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| Day 1 |
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Meet at Rome (Fiumicino) airport at 10am. We will leave in a mini bus to the beautiful city of Rieti located in
Rieti valley. We will check in at a 4 star hotel situated on the grand piazza in the center of town.
In the afternoon, we will tour this part medieval and part Romanesque city, surrounded by ancient town walls.
In the evening, we will have a wonderful dinner, sampling the local Lazio cuisine.
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| Day 2 |
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After breakfast, we will visit the Sanctuary of La Foresta in the Rieti Valley. This place is infused with natural
beauty, allowing us to glimpse the wonders of creation through St. Francis’s eyes.
After lunch, we will wind up a small mountain road passing quaint villages and superb views to a mountain top
where we will visit The Sanctuary of Poggio Bustone. This is the first place that St. Francis visited in 1208 after he left his home Assisi and where his real spiritual birth took place. Back in Rieti, we will have dinner at a great restaurant.
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| Day 3 |
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After breakfast, we will pack our bags and leave Rieti. We will visit the serene Sanctuary of Fonte Colombo where
St. Francis most frequented in the last years of his life. It was here where he wrote the final rule and
received medical treatment for his eye illness.
After lunch, we will visit the majestic Sanctuary of Greccio which is built on a massive rock formation and was
one of St. Francis’s favorite hermitages. This is famous for its Nativity Scene. Here St. Francis had it acted
out for the first time in 1223. There is a collection of Nativity Scenes here made from all over the world.
After Greccio we will drive to Assisi, where we will check in our hotel and have a great Umbrian dinner.
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| Day 4 and Day 5 |
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After breakfast, we will wander the medieval streets of Assisi and visit the most important sites of St. Francis
and St. Clare. These include: The Church and convent of St. Chiara, The Sanctuary of San Damiano, The Basilica of
San Francesco, The Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, and The Hermitage.
In the evening, we will dine in great restaurants and sample the delicious local cuisine. |
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| Day 6 |
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After breakfast we will drive to Lake Trasimeno, where we will check into our hotel by this beautiful lake.
We will take a ferry to Isola Maggiore (Grand Island) that has a charming 15th century village inhabited by
fishermen and women famous for their lace-making. In 1211, St. Francis came to this then deserted island to be
alone and fasted for a month during Lent. We will hike mindfully, in walking meditation around this peaceful,
lush green, beautiful island. Each person will leisurely choose when they wish to return to the mainland. |
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In the afternoon or early evening, you will have time to explore Passignano, a resort by the lake where we will
be staying, which has a quaint old quarter around a14th century castle. We will have a wonderful dinner right
on the lake with a gorgeous view of the lake and its islands. |
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| Day 7 |
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After breakfast, we will pack our bags and head for Cortona in Tuscany, high above the Valdichiana plain situated
on terraced slopes of olives and vines. We will visit the Convento delle Celle (The Cells). This convent with
its rustic buildings has well preserved its Franciscan spirit. It was once a mill and was given to St Francis as
a gift from an admirer. It has a beautiful setting with a river running through the wooded area and waterfalls.
Afterwards, we will wander the lovely streets of Cortona, one of the crown jewels of Tuscan hill towns, which has
become so famous from the book: Under The Tuscan Sun. |
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After lunch in Cortona, we will drive up a picturesque mountain road to the Hermitage of Montecasale. Here we
will visit the hermitage and have a chance to meet and speak to the friars that reside there. We will walk in
the woods on a path next to a river and visit the cave where St. Francis stayed.
We will then drive to another gem, the hill town Citerna, peacefully set over the Tiber Valley where our hotel
is located. St. Francis came here in 1224 and performed the miracle of the ants. We will be dining at a delicious
Tuscan restaurant with a great view of the valley. |
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| Day 8 |
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After breakfast, we will drive to La Verna where we will hike on a 30 to 45 min. trail up to the Sanctuary. This
beautiful national park is where St. Francis received the stigmata. He adored this place and came often to
meditate and commune with God in nature.
After lunch, we will drive south to Lake Corbara, Umbria’s second largest lake, where our lovely hotel is located.
We will enjoy the pool and have dinner with the view of the lake. |
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| Day 9 |
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We will drive in direction Narni to visit a Franciscan Grotto at Sant’Urbano. This hermitage was built in a
tranquil forest with one of the prettiest views of early Franciscanism. This is where St. Francis miraculously
turned water into wine.
Afterwards, we will stop in Narni, a spectacular town built on a steep gorge, where we will sightsee and have
lunch.
From here, we will drive to Ostia where we will stay in a 4 star hotel not far from the beach and close to the
airport. We will have our last farewell meal in this plush hotel. |
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| Day 10 |
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After breakfast, you will be driven to the airport where you will catch your flight home. |
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