Faith, Food & Wine of Italy with Rev. Rustin Comer of St. Matthew Lutheran Church

Depart today on board your overnight transatlantic flight to Rome, arriving the following day. En-route, enjoy dinner and personalized entertainment.

We arrive in Rome in the evening and are greeted at the airport by our English-speaking tour guide, who will accompany us during the pilgrimage. We board the bus and drive to the hotel for check in and overnight.

After breakfast, we will drive to the Appian Way, the earliest road of Ancient Rome, to visit the Catacombs of St. Sebastian. The Christian catacombs are extremely important for the art history of early Christians. We will also see the Church of Domine Quo Vadis. We then drive to the Ancient Rome area for a guided walking tour. We reach the area called Velabro, site of the birth of Rome. We start at the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, with its impressive Bell Tower. Entering this church we will be welcomed by the Gregorian Chants performed by the Greek Orthodox community that worships orthodox rites in this church. Here we see the famous La Bocca della Verita or the Mouth of the Truth and the skull of St. Valentine, the patron saint of love. In the crypt of the church are relics from the catacombs. Continue passing by the Teatro Marcello. Break for an independent lunch at the Jewish Ghetto, one of the hidden gems of the the city, a small neighborhood rich in archaeological and cultural heritage, as well as religious, but also of refinements and culinary specialties that have significantly inspired the traditional Roman cuisine. After lunch, you will walk to the Capitoline Hill. Walking through the valley of the Roman Forum you will see the Curia, seat of the Roman Senate, the State Archive, the basilicas, palaces of justice, temple of Vesta, and the House of the Vestals. We will see the Arch of Constantine, erected to commemorate the victory of the emperor over Maxentius in the 4 th century A.D. The tour ends at the Colosseum. Bus and transfer to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

This morning, we visit the Abbey of the Three Fountains, the place of Paul’s martyrdom. Continue on to the Vatican Museum (optional), a collection of impressive edifices with hundreds of galleries filled with art and treasures.  We’ll cover the Gallery of Tapestries, the Raphael Rooms, and the most overwhelming - Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo’s masterpiece, with its restored mural of the Last Judgment.  From the Sistine Chapel, we return to St. Peter’s Basilica and explore the largest church in Christendom. Our visit includes headsets, so each pilgrim will be able to benefit from hearing a clear explanation of what we are seeing. Break for an independent lunch at Eataly (eat Italian) where we can find a wide range of Italian highest quality products, and delicious restaurants. Bus to the city center “centro storico” for an afternoon tour throughout the most beautiful monuments of Rome. We will see the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, and Navona Square with the Bernini’s fountain of the four rivers. Enjoy time at leisure for shopping. To conclude this day in Rome we will visit the place where the bones of Paul have recently been found, Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Dinner tonight will be at a local restaurant. Return to the hotel for overnight.

Note: The Vatican Museum is optional. If you wish not to visit, you will have 3 hours of free time in Rome.

Depart Rome after breakfast and drive to the Umbrian region. We reach a farm over the Umbrian lake Trasimeno where we will experience a walk though an orchard of olive trees. We will learn about the Olive Oil production and enjoy a rich buffet lunch with local wine, cheeses and salami. Continue driving towards Tuscany. In the late afternoon we reach our villa-style hotel in the heart of Tuscany, where we will spend the next 4 nights. Check in –Dinner and overnight.

Today our destination is Siena, a short distance from our villa. This medieval city is the birthplace of St. Catherine “Doctor of the Church.” Enjoy a walking guided tour tour including a visit to its Cathedral (Duomo di Siena). Conclude at one of Italy’s finest squares, the Piazza Del Campo, where we will be given free time to spend at leisure. There are a number of restaurants surrounding the square to have lunch, as well as shops for gifts and souvenirs. After lunch we return to our villa. Time to relax – Tonight we will be delighted by a special dinner. Overnight Tuscan villa.

We visit the wine region of Chianti, in the heart of Tuscany. After breakfast we drive (less than 1 hour) along the Chianti Road to reach the hamlet of Fonterutoli. Reach the winery shop to enjoy a wine tour and tasting - We will learn about the Mazzei family’s Castello di Fonterutoli winery. We continue our Chianti tour, drive down to Greve in Chianti (45 minutes drive), the region’s principal town. Descend into the sprawling cellar of Le Cantine di Greve in Chianti for a light lunch. After wine tasting, we return back to our villa (1 hour drive). This afternoon we will enjoy a pasta cooking class at our hotel, followed by dinner and overnight.

This morning we bus to the incredible Val D’orcia, renowned all over the world for the production of its precious Brunello red wine. On to the Abbey of Sant’Antimo,  an ancient abbey that has been inhabited by Benedictine monks for centuries. We will have free time to explore the Abbey on our own and to shop at the ancient pharmacy. Continue to the close village of Pienza (30 minute drive), the town famous for its production of Pecorino Cheese, made from sheep’s milk. Enjoy a tour and cheese tasting with a light picnic lunch. Continue to the village of Montalcino which is immersed in the breathtaking Val d’Orcia Natural Park. Take time to explore a local wine shop at the Rocca (fortress) and taste a glass of this extraordinary red wine. Back to our villa and relax. Barbeque dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, we drive to Florence (1.5 hr drive). We will meet our local guide for a 2 hours walking tour to discover why Florence is the undisputed cradle of the Renaissance era. Explore Piazza della Signoria, the Baptistry of St. John, and Michelangelo’s Gates of Paradise. We walk to see the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, with the imposing cupola by Brunelleschi and Giotto’s Bell Tower. We’ll then visit San Lorenzo Market in the heart of the city. Choose your lunch at the market. In the afternoon we visit the Accademia Gallery to see the Michalangelo’s David. Return to Tuscany for dinner and overnight.

After early breakfast and check out, we bus to Assisi (2.5 hr drive). Upon arrival, we start our guided tour at the Basilica of St. Clare, the first and most important heroine of the Franciscan movement. On foot we will reach the Basilica of St. Francis. Our local guide will take us to explore the Basilica complex, which is actually composed of two churches built on top of each other. Beneath both churches is the crypt that houses the tomb of St. Francis. Continue to Rome (3 hr drive). Check in at our hotel. Dinner and overnight.

Early this morning we drive to the airport to take our flight back to the USA, arriving on the same day. If it is decided to visit Venice, we transfer to the train station and depart on the Freccia Rossa (fast train) to get to Venice/Mestre in 3 hrs and 48 minutes. Upon arrival, we will be transferred to our hotel for check-in. Then, we take a private boat to Venice island (30-minute ride) where we enjoy a walking guided tour. Highlights include Basilica San Marco, the Palace of the Doges, the Bridge of Sighs, and the Rialto

Bridge. Return to the hotel in Venice /Mestre, dinner, and overnight.

Return to Venice island after breakfast to enjoy a full day at leisure. The options are: Visit Murano and Burano islands (glass factory), visit the Accademia Gallery, enjoy a gondola ride or relax and enjoy a restaurant lunch. Return to our hotel in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight.

Early this morning we drive to the airport to take our flight back to the USA, arriving on the same day.

NOTE: The schedule is subject to change due to various factors and the tour guide’s discretion.