Day 1 - Canada / Milan
Depart for our overnight flight to Milan. Dinner and breakfast are served on board.

Day 2 - Milan / Verona / Padua
Early morning arrival at Milan's Malpensa Airport, where we will take a short tour of Milan. Next we are off to Padua via Verona, the setting for Romeo and Juliet. Afternoon arrival in Padua, we will visit the home of St. Anthony, Patron Saint of Things Lost. Associated with many miracles, St. Anthony was renowned for his passion for preaching. Housed in the Basilica are his tongue and vocal cords which were discovered incorrupt, although his body disintegrated after death. Travel to Venice for dinner and overnight.

Day 3 - Venice
The old historic center of Venice is situated three miles from the mainland on 118 islands in the Venetian Lagoon. The islands are connected to each other by an intricate lattice of canals. The Grand Canal, with its bobbing boats, winds around the largest of the squares Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square). Morning tour of Venice, visit Doge's Palace, St. Mark Square and Bridge of Sighs. Afternoon at leisure. Dinner and overnight in Venice.

Day 4 - Venice / Florence
We take the morning to drive to the art capital of the world. Florence (Firenze), home to the Medici princess. And the poetDante Alighieri, is a throwback to the Renaissance. Here is where da Vinci and Michelangelo trod (David still stands tall here). Florence is home to the shop-lined Ponte Vecchio, the distinctive Duomo and the priceless Uffizi Gallery. Florence is now a cultural center as a result of its historic past. Visit The Academia Gallery with its original Statue of David, the Third Pieta and the Prisons by Michelangelo. Visit the Cathedral St. Maria del Fiore, the Baptistery, the Giotto Belfry, Piazza Signoria, and the Palazzo Vecchio. Before leaving, see the panoramic view of the city from Piazzale Michelangelo. Dinner and overnight in Florence.

Day 5 - Florence / Siena
Depart after breakfast for Siena, Italy's loveliest medieval city which was home to St. Catherine and St. Bernardine. On the way we visit San Gimignano, a hilltop town famous for its thirteen medieval towers. Then in Siena, we will stroll the Piazza del Campo, one of Italy's finest squares. Visit the Basilica of St. Francis, which contains the miraculous consecrated hosts that have remained completely intact since 1730. View the incorrupt head of St. Catherine, the mystical bride of Christ, at St. Dominic's Basilica. Dinner and overnight in Siena.

Day 6 - Tuscany / Umbria
We travel to Lake Traimeno, and then on to Passignano. We visit a winery and taste the fruits of the vine. Later we drive through the panoramic Umbria region to the pilgrimage center of Assisi, where St. Francis tended the poor and sick and founded the Franciscan order. Dinner and overnight in Assisi.

Day 7 - Assisi
After breakfast we explore the hilltop birthplace of St. Francis. Contained within the huge 13th-century Basilica are many of his possessions and a series of frescoes depicting his life. It was at 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. We go to the Church of St. Clare to see the Saint's incorrupt body. The founder of the Order of Poor Clares followed the teachings of St. Francis and lived life in poverty and humility. We will visit these two Saints' Tombs. Dinner and overnight in Assisi.

Day 8 - Assisi / Cascia / Loreto D Lanciano / Rome
We depart first to Cascia to see the Eucharistic Miracle and the Sanctuary of Saint Rita, Saint of the Impossible. In the Basilica you can behold relics such as the crucifix from which she received the stigmata. View the blood stained pages of the breviary which cradled the miraculous host, leaving a perfect outline of Christ's face. Next we follow the fertile Adriatic coast to the great Marian shrine of Loreto to visit the Holy House of Nazareth and the beautiful Madonna of Loreto. Tradition states that this is the house where Mary prayed her fiat, where Jesus grew up and the Holy Family dwelled. In the afternoon, we motor south along the Adriatic Sea to Lanciano. Here we see the 8th-century Eucharistic Miracle in the little Church of Lagontial. Expressing doubts about Christ's true presence in the consecrated host, the monk found himself holding a host that had changed into flesh and the wine changed into blood. After dinner, we depart for Rome for overnight.

Day 9 - Ancient and Monumental Rome
Visiting Piazza della Republica with Naiadi's Fountain, Via Veneto, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, Palazzo Madama, (Senate House), Piazza Navona built on the ruins of the circus of Domitian, and St. Angel Castle. Lunch on our own. Visit Piazza Venezia with the memorial to King Victor Emanuel II and the tomb of the unknown soldier, Capitoline Hill and the panoramic view of the Roman Forum. Visit the Colosseum, Arch of Constantine, Circus Maximus and Spanish Steps. Dinner and overnight in Rome.

Day 10 - Rome
After breakfast we go to Vatican City. Visit St. Peter's Basilica, built on the site where St. Peter was martyred. Michelangelo's mural of the Last Judgment restored on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is considered one of Michelangelo's greatest masterpieces, in addition to his Pieta and 4 mighty piers supporting the magnificent dome. Take time to visit the Vatican Garden, Library and Museum to see the awe-inspiring relics and works of art donated throughout centuries as tributes of faith. In the afternoon we will drive past the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and explore St. Paul Outside the Walls, which houses the remains of St. Paul under the main altar. Many relics are displayed, along with the chains that once bound the apostle while a prisoner in Rome. We will visit the Church of St. Peter in Chains to see Michelangelo's incomparable statue of Moses. Dinner and overnight in Rome.

Day 11 - Rome / San Giovanni Rotondo
We will tour St. Mary Major,one of the oldest shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, after she appeared to Pope Liberius in 358 requesting a church be built in her honour. We also see the Basilica of St. John Lateran. This shrine contains a relic from the manger where the infant Jesus was laid. We will tour the Catacombs of St. Callixtus where the early Christians hid themselves to escape persecution. This afternoon we depart for San Giovanni Rotondo. Enjoy a breathtaking view of the Cargano Peninsula and a visit to the Grotto of Michael the Archangel. Dinner and overnight in San Giovanni Rotondo.

Day 12 - San Giovanni Rotondo / Rome
Celebrate Mass at the tomb of Padre Pio and make a visit to the sanctuary, led by one the fathers who knew Padre Pio personally. We will tour the old church and behold the crucifix from which he received the stigmata in 1918. This site is the only Catholic church consecrated by St. Michael's presence in 490, rather than by a human. Return to Rome; the rest of the day is free. Dinner and overnight in Rome.

Day 13 - Rome
Free day in Rome. Dinner and overnight.

Day 14 - Rome / Canada
Depart Rome for our return flight home. We fondly say, Arrivederci Roma!