We’re thrilled to invite you to join us on this amazing pilgrimage, which follows the spiritual inheritance of two pillars of Western Christianity: St. Benedict, father of monastic life, and St. Francis of Assisi, herald of evangelical poverty and renewal.
Beginning in Florence and moving through Lucca, Cortona, Assisi, Norcia, and Orvieto, we will encounter the places where these saints prayed, labored, taught, and suffered — sites that continue to shape the Church’s liturgy, art, and communal life. Through visits, liturgies, and of course our own music, the pilgrimage will invite us all to a deeper rootedness in the Faith that formed Christian Europe and the West.
We’re looking forward to seeing you all there!
$4,299/person Double Occupancy - $4,799 in Single Occupancy
Prices Include
9 Nights in Superior Hotels
Daily Mass Arrangements
Tour Escort Services
Transportation by Modern Coach Bus
10 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, and 4 Dinners
One Glass of Wine, Beer, or Soft Drink with Lunch & Dinner
All Entrances and Activities per the Itinerary
Prices Do Not Include
Airfare to or from Italy
Tips/Gratuities
Passport or Visa Fees
Anything not explicitly stated in the "Prices Include" section
$1,399/person Double Occupancy - $1,699 in Single Occupancy
Prices Include
3 Nights in a Superior Hotel
Private Transfer to Florence (FLR) Airport
Economy Airfare with 1 Checked Bag/person from Florence (FLR) to Rennes (RNS)
Daily Mass Arrangements
Tour Escort Services
Private Transportation Throughout
3 Breakfasts and 3 Dinners
One Glass of Wine, Beer, or Soft Drink with Dinner
All Entrances and Activities per the Itinerary
VIP Seating for Closing Concert Performance
Prices Do Not Include
Tips/Gratuities
Passport or Visa Fees
Anything not explicitly stated in the "Prices Include" section
Floriani is a Catholic men’s choral and teaching ensemble. Forming a symbiotic relationship of research, teaching, and performance, they aim to foster and preserve the great heritage of Christian music in the East and the West. Believing in the transformative power of this music, they see it as an evangelical tool to bring souls to Jesus Christ, both in the context of the liturgy and beyond.
Our mission is to nurture a counterculture of beauty—a culture that is liturgically-centered and thus, ordered to the Divine. Beyond merely reviving tradition, we seek to imbue future generations with a love for and an education in the practice of sacred music. We want to gift people around the world with an encounter with that beauty which is "ever ancient, ever new," as expressed in this music and in the liturgy.
The Floriani mission is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and relies on the support of its generous patrons for the renewal of the culture of sacred music.
Visit their website to learn more about how you can help Floriani reach more hearts and ears with their mission.
Detailed regarding the group's hotel selections can be found at the end of this itinerary. Check them out!
We begin our journey to Florence, each traveling from our respective homes, united by a common purpose: to enter more deeply into our spiritual heritage through liturgy, music, and fellowship.
Overnight: N/A
Click Here to view an interactive map of where the group will be visiting in Tuscany and Umbria.
Upon arrival in Florence, we transfer to our hotel for rest after travel. In the evening, we gather for a sung Mass and a Welcome Dinner as we begin the pilgrimage together.
Overnight: Montecatini (Dinner*)
Bayard Pilgrimages has arranged for two private bus transfers to collect pilgrims from the Florence airport and deliver them to the group's hotel in Montecatini.
The exact timing of these transfers has not been determined yet but they are likely to occur in the late morning and late afternoon.
Bayard Pilgrimages has also arranged for an airport liaison to greet pilgrims as they arrive and assist them with boarding the buses to Montecatini.
On our first full day in Italy, we travel to nearby Lucca, long known as the “City of One Hundred Churches.” Our visit includes the Basilica di San Frediano, San Michele in Foro, and the Duomo di San Martino, home to the venerated “Holy Face of Lucca.” The afternoon is spent at leisure, free to wander the medieval streets before returning to Montecatini for the night.
Overnight: Montecatini (Breakfast)
After a short drive into the city, we begin our time in Florence with a private Mass. Our group will then experience an exclusive visit to Florence’s Duomo featuring private tours of the impressive Sacristy as well as a walk along the terraces that overlook the surrounding piazzas. After some time for lunch, we will have several hours to explore Florence to our own individual tastes before returning to our hotel in Montecatini.
Overnight: Montecatini (Breakfast)
Departing Florence, we make our way to the hilltop town of Cortona. Set on the border of Tuscany and Umbria, Cortona has held a central place in local life for nearly three millennia starting the with Etruscans, then the Romans, and now the Italians.
We begin with the Stations of the Cross, prayed along the traditional path ascending to the Basilica of St. Margaret of Cortona, honoring the 13th-century penitent whose life of conversion and charity shaped the town’s spiritual identity.
After completing the Stations, we celebrate Mass in the basilica, followed by a peaceful afternoon in Cortona to explore its churches, museums, and winding streets at a personal pace. Later in the afternoon, we travel onward into Umbria, arriving in Assisi for the evening, our home for the next 5 nights.
Overnight: Assisi (Breakfast, Dinner)
Pilgrims with mobility limitations will be able to ascend the hill to the Basilica on board the group's bus.
We begin our day with a guided introduction to Assisi, whose quiet streets, stone piazzas, and hillside sanctuaries preserve the world of St. Francis and St. Clare with remarkable clarity. Our tour includes the Basilica of St. Francis, home to Giotto’s famous fresco cycle, and the Basilica of St. Clare, where the San Damiano Cross is kept. Along the way, we encounter the places where these saints prayed, taught, and formed the early communities that transformed Christian life in the 13th century.
After lunch, those who wish may join an optional visit to San Damiano, the small church where Francis heard the call to “rebuild my Church” and where Clare shaped the early life of the Poor Clares. Set amid olive groves on the lower slope of the mountain, San Damiano offers a quiet space for reflection and a direct connection to the origins of Franciscan spirituality.
The remainder of the afternoon is free to explore Assisi’s cafés, small shops, and hillside viewpoints.
Overnight: Assisi (Breakfast)
Today we travel through the Umbrian countryside to Norcia, birthplace of Sts. Benedict and Scholastica, whose way of life shaped the spiritual and cultural foundations of the West.
Our visit centers on the Monastery of St. Benedict, where the monks live the Rule in its fullness — ora et labora, prayer and work. We will tour the monastery, celebrate Mass, and learn about the rhythms of monastic life preserved in this ancient valley.
In addition to our time in the church and cloister, we will have the rare opportunity to meet the monastery’s brewmaster and see the monks’ brewing operation, renowned for its exceptional Trappist-style beers. Rooted in centuries-old monastic practice, the brewery is an expression of Benedictine craftsmanship, discipline, and hospitality.
We conclude with time to explore the peaceful town of Norcia — set amid the picturesque Sibylline mountains — before returning to Assisi.
Overnight: Assisi (Breakfast, Lunch)
Our pilgrimage continues to Orvieto, a medieval city dramatically perched on a volcanic plateau. Here we visit the Cathedral of Orvieto, home of the 1263 Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena, in which a consecrated Host bled onto the corporal. The cathedral’s façade and frescoes are among Italy’s greatest artistic achievements, and our guided visit will introduce the beauty and theology expressed in its sacred art.
After Mass and a regional lunch featuring Orvieto Classico wines, the afternoon offers time for personal exploration — walking the narrow medieval lanes, visiting local artisans, or simply taking in the town’s striking views — before returning to Assisi.
Overnight: Assisi (Breakfast, Lunch)
After several days filled with travel, sacred sites, and rich encounters, today offers a deliberate pause — a day set apart for quiet, recollection, and deeper spiritual grounding. Under the guidance of Bishop William Waltersheid, we enter into a full retreat shaped by the wisdom of St. Benedict, St. Francis, St. Clare, and the saints of Umbria, allowing the fruits of our pilgrimage thus far to take root.
Throughout the day, pilgrims participate in a structured rhythm of teaching, prayer, silence, and guided reflection, shaped by the themes that united these saints across the centuries: conversion of life, stability of heart, poverty in spirit, joyful penance, and the renewal of the Church through holiness.
The setting of Assisi — with its chapels, hillside paths, and centuries-old places of prayer — offers an atmosphere especially suited to quiet, recollection, and interior renewal.
In the evening, we gather for dinner and shared conversation about the graces of the day.
Overnight: Assisi (Breakfast, Dinner)
We depart Assisi for Siena, a city whose medieval streets preserve the memory of two great saints: St. Catherine of Siena, Doctor of the Church and reformer, and St. Bernardine, the renowned Franciscan preacher who renewed devotion throughout Italy.
Our visit includes the Basilica and Shrine of St. Catherine, where the saint lived, prayed, and carried out her mission of spiritual and political reconciliation; the magnificent Siena Cathedral; and the sweeping Piazza del Campo, one of Italy’s most famous civic spaces.
In the evening, we return to Florence for a final dinner together, marking the conclusion of our Italian pilgrimage.
Overnight: Florence (Breakfast, Dinner)
Today, we bid our fellow pilgrims farewell as we board our flights bound for home.
Overnight: N/A (Breakfast*)
Bidding farewell to many of our fellow pilgrims, we board our flights to Rennes, France. Upon our arrival, we transfer to our local hotel to enjoy a group dinner before retiring for the evening.
Overnight: Rennes (Breakfast, Dinner)
Click Here to view the interactive map for the France portion of the pilgrimage.
Today, we take a slower pace as we explore Rennes, one of Brittany’s major cities. We start with a visit to the Marché des Lices, France’s second largest market gathering. Featuring a huge variety of everything from produce and flowers to textiles and jewelry can be found in this lively gathering near the city center. Afterwards, we will enjoy a walking tour that includes visits to several of the city’s cathedrals and churches, some of which are over one thousand years old!
Overnight: Rennes (Breakfast, Dinner)
Getting an early start, we board a private bus and make our way to Mont Saint Michel. Built on a tidal island, the Abbey and surrounding town can’t help but hold the gaze of visitors of all faiths and creeds. Our group will spend the rest of the morning exploring the town before celebrating a noon Mass in the Abbey, with worship music provided by none other than Floriani! Later this afternoon, Floriani will give a concert in the Abbey as one of the closing performances of the Via Aeterna Music Festival. At the conclusion of the concert, our group will return to Rennes to enjoy dinner together, reminiscing on the wonderful pilgrimage we have shared these past two weeks.
Overnight: Rennes (Breakfast, Dinner)
Taking our final leave of our fellow pilgrims, we begin the long journey home.
Overnight: N/A (Breakfast*)
Experience the modern comfort of JR Hotels Gigli Firenze, conveniently located near transport links for easy access to Florence. The stylish design blends contemporary aesthetics with Italian charm, while on-site dining offers delicious regional cuisine. With its close proximity to the Florence airport, this hotel offers a convenient stay for our last night in Italy together.
