11 Days in Rome, Naples, and the Shrines of Sicily
Day 1: U.S.A. / Europe
Tour members will depart to Rome. Dinner and breakfast will be served aboard the flight.
Day 2: Rome
After Breakfast, we will transfer in St Peter Square for the Audience with the pope**. At the end free time for lunch and then visit of the Vatican Museum, The Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Cathedral. Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel between 1508 and 1512, and later painted The Last Judgment between 1535 and 1541 for Popes Clement VII and Paul III. The primary function of the chapel is the Papal Conclave, providing the place where the College of Cardinals of the church gathers to select a new Pope. Then walk through Saint Peter’s Basilica, the present structure completed in 1590 was built over the Byzantine and Middle Ages structures that marked the tomb of Saint Peter. There are more than 100 tombs within the basilica, including most recently Saint John Paul II.
Dinner and overnight in hotel
Day 3: Rome / Naples
Breakfast in Hotel then guided tour of the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran. Six Popes are entombed here. Next door is the Holy Staircase (Scala Santa), brought from Pilate’s Palace in Jerusalem by Saint Helena in the 4th century. Climbing the stairs on your knees is a devotion that many pilgrims perform, and a plenary indulgence is granted for completing this feat. We will continue your pilgrim journey to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Maria Maggiore). We celebrate Mass here. This is the largest Marian church in Rome. Its construction began after the Council of Ephesus in 431 proclaimed that Mary was the Mother of God. Saint Jerome, translator of the Bible into the Latin Vulgate, is buried here. In the afternoon departure to Naples. Dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Naples / Palermo
Breakfast in hotel and visit of Naples We will start from Corso Umberto up to Piazza Municipio where we can admire th “Maschio angioino” The fortress built in the thirteen centuries by Carlo I d’Angio’. We will paass through Vittorio Emanuele II street up to Piazza del Plebiscito with the Basilica of St Francis of Paola, the San Carlo theater and the king palace. We will proceed with the visit of the sanservero Chapel with the statue of the Veiled Christ. We will visit then the church of San Gregorio Armeno and the street where many artisans works at the nativities. Dinner with a tipical Naples Pizza, transfer to the airport and departure to Palermo. Arrival at late evening, transfer to your hotel and overnight
** The audience of the Pope are every Wednesday except when the pope is not in the Vatican (July and august and during his pastoral trips)
Day 5: Palermo / Monreale / Palermo
Breakfast in hotel. Meeting with the guide and beginning of the visits of the city, including Palazzo dei Normanni and the Cappella Palatina in the afternoon transfer to Monreale. Guided tour of the Duomo, a splendid masterpiece of Norman art, and the Cloister. Transfer to the hotel in Palermo, dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Palermo / Santo Stefano Di Camastra / Cefalu’ / Catania
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Santo Stefano di Camastra, a famous town to produce ceramics. Short break for free visit. Continue to Cefalù. Arrival and visit of the Duomo, the historical center and the characteristic megalithic walls. Departure for Catania. Hotel accommodation. Dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Catania / Taormina / Catania
Breakfast at the hotel. Short orientation tour of the city in which we will see the cathedral with the front square with the elephant fountain. Free time in Catania and time for lunch. After lunch departure for Taormina, a romantic and special tourist destination that stands on Mount Tauro, for the Greek theater and then the center with the Duomo. Return to Catania. Dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Catania / Siracusa / Ortigia
After breakfast, departure for Syracuse. Visit to the Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Lacrime. Visit the Archaeological Park of Neapolis in the city center. Transfer to the island of Ortigia and time available. Return to Siracusa. Hotel accommodation, dinner and overnight
Day 9: Siracusa / Noto / Agrigento
Breakfast at the hotel. We will continue to Noto, full of beautiful buildings. Visit of the Nicolaci Villadorata palace and the Cathedral of San Nicolò. The best way to appreciate the center of Noto is to get lost among the small baroque streets and admire the architectural structure of this city not by chance declared a UNESCO heritage in 2012. Continuation to Agrigento. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
DAY 10: Agrigento / Selinunte / Palermo / Rome
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit to the Valley of the Temples which rises on the remains of Akragas, defined by Pinadaro as "the most beautiful city of mortals". Visit to the cathedral of Salt of Realmonte and return to Agrigento. Time for lunch. In the afternoon visit of the historical center. Return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight.
After breakfast, check-out operations. Departure for Selinunte to admire the Temples of the eastern hill and the acropolis. At the end of the visit, transfer to Palermo airport and departure to Rome. On arrival in Rome transfer to Hotel. Farewell dinner in restaurant and overnight
DAY 11: Rome / USA
Breakfast in Hotel, free time in the city and transfer to the airport for the flight back to the USA.