Religious Tours WORLD S LARGEST CHURCHES AND MASTERPIECES OF ARCHITECTURE AND MONUMENTS Italy boasts many of the world s largest churches and masterpieces of architecture and monuments. With Rome as its capital, it is considered the cradle of the Christian Catholic Church. St. Peter s Basilica is the largest and one of the most beautiful churches of Christendom. Among the many legacies of the Roman dominance, there is the global distribution of Christianity as a major world religion.
Bellissimo Christian tours of Italy include Rome and many of the wonderful large and small churches located in some of the most beautiful places of Italy, from Venice to Palermo. Also, some of the offthe-beaten-path small chapels and medieval churches in the Italian countryside, and its picturesque villages. Most of the Italian churches are not only religious places, but also masterpieces of art and architecture from different periods. They are decorated with precious mosaics, frescoes and paintings of antiquity. Italy is considered the oldest Jewish community in the Western world, with the Jewish settlement in Rome dating back to 161 B.C.E. Please note that along our Jewish tours we organize kosher food tastings, delicious kosher lunches, and gourmet dinners at some of the finest kosher restaurants in Italy, together with religious services. We are always pleased to honor your specific requests. With Bellissimo Italian Tours & Travel, you will discover the splendors of Italy, together with the living Jewish and Catholic soul of these places, according to the religion you would like to focus on. Here is a sample itinerary based on one of our possible Jewish tours. DAY 1 TO 3 VENICE Arrival in Venice and two days in Venice to discover this unique city on water and the site of its famous Ghetto. The word ghetto, originated in Venice, is old Venetian dialect for foundry because in 1516, 700 Jews were forced to move to a then-remote northwestern corner of Venice, to an abandoned site of a 14th-century foundry. Today, the ghetto continues to be the center of community activities for the Jewish community. You will visit some of the most significant places of Venice, with the explanation of one of our expert local guides, including the visit to the Ghetto Vecchio the Old Ghetto and visit its outstanding ornate Spanish Synagogue, and the Ghetto Nuovo the new Ghetto where we will visit the Jewish Museum. Then we continue to St. Mark s Cathedral whose decoration includes some Jewish Old Testament figures and a Jewish star. We can also include a visit to the Lido for a private visit of Venice s two Jewish cemeteries. DAY 3 FERRARA, BOLOGNA AND FLORENCE Today, on our way to Florence we will make a stop in the city of Ferrara and Bologna. Ferrara has a Jewish history that dates back to the middle ages and shows many traces in Ferrara s local arts and literature. The novelist Giorgio Bassani lived in Ferrara, where he was inspired to write The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, based on an actual family s tragic destiny. We ll visit the Jewish Ghetto that
has remained intact throughout various restorations and is now a pedestrian area complete with historical shops. Then we will proceed to Bologna, Italy s culinary capital, where Jewish communities have been active since early medieval times. Tour the historic Jewish Quarter, including the synagogue. You will visit the area of the porticoes, towers and palazzi that create one of Italy s medieval cityscapes. You will also discover the buildings of the 11th century university, which is the oldest university in Europe. DAY 4 FLORENCE A full day will be devoted to the wonderful art city of Florence, home to many masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture. We ll visit some of the main sights of Florence by walking through the charming streets and great squares like the Duomo, a cathedral with a terracotta-tiled dome engineered by Brunelleschi and a bell tower by Giotto, Ponte Vecchio, the old covered bridge over the River Arno, Piazza della Signoria and Piazza Santa Croce with its medieval Basilica, famous for its Giotto frescoes and the tombs of Michelangelo, Dante and Galileo. We will see the extraordinary Synagogue, whose dome punctuates the skyline of the city, and the attached Jewish Museum with its fine collections. The Medici family welcomed Jews to Florence and extended privileges and freedoms unavailable to them elsewhere in Europe. It is possible to visit the Accademia, home of Michelangelo s statue of David, and the Uffizi Art Gallery, which, with its art treasures, is one of the most frequented museums in the world. DAY 5 PISA & LUCCA Today is devoted to visiting Pisa & Lucca. Pisa s greatest treasure is the Leaning Tower in the magnificent historical Piazza dei Miracoli, focal point of the town and home to the tower, Baptistry, and Duomo. The tower is also the point from where Galileo Galilei conducted numerous scientific experiments related to his studies of gravity. We will then continue to Lucca, a wonderful example of a fortified town, still surrounded by the city walls, which, after losing their military importance, became a pedestrian promenade on top of the walls, one of Lucca s main attractions. Most of the other main attractions in Lucca today show its ancient history: from the trace of the Roman amphitheater, Piazza dell'anfiteatro, the church of Saints Giovanni and Reparata, the first city cathedral, or Clock Tower and Guinigi Tower.
DAY 6 SAN GIMIGNANO, SIENA & PITIGLIANO Today we will discover the central-south part of the world-famous, charming region of Tuscany. Our first stop is in San Gimignano, known as the Town of Towers. With its fourteen towers from the 13th century and narrow streets, squares, and picturesque houses, the town has a unique atmosphere from the Middle Ages. Continuing to Siena, one of the most beautiful towns in Tuscany, we will visit the magnificent Piazza del Campo, famous for the horse race called Il Palio di Siena that takes place twice a year in the summer. We will then visit the Duomo, Siena's Gothic Cathedral, full of treasures, including its marble pavement, Piccolomini Library, frescoes and incredibly ornate interiors and exteriors. Siena is also the town where Jews settled more than 800 years ago, and we will include a visit to its fascinating synagogue. DAY 7 PITIGLIANO Today the visit is devoted to a town carved of tuff stone and located upon one of the impressive tuff spurs. We will get there by driving along the scenic road in the Tuscan countryside. Jews settled in Pitgliano in the 16th century. Pitigliano is known as Little Jerusalem, as its Jewish community grew increasingly prosperous throughout the following centuries and has always had a deep-rooted relationship with the Christians. Visit the former ghetto, synagogue, museum, and kosher shops, including the kosher (Kasher) butcher, the cellar where the kosher wine was produced, and a Jewish bakery for unleavened bread. In the ghetto you will find other points of interest: a ritual bath (Miqve'), the Synagogue Bet Ha-Kneset, the Jewish cemetery and a dye-works area, since many Jews were weavers and traders in textiles. DAY 8 PITIGLIANO & ROME Today we will arrive in the Eternal City, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with worldfamous treasures and masterpieces of Roman art and architecture, a romantic blend of culture and history. In the afternoon we will start with a visit to the famous baroque squares, the romantic setting of the Trevi Fountain dominating the small square, Piazza di Spagna and Piazza Navona, also including a visit to the Pantheon.
DAY 9 ROME Today we will be visiting the imposing area of the impressive Colosseum, with its legacy of horrors and bravery as slaves fought for their lives to the roars of spectators. Visit also the ruins of the Roman Forum, followed by the visit to the former Medieval Jewish Ghetto, the Arch of Titus, built by the Roman commander to commemorate his Judean victory in 70 C.E., and Rome s Great Synagogue where the Minhag Romi (Italian liturgy of Rome, the oldest European liturgy) is still celebrated. Inside the synagogue, you will discover the Jewish Museum, with the rich history and heritage of the resilient community since the Roman Empire. We will continue for a walking tour in the stylish Trastevere area, where the Roman Jewish Ghetto used to be, and enjoy a delicious kosher dinner in a nearby restaurant, famed for its Italian-Jewish cuisine. DAY 10 VATICAN CITY & OSTIA This morning is devoted to visiting the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter s Basilica and square, which can hold nearly half a million people. We will tour the Vatican Museum, with its priceless art collections from the Sistine Chapel (featuring splendid ceilings and vaults by the multi-faceted Michelangelo), to Greco-Roman Antiquities, the Raphael Rooms, and a collection of modern religious art. In the afternoon, excursion to Ostia Antica, where you will discover the life of Jews of the ancient world, who once thrived here as tailors, butchers, blacksmiths and actors. We will visit the synagogue in Ostia, one of the oldest in the world, dating back to the 4th century C.E. and its nearby kitchen, dining room and stone benches, once slept on by traveling Jewish merchants. DAY 11 Departure from Rome Fiumicino airport. HIGHLIGHTS 11 days/10 nights of accommodations at first-class hotels (rated as 4-star hotels in Italy)
Bed and breakfast treatment Tour Director throughout the tour Deluxe bus throughout the tour Local English-speaking guides in Venice, Ferrara, Bologna, Florence, Siena, Pitigliano, Rome and Ostia 1 kosher dinner in Venice 1 kosher lunch in Pitigliano 1 kosher dinner in Rome Full assistance from our local offices/tour Coordinator STARTING FROM $2,700 PER PERSON IN DOUBLE ROOM Minimum of 25 people This is an example of a small group tour. Any tour can be tailor-made. Pricing will vary based on party size and customization. PRICES MAY CHANGE OR VARY BASED ON CURRENT EURO EXCHANGE RATE AND VAT FEES, PRICES WILL REFLECT INCREASE IF APPLIES. PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE FLIGHTS, SPENDING MONEY, GRATUITIES OR ANYTHING NOT SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED IN THE HIGHTLIGHTS.