Today we travel to Assisi, birthplace of St. Francis. We see the city’s basilicas including the San

From the top of its boot to the tip of its toe, Italy offers vacation rentals virginia beach a wealth of riches. To the north lie the Alps and the Italian Lakes; to the west Genoa; to the east the canals of Venice; and to the south Tuscany and Umbria, with the glorious art treasures of Florence. Rome, Naples, and Capri lead on to the unspoiled southern region of Calabria.
Cruise the canals of Venice. Visit the tombs of Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo and others at the Santa Croce Church, and view masterpieces vacation rentals virginia beach such as Michelangelo's vacation rentals virginia beach David at the Academy of Fine Arts. Admire the 180-foot tall Leaning Tower in Pisa, and see the 12th-century bronze door panels on the Cathedral that depict the life of Christ. vacation rentals virginia beach View the highlights of Rome: its Colosseum, Forum, Mamertine Prison, and the Vatican where you will behold such wonders as mighty St. Peter's Basilica and the exquisite Sistine Chapel.
The sequence of touring and days may be altered to adjust to religious holidays, special closings vacation rentals virginia beach of sites, vacation rentals virginia beach air schedule changes, etc. Hotels listed subject to availability. Meal inclusions may vary by departure.
We arrive in the Eternal City of Rome this morning and drive into the city to visit the Colosseum, begun about AD 72, and the best-known structure vacation rentals virginia beach remaining from ancient Rome. It was capable of holding more than 50,000 to view gladiatorial contests, hunts, mock naval battles and perhaps Christian sacrifices. Many of the materials from this magnificent edifice were later used in the construction of various churches and palaces. We also see the Roman Forum and the Pantheon, vacation rentals virginia beach which still contains the world s largest unreinforced concrete vacation rentals virginia beach dome nearly 2000 years after it was built. This afternoon we check in to our hotel with the remainder of the afternoon at leisure. Then this evening we enjoy an evening tour of Rome during which we see sites such as the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. (meals aloft,D)
Today we have a full-day sightseeing tour of this historical city. We tour the Sistine Chapel and see the famous ceiling painted by Michelangelo. We see St. Peter s Basilica, the largest church in the world. Our touring includes a visit to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, vacation rentals virginia beach especially vacation rentals virginia beach noted for the 5th-century Roman mosaics in its nave. The largest church vacation rentals virginia beach dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rome, it is often used personally vacation rentals virginia beach by the pope. We also visit the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of the diocese of Rome and which ranks first among the four great "patriarchal" basilicas vacation rentals virginia beach of Rome. This evening we return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,D)
Today we travel to Assisi, birthplace of St. Francis. We see the city's basilicas including vacation rentals virginia beach the San Francesco Basilica, consisting of two churches surmounting a crypt. In the upper basilica are Giotto s magnificent frescoes, vacation rentals virginia beach showing 28 scenes from the life of St. Francis in imaginative detail. The lower church contains frescoes by Simone Martini, Cimabue and Pietro Lorenzetti. The tomb of St. Francis is in the crypt. We also visit the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli Church and its Porziuncola Chapel, where Francis came to understand his vocation clearly and thus began the Franciscan movement. Following our time here we travel on to Florence, vacation rentals virginia beach capital of Tuscany and home of the Renaissance, vacation rentals virginia beach for dinner and overnight at our hotel.(B,D)
After breakfast at the hotel, we enjoy a full day guided tour including a visit to the Academy of Fine Arts, home to a fine collection of Michelangelo sculptures, including the original David. There also is a Pieta and an incomplete St. Matthew. We visit the Duomo, the cathedral church of Florence, also called the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, constructed between 1296 and 1436 AD. We also tour the Basilica di San Lorenzo (Basilica of St Lawrence), one of the largest churches of Florence, situated at the center of the city's main market district, which serves as the burial place of all the principal members of the Medici family. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,D)
Today we tour the Uffizi Gallery, housed in a palace that was built in the 1560s. The collection here was founded by the Medici family and bequeathed to the city in 1737. As well as paintings by artists including Bellini, Titian and Canaletto, the gallery also houses sculpture, vacation rentals virginia beach jewelry and early scientific instruments. We also tour the Galleria Palatina in the Pitti Palace, which displays a large collection of Renaissance paintings that once belonged to the Medicis. Dinner and overnight vacation rentals virginia beach at our hotel. vacation rentals virginia beach (B,D)
We travel southward to Pisa, where we view the famous Leaning Tower, then continue on to Greve in Chianti, the principal town in the Chianti wine district. Here we tour a winery and have the opportunity vacation rentals virginia beach to taste some of the region s wines. Following our visit we continue on to Venice for overnight. (B)
Take in the energy of St. Mark s Square on our tour today and see famous sites such as the Bridge of Sighs and the Clock Tower. We visit St. Mark s Cathedral, the most famous in Venice and a well-known example of Byzantine architecture. Adjacent sits Doge s Palace, which once served as the home of Venice s chief magistrate and today has been preserved vacation rentals virginia beach as a museum. Later today, seize the opportunity to take an optional gondola ride along Venice s famed canals. We enjoy dinner in a local restaurant this evening and then return to our hotel for overnight. (B,D)