Umbria's most sacred places (5 days)
Norcia-Cascia-Roccaporena-Vallo di Nera-Visso-Castelluccio-Monteluco-Spoleto-Terni
Tour Highlights
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Itinerary
Day 1 Rome-Greccio-Norcia
Meeting with your English speaking tour guide and departure for the Sanctuary of Greccio, where St. Francis of Assisi is credited with creating the first nativity scene in 1223. The sanctuary is in a spectacular position on the slopes of a mountain overlooking the “Holy valley”, rich in churches and shrines. Explore Piediluco Lake, surrounded by beech-covered hills, situated close to the regional border with Lazio region. Continue through the fantastic Umbrian countryside and see the church of "Our Lady of the Snow", which was built on the ruins of a Roman temple and the church of St Scolastica, before checking in at your hotel in Norcia. Dinner and overnight.
Day 2 Norcia-Cascia-Roccaporena
Start your tour in Norcia with the visit of St Benedict Basilica. Meet the monks who live there and pray with them in the Crypt of the church. Wander in the narrow streets of the town, where St Benedict was born in 480 A.D. Lunch in a typical Umbrian restaurant, where you can taste the products of the region. Departure for Cascia and visit the convent and the Basilica of St Rita. Continuation for Roccaporena, which is the site of the saint's house and and the 13th-century church of San Montano, where St. Rita married. Time at leisure and possible walk to the Rock of St Rita, a steep rock believed to have the marks of St Rita’s knees and elbows. Return to Norcia, dinner and overnight.
Day 3 Castelluccio - Mount Sibillini National Park - Visso
Breakfast at your hotel and departure through a spectacular road to the village of Castelluccio, located in the National Park of Sibillini Mountains. Drive along the famous "plain" encirrcled by some of the highest mountains in central Italy. Stop in the lovely village of Castelluccio and have a lunch in one of the typical Italian "trattoria". Continuation for the tiny village of Vallinfante and see the sources of the river Nera, the main affluent of the Tiber river. Visit the town of Visso with the church of St Agostino. See the Abbey of St Eutizio, founded in the early 5th century by the Syrian monks who were the spiritual fathers of St.Benedict, and the Church of the Madonna Bianca, with its elegant, fourteenth century, embellished portal. Return to Norcia, dinner and overnight.
Day 4 Spoleto-Monteluco-Vallo di Nera
After breakfast departure for Spoleto, famous for its summer music festival. Visit the Cathedral and the Bridge of Towers. Walk on the bridge for breath-taking views of the valley and gorge below. A beautiful drive and takes you to
the sacred hills of Monteluco, which are home to Saint Francis and Saint Bernardino of Siena. Visit the convent of San Francis, a honeycomb of cells nestled beneath the sanctuary that Saint Benedict built. Today, Capuchin brothers use the hermitage, just as the saints and generations of brothers have before them. Continue to the wonderful Abbey of Saints Felice and Mauro and to Norcia. Dinner and overnight.
Day 5 River Nera Valley and medieval villages - Terni
Breakfast at your hotel. Full day dedicated to discover the marvelous river Nera valley, dotted with charming villages like Montefranco and Castel di Lago. Visit "San Pietro in Valle" Abbey, a Benedictine monastery, which is a must-see for the art treasures it contains and for the beauty of the nature surrounding it. Arrive in Terni , where it is located the highest waterfalls in Europe and see the church and the tomb of St Valentine, the protector of all lovers. Return to Norcia, dinner and overnight.
Highlight
From late May to early July, the plain stretching out below Castelluccio becomes a tapestry of wildflowers of every color blending with the chromatic variations of the crops cultivated by the few farmers still living in Castelluccio
Click below to see the flowers in the plain of Castelluccio
From late May to early July, the plain stretching out below Castelluccio becomes a tapestry of wildflowers of every color blending with the chromatic variations of the crops cultivated by the few farmers still living in Castelluccio
Click below to see the flowers in the plain of Castelluccio
The tour can be fully customized and Holy Mass can be celebrated by an accompanying Priest any day of the tour
If you would like to receive pricing on this itinerary or to design a customized version of this itinerary, please send us your requirements filling this form:
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Copyright © 2011 Best Religious Vacations. All rights reserved
VAT Number: 00789730553
Copyright © 2011 Best Religious Vacations. All rights reserved