Our tour to Malta and Sicily is a special Christian historical and cultural tour of two very diverse Mediterranean islands. Some of the earliest religious sites to be found anywhere in Europe are on Malta, and some of the most impressive remains of the Hellenistic civilization can be found in Sicily. Both islands represent Christian legacy in the form of Catacombs, early churches, and spectacular Byzantine art. The Roman Empire, Normans, Christian knights, the Arabs, and so many more various religious and ethnic groups have left their traces on these magnificent sun-filled places, making them some of the most fascinating destinations to visit in the Mediterranean. Join us for a spectacular journey of Faith, History, Culture and Art.  

 Arrival  to  Malta International Airport (MLA)  Valletta, Malta. Transfer to the hotel. Rest. Dinner and orientation. 

We will start our day with a visit to the hilltop fortress of Mdina which was established as the colony-settlement in the 8th century BC by the Phoenicians. In the period of Roman domination, it was renamed to Melite by the Romans. According to tradition, it was here where Apostle Paul was taken after he was shipwrecked on Malta. In the Book of Acts, Chapter 28, it is said that the governor of Melite, Publius, greeted the Apostle, and the Apostle cured the official's sick father. Further traditions state that the population of the city converted to Christianity and the governor of Melite became their first Bishop.

Next to the city, we will see the grotto that is believed to be Paul’s prayer refuge and the catacombs where for centuries Christians, Jews, and pagans were buried side by side. Not far from Mdina, there is a church dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The church that is commonly known as the “Dome of Mosta” was built in the first part of the 19th century with a design based on the Pantheon in Rome. The dome of the church is considered one of the largest unsupported domes in the world. Another spectacular visit of the day will be to the Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Megalithic Temples which are recognized as some of the most ancient religious sites on Earth. Archeologists suggest they were built sometime in the 4th Millennium BC. For dinner and overnight we will return to the hotel.

After breakfast, we will explore the city of Valletta - the capital of Malta. Her history is closely related  to the Order of Knights Hospitalliers as the city  started rapidly developing under their rule in the  16th century. The city has a very charming Baroque  character, as well as some additional fine  examples of architectural styles. Among other sites,  we will visit the St. John Cathedral, the Church of St  Paul’s Shipwreck, and Domus Pauli. To enhance  your experience in Valletta, we will offer a cruise  through the Harbor Cruise of the charming city that  was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site  list in 1980. At the end of the day we will transfer to the airport for a short flight to Catania. Dinner and overnight in Catania

Today we will have a day excursion to the city of  Syracuse or the Siracusa of old. This almost 3,000- year-old city is notable for its rich Greek history and  culture. Many famous ancient Greek personalities  lived or visited here. Among them is the most famous  ancient engineer and mathematician Archimedes who  was born here. Syracuse is mentioned in the Bible as  one of the places visited by St. Paul the Apostle (Acts  28:12). Such could be indirectly confirmed by the  known presence of a large Jewish community that  flourished in the city from antiquity and even until  relatively recent times. Not long ago an ancient  Jewish ritual bath, or mikvah, was found during the  archeological excavations. The patron saint of the city  is Saint Lucy as she was born here and, although her  relics are in Venice now, she is still greatly revered in  the city as she was born in Syracuse. Overnight: Hotel  in Siracusa 

This morning we will attend the Divine Liturgy at the  local Orthodox Church. After Liturgy we will explore  the second largest city of Sicily, Catania, that lay at  the feet of Mt. Etna. Founded in the 8th century BC,  this city certainly had it glory days, however it was  severely damaged during several earthquakes. Thus,  most of the historical city that can be seen dates to  the 17th century or later. Today Catania is one of  the six Baroque cities of Sicily added to the UNESCO  World Heritage list. One of the prominent holy  shrines of the city is the cathedral with the reliquary  of St. Agatha of Sicily. One of the most highly venerated virgin martyrs of Christian antiquity, Agatha  was born in Catania and put to death here during  the persecution of the Roman Emperor Decius in 251  AD. For overnight we will remain at the same hotel  in Catania 

There are many places in Sicily that could be  described as unique and one of a kind. One of them  is Villa Romana del Casale at Piazza Armerina. Here  we will see phenomenal(the largest and most diverse) collection of  Roman floor mosaics that adorn every room of the  villa that likely was in the first quarter of the 4th  century AD. Here you can see a unique picture-like  presentation of the Ancient Roman life: hunting  scenes, the capture and transportation of the exotic  wild beasts for the games in the cities, dances,  feasts, and even strikingly modern looking exercises  in a women’s gymnasium. Those of you who are  familiar with ancient mythology will find fantastic  illustrations to the variety of olden tales and poems.  In the afternoon, we will visit town of Caltagirone, of  the six Southern Baroque cities of Sicily added to the  UNESCO list of the World heritage site. For dinner  and overnight we will transfer to the town of  Agrigento.  

Our hotel is located in relative proximity to one of  the most Ancient and important Greek settlements  of Sicily, the mighty city-state of old Agrigento. The  Valley of the Temples in Agrigento is part of the Via  Sacra or the Sacred Way of the large colony  established by Greek settlers at some point before  the 6th century BC. Just prior to the war with  Carthage, the city grew to a be one of the largest in  all Magna Grecia with an estimated population  between 100,000 and 200,000 people. However, just  as its western neighbor Selinunte, it came to decline  during the Sicialian and then Punic wars. It kept its  existence but in a much smaller and less influential  fashion until the present day. Most of the ancient  city is built over by modern structures, however the  so-called Valley of the Temples is well preserved and  gives a glimpse into the cultic life of the ancient  peoples. Not to miss is a well preserved Greek  temple, now turned into a church on the Western  side of the Valley. After lunch, we will visit yet  another important Greek site of Selinene. Majestic  and poetic remnants of the temples here are accompanied by the actual remains of the fortifications,  streets and other civil and military structures of the  Ancient Greek city. At the height of its glory in the  5th century BC population of city reached 30,000  people. But, severely damaged during the wars with Carthage, the city never fully recuperated. It came  to decline and was known already during the Roman  times as an extinct city 

Marsala is known largely due to the production of  the dry or sweet Marsala wine produced in the region that surrounds the city. However, development  of Marsala wine dates back about 250 years, when  English merchants settled in Sicily. Improved trade  lead to the economic expansion in Marsala. Howev- er, the city itself is known from the BC era, and  remnants of the Phoenician colony of Motya can still  be seen in the vicinity of the city. Marsala is also  known as it’s from here that the process of Italian unification under Giuseppe Garibaldi started in the  Spring of 1860. North of Marsala there are famous  salt plains, the center of major salt production from Antiquity until the present day. Windmills, which  once pumped seawater and ground the salt crystals,  still stand. They were likely of Turkish design, built  when Sicily was under Spanish rule, however the  suggestion is made that the flats themselves may  have been built already under the Phoenicians. Our  last stop of the day will be at the Medieval town of  Erice, dramatically located on top of Mount Erice,  almost 2,500 feet above sea level. Erice preserves a  lot of its Medieval charm and is one of the most  dramatic localities in all of Sicily. It is said that on  clear day you can see the shore of Tunisia in Africa  from the city’s ramparts.  

Today we will spend a full day in Palermo. That  doubtlessly most precious jewel, not only of Sicily  but all of Italy. Palermo is very large and in parts  unfortunately somewhat run down. Still, it keeps a  lot of splendors around every corner. There are a  few monuments we are planning to visit during our  day-long tour of the city. Most special of them all is  the Palatine or Royal Chapel in the former Norman  palace. Fantastic glittering Byzantine mosaics in  connection with the most thoughtful and exquisitely  executed Romanesque features leaves all visitors in  awe of the beauty. Damaged by several  earthquakes some of the compositions have been  retouched. However most of the mosaics are  preserved in a pristine state. Another church special  to an “Eastern” visitor in that lavishly Baroque city,  is the Martorana church also known as Santa Maria  dell'Ammiraglio (“Saint Mary of the Admiral” or  “built by the admiral”). That name derives from the  founder of the church, the Greek admiral in Norman  Service, George of Antioch. Here beautiful Byzantine  mosaics are intricately fitted into a very Eastern looking structure. 

In the morning, we will transfer to the ancient town  of Cefalu known since the Roman times. That  beautiful coastal town will provide us with the first  taste of the mixture of different cultures, as each left  its unique and special impact on the city. The main  attraction of Cefalu is its cathedral built in so-called  Sicilian Romanesque style with very fine Byzantine  mosaics inside. Built and adorned in the first half of  the 12th century, the cathedral is very well  preserved and the image of the Pantocrator is  recognizable to anyone who is even a little familiar  with the Byzantine Art. After our lunch break, we  will climb up the mountain that is towering over the  city of Palermo. Here in the town of Monreale, we  will see the most splendid Normano-Byzantine  monument, the Cathedral of Monreale. Covered by  mosaics in every corner, that mammoth structure  serves as perhaps the largest and certainly one of  the most beautiful examples of the Medieval  Byzantine art anywhere. One can wander endlessly  through the Cathedral exploring countless Biblical scenes and episodes of lives of some of the  most prominent ancient saints 

Departure back home from the Falcone Borsellino Airport (PMO) in Palermo, Italy