Day 1 – Rome
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Arrive Rome.
- Take an afternoon trip outside the city walls to visit the ancient catacombs of San Sebastiano, underground tunnels in which the first Christians were buried. The site is made up of 10 kilometers of tunnels and 160,000 tombs. The bodies of St Peter and St Paul are said to have rested here during the third century. An on-site guide will be at hand to give you an informative and most enjoyable tour.
Day 2 –Rome
- Visit the Vatican City. Tour the Vatican Museums, including a visit to the Sistine Chapel and the Pope’s official private chapel, where you will pause to appreciate the artistry of Michelangelo. Other highlights of the museums include the Raphael Stanze (a series of frescos commissioned by Pope Julius II) and the Gallery of Maps.
- Venture inside the Basilica of St. Peter, which was built supposedly on the site of St. Peter’s tomb. Shoulders and knees must be covered at all times inside the church.
Day 3 – Rome
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Morning guided tour of ancient Rome, including the Roman Forum, the Arch of Constantine, Trajan’s Column and the Palatine Hill, and the Colosseum.
- Free afternoon in Rome.
Day 4 – Florence
- Once home to the great Medici family, Florence is full of historical and artistic attractions.
- Walking tour of the historical centre of Florence, covering over 2,000 years of Florentine history, including a 15th century Palazzo, the Ponte Vecchio, the famous Uffizi courtyard, on to the marvel of architecture of Brunelleschi’s Dome of the Cathedral guarded by the golden “Gates of Paradise” (the Baptistry).
- Overnight Florence
Day 5 – Florence
- Morning guided tour of the Uffizi art gallery, which holds Italy’s greatest art collection. Your guide will explain the works of the greatest artists from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, including Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian.
- Free afternoon in Florence
Day 6 – Pisa
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Day trip to Pisa, where Galileo was born, lived for the early part of his life and where he went to university.
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Visit to the Campo dei Miracoli (the Field of Miracles), which encompasses the principal religious buildings of the city within its walls.
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Your tour will take you around the Duomo in which Galileo discovered the principle of the pendulum as a young man of seventeen. Also spend time in the enormous Baptistery, in which Galileo was baptized, and marvel at the Leaning Tower, from the top of which Galileo carried out a famous scientific experiment.
- Overnight Florence
Day 7 –Padua
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The city of Padua, where Galileo was a professor at the University for eighteen years. Allied bombing during the Second World War extensively damaged the city, but much of its historical heritage is still recognisable.
- The city is known for the pilgrimages that take place each year to the Basilica di San Antonio and the tomb of St. Anthony, the patron saint of lost things. You will visit the Basilica and the university, where you can see the lectern from which Galileo taught.
Day 8 – Venice
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Visit the Basilica di San Marco, a cathedral built in a distinctly Byzantine style and which houses the body of St. Mark. You may also wish to climb the Campanile beside the Basilica for a superb view of the city.
- In the afternoon you will be free to stroll leisurely along the canals and enjoy the ambiance of this quite unique city. Perhaps you will decide to take a cruise on a gondola.
Day 9 –Assisi
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Assisi is a charmingly hill-side town in the province of Umbria. The town is famous as the birthplace and home of St. Francis, one of the more familiar saints of the Catholic Church.
As part of your tour you will visit the Basilica di San Francesco, which is famed for both its architecture and art collection.
- Overnight Assisi
Day 10 - Rome
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Free time in Rome. Perhaps take time to stroll through the city centre and see the Spanish steps, throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain or have a coffee on the Piazza Navona, Rome’s most famous square.
- Return flight home.