Rome: Christian Perspectives Across the Centuries January 12-17, 2014

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1 Rome: Christian Perspectives Across the Centuries January 12-17, 2014 Illume welcomes you to join us in Rome for an orientation to the sites and resources that support pilgrimages and educational travel programs. Experience the unique approach Illume uses for pilgrimage, faith heritage and educational travel event planning. Learn about historical and religious sites from our local expert guides. Consult with our professional program managers to design and organize effective travel events for your school, church or organization. Pastoral and educational leaders know how transformative programs in Rome are for enhancing continuing education, nurturing ongoing faith formation, and broadening perspectives about other lands, peoples and traditions. Rome offers an unparalleled opportunity to explore the original Roman context of Christianity and the evolution of Christian beliefs, practices, institutions, art and architecture over the centuries. The city includes access to the greatest concentration of early Christian sites house (titular) churches, meeting places, charity centers (diaconie), cemeteries (such as the catacombs), and Constantinian-era monumental basilicas. These are situated in their original context next to important ancient Roman monuments. This juxtaposition makes for excellent educational and pastoral learning as pilgrims and students easily imagine the interaction of pagan and Christian neighbors. Over the centuries, Christian art and architecture developed from beautiful mosaic-apsed medieval churches to the breathtaking construction of St. Peter s Basilica and the Vatican Museums during the Renaissance.

2 Our Program Sunday, January 12 Participants make their own flight arrangements in order to arrive in Rome today. A reception, introduction, and welcome dinner will be served this evening at the hotel. Monday, January 13 Theme: Early Christians and Their Neighbors Breakfast. Today we will take guided visits to the Roman Forum, the Palatine Hill, the Colosseum and Basilica of San Clemente. We will stop for a light pasta/salad lunch mid-point. The evening will be at leisure. Overnight in Rome. The Roman Forum began as a gathering place and center of trade for communities of people living on the seven hills surrounding the site in the 8th century BC. The marshy land was drained with an innovative sewer (the Cloaca Maxima) in the 6th and 7th centuries BC and transformed by the Etruscans with temples and other administrative buildings. Following the Etruscans, the Romans continued to transform the site from the Republican era through the end of the Empire. For centuries, the Forum was the symbol of Roman power with its large Senate building, great temples, triumphal arches, and the Rostrum where emperors and orators would speak to the local citizens. Despite years of ruin, the Forum is still an impressive site and easily evokes a feel for the life and times of ancient Rome. The Palatine Hill was one of the original seven hills of Rome. It is here that the earliest Roman settlers built round huts and probably engaged in shepherding. The legend of Romulus and Remus dates back to these earliest settlements and it is believed that Romulus settled here. For many centuries it was the preferred location of many senatorial villas. Augustus confiscated some land and built a palace near the huts of Romulus and the temple of Apollo to underscore the association he wanted to convey between himself and the original settlers from Greece and the divine-human birth of Romulus. From the time of Augustus, Emperors expanded the footprint of Imperial buildings on the hill. Eventually, the Palatine Hill became the exclusive residence and purview of the Emperor. The site is an active archaeological excavation - with new areas opening. One can visit sites associated with Augustus and Livia, foundations of the primitive huts, temples, sections of a large bathing complex, and a stadium or complex for sports and shows. The Flavian amphitheatre built over part of Nero s palace and next to a colossal statue (thus Colosseum) was the largest in the Roman Empire and entertained the Roman populace with gladiator battles, staged wildlife hunts, and other spectacles. Although used as a quarry for the marble to build many medieval and Renaissance churches (including St. Peter s), it is in amazingly good shape and easily evokes the grandeur of Imperial Rome! The Basilica of San Clemente offers a unique opportunity to explore the chronology of Christianity at Rome. The current 12th century basilica is one of the most graceful and beautiful in Rome - boasting an impressive Byzantine-style apse mosaic and decorative marble choir enclosure. The 12th century building rests on the ruins of a 4th century basilica that was built over 1st and 2nd century Roman buildings. The 4th century building was one of the first "in town" major churches built after Constantine and represents a significant achievement for a local congregation. The 1st and 2nd century buildings tell us a lot about the sociology of the Christian community that met here. There is also an impressive Mithraic temple helping visitors appreciate other competing religions during the early centuries of Christianity at Rome. Tuesday, January 14 Theme: The Heritage of St. Paul Breakfast. This morning we will visit St. Paul Outside the Walls, the Catacombs of St. Sebastian, and San Giorgio and/or Santa Maria in Cosmedin (two early Christian diaconie). We will take a break for participants to get lunch on their own around St. Peter's. We continue with an afternoon visit to the Scavi. We will then return to our hotel for a group meeting to discuss resources/sites/options for programs in Rome. Overnight in Rome. St. Paul Outside the Walls is built over the burial site of St. Paul and near the location of his martyrdom. The original basilica, burned in a fire in It was rebuilt according to the original 4th century plan, allowing visitors to experience a pristine example

3 of Constantinian-era monumental basilicas. Recent archaeological work has provided greater support to the belief that the sarcophagus under the main altar is that of the Apostle Paul. The church boasts beautiful mosaics and a graceful medieval cloister. The catacombs are underground galleries of tombs built during the early centuries of Christianity. Most are located on major ancient roads leaving Rome. The Catacombs of S. Sebastian were created under several Roman Mausolea. A visit here provides an opportunity to compare and contrast cremation and inhumation as well as some of the differences between pagan and Christian art. Romans celebrated the anniversary of the dead with a meal. A dining hall was built over part of the site and graffiti on walls suggest that the relics of Peter and Paul were once placed here for safe keeping. Sebastian, a Roman soldier who was martyred, was buried here - and his tomb became an important pilgrimage site. A larger basilica was built over the site in the 4th century. S. Maria in Cosmedin and S. Giorgio Velabro were sites close to the busy docks of Rome and became important centers where deacons distributed charity/goods/food to the local population. These sites afford us an opportunity to consider the historical development of deacons in the Church in places that are perhaps the oldest continuous sites where diaconia has been practiced in the Church. The Scavi (excavations) under St. Peter s basilica were begun in the 1940s when workmen discovered an ancient Roman mausoleum during the construction of a tomb in the crypt of the basilica. The result of the work was the revealing of an extensive Roman cemetery with large family chapels and tombs, richly decorated with frescos and mosaics. Archaeologists feel certain that one simple grave was that of St. Peter s and explains Constantine s decision to fill in the cemetery to build the original St. Peter s basilica in the 4 th century. A visit to this excavation site allows one to better understand the layers of history here reaching back to Caligula and Nero s circus, the first Christian martyrs in Rome in 64, the transformation of funerary art from pagan to Christian, and the orientation, meaning and purpose of St. Peter s basilica itself. Wednesday, January 15 Theme: The Heritage of St. Peter and the Papacy Breakfast. Today participants can attend the Papal Audience, or spend the morning at leisure. In the afternoon we will have a guided visit to the Vatican Museums with a special visit to the Pio-Christian section of the museum to see the Early Christian Sarcophagi. We will have a Farewell dinner this evening with discussion about resources/sites/options in Rome for group programs. Overnight in Rome. The Vatican Museums is one of the largest museums in the world. It was begun during the Renaissance when Popes began to create spaces to exhibit classical statues that were being found as interest in ancient buildings led to archaeological digs. Of course, the Vatican Museums include the spectacular papal apartments painted by Raphael and the Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo s Ceiling and Last Judgment. The Pio-Christian section of the museum includes a large collection of 2 nd -5 th century marble sarcophagi richly decorated with biblical motifs. It is one of the largest collections of early Christian art in the world. The collection illustrates some of the common artistic themes between pagan and Christian funerary pieces. The later tombs include more explicit Christian themes and help us trace important theological development during the early centuries of Christianity. Thursday, January 16 Theme: The Historical Palette of Rome Today is at leisure, with local hospitality assisting with options and information. There will also be an optional excursion to Assisi. Overnight in Rome. Assisi is a graceful, serene and enchanting Umbrian hill town built of pink stone and encircled by medieval walls. The basilicas of St. Francis and St. Clare welcome pilgrims at both ends of the city underscoring the spiritual heritage of the two local saints who called for a return to evangelical simplicity. Assisi preserves the spirit of St. Francis and St. Clare and offers an opportunity for personal reflection and prayer in a spiritually rich setting. Friday, January 17 Our program concludes after breakfast today.

4 . Inclusive Features Hotel accommodations in twin-bedded rooms with private baths for 5 nights in Rome in centrally located 4- star hotel. Continental buffet breakfast served daily in the hotels. One Welcome dinner at the hotel. One light pasta/salad lunch. One Farewell dinner at the hotel. Services of a professional tour manager in Italy. Transportation via private deluxe air-conditioned motorcoach with English speaking assistance. Privately guided sightseeing with government-licensed expert local guides as per itinerary. Luggage, porterage, road and local.. Land Only Program Prices: (excludes all air transportation and airport transfers) $ per person based on double occupancy $ supplement for single room occupancy Please note: Single rooms for single use are limited to 10% of the total number of rooms reserved. Thereafter, double rooms for single use will be secured at a supplemental cost of approximately 150%. Alternatively, if you have selected double occupancy but no roommate is available due to uneven numbers or if your roommate should cancel you will be in a single room and responsible for the single room supplement. Reimbursement for Group Organizers Costs are heavily discounted and subsidized by Illume as a way to introduce opportunities for pilgrimage and study tours to Rome. Those who organize a pilgrimage with Illume of 20+ participants within 18 months of the tour will be reimbursed $900. All prices listed are discounted for payment by check. When paying with a credit card you will be charged the standard base price which is 5% higher. Travel Insurance Premiums: $ Deluxe Group Travel Insurance Plan (will provide 100% reimbursement if cancellation is for a covered reason, will provide 0% if reason is not covered.) $ Deluxe Plan with Cancel for Any Reason (will provide 100% reimbursement if cancellation is for a covered reason, will provide 75% if reason is not covered.) The Group Deluxe Insurance plan is optional. If you wish to purchase the plan, the premium must be paid with your initial deposit on the same check. The policy can be found on the Travel Resource Center for your program under the Group Deluxe Insurance Plan link. Please note that the travel insurance covers the cost of the Land Only program. It does not cover the cost of your airfare. If you wish to purchase insurance for your airfare, please visit the Travel Insurance link on the Travel Resource Center and follow the links under Individual Plans. A separate insurance plan called Airline Ticket Protector is offered. Illume recommends that you purchase travel insurance to cover the cost of the investment you will make. Travel insurance provides peace of mind and protection against the unexpected. Please read the illume Conditions and Clauses attached to the Program Registration Application to review the charges that will apply in the event that you cancel your program participation. Illume offers several options to travel insurance. To learn more click on the Travel Insurance link provided on the Travel Resource Center for your program: The prices are based on availability of services at the time registration material is received; currency exchange rates in effect April 2013, and on 2013 land tariffs and are subject to change. All services are provided subject to Illume s Conditions and Clauses.

5 Program Registration: Complete the Registration Application. Forward with your full payment (and insurance premium if applicable) to: Illume 102 Union Wharf Boston, MA Checks can be made payable to illume. This seminar is limited to 25 participants. Registrations will be accepted on a first-come basis beginning April 30, Once available space is filled, we will accept registrations on a wait-list status. If you have any questions about the program, please contact our in-house scholar: Michael Hartwig, Ph.D ex ex 131 hartwigm@travelillume.com Program No