Participants arrive in Florence or Rome and meet their private coach for a transfer to their hotel in Florence. After settling in, the group will gather for opening reflections before dinner (included). Overnight accommodations at Allegroitalia San Gallo, a distance from central Florence.

Today we will orient you to the key sites and museums of Florence with an expert local guide. Begin the morning with a walking tour to help familiarize you with the city and its rich history. The tour includes the Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria de Fiore, exterior only) and a short visit to the Accademia Gallery housing the famous “David” sculpture by Michaelangelo. The walking tour concludes in Florence’s Central Market where you can enjoy lunch (on your own). After lunch, we will reconvene for a guided tour of the Bargello Museum. Your guide will bring expertise in art history, making the development of art come to life in the sculptures and statues of the museum. In the evening enjoy dinner (on your own) in any of Florence’s excellent restaurants. Overnight in Florence.

The Uffizi is one of the most impressive museums in Europe with a collection of over 1500 works of art displayed in a historic property. A guide will help orient you to the highlights of the museum then you will have free time to explore its galleries at your leisure. The rest of the day is free for you to explore the museums, shops, and eateries of Florence. Lunch and dinner are on your own. Overnight in Florence.

Enjoy some free time to slow down and explore on your last day in Florence. We’ll send you out into the markets of Florence on a hunt for the best local produce, flowers, meats, pastries, arts and crafts. In the late afternoon we’ll reconvene to share some of our findings. Dinner (on your own) and overnight in Florence.

After packing our bags, we’ll join morning worship in one of Florence’s local congregations. Departing the city we’ll have lunch and a winery visit en route to our accommodations at an agriturismo near Assisi where we’ll stay for the duration of the pilgrimage. Dinner (included) and overnight at Incantico Agriturismo. 

For our time near Assisi, we will begin each day with morning worship and a conversation around key themes in the life and ministry of St. Francis and St. Clare. Today provides an introduction to their lives and a call to the monastic life. We explore these themes further with visits to the San Damiano Church where Francis first heard God call him to “Go and repair my church.” The church later became the convent for Clare and her young order of nuns. After lunch (included), we will end with a visit to the Basilica of St. Clare and free time in Assisi’s charming historic center. In the evening, return to Incantico for dinner (included) and overnight accommodations.

Francis and Clare committed themselves to lives of radical simplicity and service to others. In the morning we will explore these themes together both in their historical context and as they relate to our lives today. In the late morning, we will visit the Basilica of Rivotorto, in the valley just below Assisi, where Francis and his early followers lived together in poverty and walked to the nearby hospitals to serve the lepers. After lunch (included) we will follow in their footsteps, walking 2km through the countryside to the churches of San Rufino d’Arce and Mary Maddelena. Here we will have an opportunity to visit with the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Susa to learn how they are carrying out the mission of St. Francis today. In the late afternoon, return to Incantico for dinner (included) and overnight accommodations.

Francis is remembered for his connection with the natural world including his ability to converse with animals. After exploring these themes together in the morning, we will experience the bounty of the Umbrian countryside with a combination of short walks and visits to local growers and producers of agricultural products such as olive oil, cheese, fruits, and vegetables. In the late afternoon, return to Incantico for dinner (included) and overnight accommodations.

***I will see if Incantico can provide a cooking class or demonstration related to our dinner.***

Francis is often regarded as a reformer of the medieval Roman church; however, he also sought Rome’s blessing and received their financial support for his ministry. Today we will explore themes of reform and consider how we embrace personal change or press for institutional change in our world today. We will visit the Basilica of St. Mary and the Angels just outside Assisi. The large cathedral encloses a small stone chapel built by Francis during his life. From here we will walk the 3km brick-paved pilgrim path to the massive, ornate Basilica of St. Francis where he is buried. The Basilica is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to an incredible collection of 13th and 14th-century frescos. After we finish at the Basilica, we’ll have lunch together (included) and visit a site in Assisi that far predates St. Francis: the pagan Roman temple of Minerva, now a Christian church. Here we can further reflect on how faith and culture are constantly reforming and adapting. In the late afternoon, return to Incantico for dinner (included) and overnight accommodations.

Today is a free morning, and participants will have several options to choose from for their free time including returning to Assisi to explore and shop, enjoying the scenery and amenities of Incantico, hiking nearby, and visiting local producers of wine or foodstuffs. In the early afternoon, we will gather for a closing ceremony and lunch at Incantico. After lunch, we will transfer to Rome where those going home will stay at an airport hotel and those continuing on will proceed to their Rome accommodations.

Those returning home will head to the airport for a morning flight to Charlotte. We will depart Incantico in the morning headed for Rome and your return flight to Charlotte. Those continuing on will head into the center of Rome for a guided visit in Vatican City including the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica with free time in the Vatican museums and gardens. Dinner (on your own) and overnight in Rome.

We begin by exploring the ruins of ancient Rome including the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and the Colosseum with a local guide. Close the day by considering the early church in Rome with a visit to the St. Clement Basilica where Christian worship dates to the 4th century. Dinner (on your own) and overnight in Rome.

This morning, we will consider the life of early Christians in Rome with a visit to the Catacombs of Domitilla including an ancient church, a 2nd-century fresco of the Last Supper, and ancient Christian burial places. In the afternoon, enjoy free time to explore Rome on your own. A closing dinner at the hotel is included along with overnight accommodations in Rome.

Pilgrims will have a private transfer to the airport for their return flight to Charlotte.