Thursday, September 22- Orvieto, Todi and Rome

This morning we will depart for Rome, the Eternal City. Along the way, we will stop in the hilltop towns of Orvieto & Todi. Orvieto has one of the loveliest cathedrals in Italy with a facade encrusted with brilliantly colored mosaics. Sit at a café table and watch...

Friday , September 23 – Assisi and Spello

We will make a pilgrimage to the sacred town of Assisi where Saint Francis and Saint Clare were born and lived. Their purity, devotion, and cosmic awareness are still felt by visitors. In the St. Francis Basilica we will see Giotto’s frescos depicting the life of the...

Saturday, September 24 – Rome

We will take a walking tour of Rome. The historical sites of the city are closed to traffic, thus the best way to explore Rome is to use the convenient subway system. We will visit the famous attractions: St. Peter’s Basilica, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain,...

Sunday, September 25 – Florence

This morning we’ll take a high speed train to Florence. After an early lunch we’ll stroll through the fantastic statuary and mysterious grottos of the Boboli Gardens, a backdrop for Dan Brown’s novel Inferno. Then Professor Beaufort will highlight the artistic...

Monday, September 26- Florence

Today we’ll explore the medieval Baptistry with its incredible mandala-like mosaic ceiling illustrating the layers of creation from divine to angelic to human. In the Duomo Museum Professor Beaufort will engage us to discover stories encoded in art, including...