This morning we’ll depart early to drive to the mountains of Subiaco where Saint Benedict first dedicated himself to a life of prayer focused on the goodness of God. It was here, on the side of the cliff overlooking the beauty of the surrounding mountains, that the saint founded his first monastic community and developed the monastic rule that would not only guide Christians towards a life of work and prayer but also help to shape all of Western civilization.

Our morning of pilgrimage will follow in the steps of countless others, including Saint Francis who visited this pilgrimage site in the thirteenth century. We will begin our morning at the lower, more recent monastery of Saint Benedict, then we’ll walk up the stone path to the monastery of the Holy Cave, Sacro Speco, where Saint Benedict first lived and which houses a stunning cycle of frescoes dating back to the eighth century. Here we’ll take time for quiet reflection, to encounter the monks, and to consider Benedict’s fuga mundi, flight from the world, and his dedication to a life of prayer and work.

After lunch with the monks we’ll continue our journey to Campania, arriving at our agriturismo in the late afternoon just in time for a dip in the pool followed by dinner.

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After breakfast in your hotel, you’ll travel to the nearby roman city of Pompeii, which was both destroyed and therefore preserved for posterity, by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. Here you’ll walk the streets of a first century city with your local guide introducing the theaters, temples, forum, villas, baths, tavernas, frescoes, gardens, and the rhythms of daily life. You’ll have time to explore the city on your own before departing in the direction of Mount Vesuvius. You'll stop en route at a family run trattoria overlooking the slopes for lunch before climbing to the crater's edge where you'll take time to read Pliny's letters that describe the eruption of the volcano. 

Arriving at your agriturismo in the late afternoon, you'll have time for a quick dip before dinner at the family run farm. 

After breakfast in our Agriturismo you’ll continue your classical pilgrimage with a visit to the ancient Greek city at Paestum. As you enter the high stone walls, you'll see some of the best preserved Greek temples anywhere in the world. The temples to Poseidon, Hera, and Athena offer an insight into modes of worship that bestowed the highest honor on the divine in nature and humanity. Walking these ancient stone streets and meandering through the foundations of homes, theaters, and marketplaces, you can almost hear the voices of those who once filled this city named for the god Poseidon and the rustle of the waves in the nearby sea.

The second part of your morning will be dedicated to observing the Italian tradition of making buffalo mozzarella by hand as you visit a nearby farm.

This afternoon you’ll head for a relaxing swim in the nearby sea before returning to your agriturismo for another family style meal.

Travel time: ~1.5 hrs.

This morning we’ll depart by train for Florence. After dropping bags off at your hotel, your journey through the foundations of Western Civilization will continue this afternoon with a stroll through the city of Dante, Petrache, Lorenzo de Medici, Savanarola, Giotto and the many buildings connected with their lives. 

Your Renaissance discoveries will conclude with a visit to the Academy Gallery where you’ll see Michelangelo’s David, his ‘prisoners’ or the unfinished sculpture for Pope Julius II tomb, and one of the city’s great collections of late medieval and early Renaissance paintings. 

Dinner this evening will celebrate your trip with a Tuscan feast, taking time for consider the gifts of history, art, and the West, while celebrating the journey that lies ahead.

This morning, you'll visit the monastery of San Marco where the humanism of the 14th century first took root. Here you’ll see the beautifully frescoed rooms painted by Fra Angelico including his Annunciation of the Angel to the Mary. Your morning will conclude

This afternoon, you’ll regroup for a timed entrance to climb Brunelleschi’s dome and have free time to explore the city. 

This morning you’ll visit Uffizi Gallery where your local guide will take you on a visual journey from the late Medieval to the high Renaissance. Here you’ll see the great works of Botticelli, Michelangelo, Titian, Rafael, Caravaggio, and many more.

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This morning you'll return to Rome where you’ll stop en route to visit Saint Agnese outside the walls, one of the city's oldest churches, along with the catacombs of Santa Priscilla before checking into your hotel. 

Your last evening in the city will conclude with a visit to the Pantheon, the first century AD temple constructed to all gods, now converted into a church.

After a free afternoon, you’ll regroup for an evening stroll through the Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish steps, followed by dinner.

There are no activities planned for this morning. Your Alithea guide will be available throughout breakfast to help with travel connections to the airport or any additional stops on your journey.