Make your way to your local airport where you will board your overnight flight(s) to Milan.

Your meals will be served on board.

Welcome to Italy! Make your way to passport control, luggage carousel, and pass through the customs control, your guide, and, or, driver will be waiting for you to take you to your hotel. You will have some free time to explore. At noted time, we will meet Fr. Calloway, our guide, fellow pilgrims, after which we will proceed to have our first Mass together.

Dinner and overnight in Milan.

Today we explore the best of what Milan has to offer to a Catholic traveler. We begin at the Portinari Chapel in the Basilicia of Sant’ Eustorgio to visit the tomb of St. Peter Martyr. This great Dominican preacher, who received the habit from St. Dominic himself, labored continuously for the propagation and defense of the faith until he was martyred by heretics in 1252. Our visit continues to the magnificent Duomo Cathedral of Milan. This cathedral is the largest in Italy and is a symbol of faith and art which spans over six centuries. Buried here is St. Charles Borromeo. During the time when the Protestant Refomation was spreading through northern Europe, St. Charles staunchly defended the Catholic faith by eradicating corruption and educating the clergy until his death in 1584. We will visit the Sant’Ambrogio Basilica; one of Milan’s oldest churches. It was built by St. Ambrose, the great confessor and Doctor of the Church, who was appointed as Bishop of Milan from 374-397. St. Ambrose is buried in the Basilica along with Saints Gervase and Protase (early Christian martyrs). Dinner and overnight in Milan.

For anyone who wishes to see “Da Vinci’s Last Supper” we recommend that you book Pre Night in Milan, and reserve ticket for the morning of June 10th (if available).

Brescia is noted for it’s art treasures and beautiful Churches. One of the city’s most sacred sites is the Sanctuary of St. Angela Merici, a Third Order Franciscan who eventually became the founder of the Ursuline Order. The Order’s primary mission is to provide education to young women in need. After her death in 1540, her body was found to be incorrupt and can be seen within the Sanctuary.

Return to Milan for dinner and overnight.

We leave Milan for countryside to visit the shrine and tomb of St. Gianna Beretta Molla at Mesero. St. Gianna lived a heroic yet simple life as a pediatrician, wife, and mother of four. She served the poor, while attending to her children as if they were each Jesus as a child. When given the option to terminate her fourth pregnancy due to a severe complication, she opted for surgery that would preserve the life of her child. St. Gianna ended up passing away a week after, and her daughter is still alive today. Visit Magenta in Ponte Nuovo to see the house where Giannna was born, the Basilica di San Martino where she was baptized, and the chapel of Madonna del Buon Consiglio where she often prayed and where her children were baptized.

In the afternoon we will admire the magnificent church and large monastery of Carthusian Certosa di Pavia. Pavia itself then awaits us to explore its famous covered bridge over Ticino river, the Towers of Pavia historical center, and one of the most famous churches built by a Lombard king in Pavia. Venerate the largest tomb in San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro with the remains of St. Augustine of Hippo, the great doctor of Church.

Arrive to Genoa for dinner and overnight.

This morning, we will visit the Shrine of St. Catherine of Genoa. Known as Caterina Fieschi Adorno was an Italian Catholic saint and mystic who lived from 1447 to 1510. She is admired for her work among the sick and the poor and remembered for her writings describing both her actions and mystical experiences. We will also visit the Genoa Cathedral, also known as the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Lawrence (Duomo di Genoa, Cattedrale di San Lorenzo), is a stunning blend of Romanesque and Gothic architecture located in the heart of Genoa, Italy. Dedicated to Saint Lawrence, holds some fascinating relics including The “Piatto di San Giovanni” (Plate of St. John), A Relic of Mary’s Hair and The Arm of St. James the Greater. Dinner and overnight in Cinque Terre.

A boat trip in the Cinque Terre is one of the best ways to discover this beautiful coastline with its rugged cliffs, turquoise water, and colorful fishing villages. Stops will include Monterosso, Vernazza, Manarola and Riomaggiore.

In Monterosso we will visit the Convent of the Capuchin Friars. A soul’s place in which Franciscan serenity and a profound spirituality are experienced daily.

The small fishing village Vernazza is most characteristic of the Cinque Terre is classified as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. Here you will find the Church of Santa Margherita di Antiochia, built on the rocks overlooking the sea and the Tower of the Doria Castle. We will enjoy some wine tasting and olive oil tasting along the way, possibly in one of the farms in the area of Riomaggiore. Dinner and overnight in Cinque Terre.

Begin your day with a sunrise blessing on the coast of Cinque Terre.

Depart to Asti and visit the Shrine of St. Joseph Marello, also known as the Sanctuary of San Giuseppe Marello, the founder the Oblates of Saint Joseph in 1878. A congregation of religious men dedicated to the care of the poor and the sick. Saint Joseph Marello died in Savona in 1895 and was beatified and canonized by Pope John Paul II. Visit the majestic Asti Cathedral, dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. Marvel at its Romanesque and Gothic architecture and climb the bell tower for spectacular city views. Afterwards, explore the Basilica SS. Apostoli, housing the relics of Saint Valentine and offering a tranquil escape in its ornate interior. Continue your journey to Turin, where we will have dinner and overnight.

– Pending confirmation Shroud of Turin, this itinerary is subject to change

Today the highlight of our tour will be visiting the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist which houses one of the Catholic faith’s most cherished relics: the Holy Shroud of Turin. The Sacred Shroud is believed to be the same in which Christ was buried after His crucifixion and death. If on display, you will have the opportunity to view the Holy Shroud, which St. John Paul II called “a mirror of the Gospel”. This Cathedral is also where Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, was buried in 1925.

Our tour continues to Santuario della Consolata, a Marian sanctuary to venerate the tomb of St. Joseph Cafasso as well as Bl. Giuseppe Allamano: two Italian priests who served the Lord with great love. As a young man, one of Bl. Giuseppe’s Spiritual Directors was St. Don Bosco.

Next to the Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians, the home founded for impoverished boys by St. Don Bosco, and is now where both he, St. Dominic Savio, and other saints are buried. A beautiful painting of Our Lady under the title “Mary Help of Christians” adorns the main altar.

Our last dinner and overnight in Italy.

After heartfelt farewells breakfast, take a flight from Turin or Milan Airport for return flights home.

Thank you and have a blessed day!

*206 Tours Disclaimer:
Occasionally local religious and national holidays, weather, traffic conditions and other events may necessitate changes in the sequence of events or the missing of certain events/places. Though every effort will be made to follow the itinerary, it should be considered as an indication, rather than a contract of events and places to be visited.