and breath in the history and culture of the place. The next stop is one of the hidden gems of Tuscany - the Orcia Valley. Stop at San Quirico d’Orcia and use your free time to visit the Romanesque Collegiate with its dragons and mermaids on its portals or the Horti Leonini - a beautiful box garden. Having spent some time here, you will understand why UNESCO has put the area on its list. Continue to the perfect Renaissance model of a city: Pienza. Perched on a hilltop, the town seeps history and offers one of the best cheeses in the world: Pecorino. You’ll be given the chance to taste the best cheeses and then have free time to look at its palaces and piazzas. The last stop is the elegant and refined hill town of Montepulciano. It stands 605 meters above sea level, encircled by massive fortifications. This is the home to the highly esteemed Vino Nobile, which you will have a chance to taste. Mass will be celebrated. Overnight in Tuscany. (B. Special dinner)

After breakfast, we check out of our hotel and drive to Florence, where we meet our local guide for a 2 hours walking tour to discover why Florence is the undisputed cradle of the Renaissance era. We are amazed at the city’s charming medieval streets, craftsmen’s workshops, Renaissance palaces, and world-renowned museums. The legacy of the Medici family is found in the works of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Botticelli. Explore Piazza della Signoria, the Baptistry of St. John, and Michelangelo’s Gates of Paradise. We walk to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, with the imposing cupola by Brunelleschi and Giotto’s Bell Tower. (outside views) In the afternoon, we continue our walking tour to the Basilica of Santa Croce, where famous Italian artists such as Michelangelo and Machiavelli are buried. Continue through the bustling square of Piazza Della Signoria, home to the Palazzo Vecchio, outdoor cafes, and a collection of famous sculptures, including Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabine Women. Visit Il Porcellino, the bronze piglet statue that offers luck to those who rub his nose. Visit the Academia and experience this world-renowned museum to see the magnificent statue of David by Michelangelo. We celebrate Mass at Santa Croce. Tonight we have dinner at the Villa Le Fontanelle where our group leaders will join the chef in cooking our meal. Overnight in Florence. (B. Special dinner )

After breakfast, meet your local guide and travel first to the neighborhood of San Lorenzo, a popular spot with visitors and locals alike for its open-air market, which sells a wide array of leather goods, clothing, and more. As you go, your guide will discuss the rule of the Medici family and their significant impact on the city’s politics and art during the Renaissance. Head past the Medici Chapels, designed by Michelangelo and Matteo Nigetti, and check out the Basilica of San Lorenzo, where members of the Medici family are buried. Enjoy time at leisure for lunch before we meet our local Chef, who will help us learn the art of Florentine cooking. Learn the principles of Tuscan produce, tips on how best to prepare it, and the fine art of creating pasta from scratch. Reward your efforts afterward by sitting down to feast on freshly made dishes complemented by local wine. After dinner, return to the hotel overnight. Overnight in Florence. (B. Special dinner.)

After breakfast, we are transferred to Florence Airport for our flight home. (B)