Tailored Group Pilgrimage to Sicily Itinerary
DAY 1- To start of the pilgrimage we depart on our flight to Catania. On arrival we meet our tour escort and transfer to our hotel for check in and overnight. We will stay for the next 7 nights in a hotel, with breakfast and dinner served each day.
DAY 2- Our day begins with breakfast at the hotel followed by meeting our local guide who will escort us on a half-day walking & sightseeing tour of the beautiful hilltop town of Taormina. We will have an orientation tour of the town; we will see the piazzas that overlook the Sicilian coastline, we visit the ancient Greek & Roman Theatre, we see Mount Etna in the distance. We will have some free time and also celebrate Mass today in Taormina.
DAY 3- Following breakfast today we visit Siracusa and Ortigia.We journey along the South- eastern cost of Sicily to the wondrous city of Siracusa, once known as
the most powerful city in the world before submitting to the power of Rome. Among the sites we will visit are the Archaeological zone with its ancient Colosseum and amphitheatre dating back to the 5th Century BC. We will also see the “Ear of Dionysus”, a cavern among the quarries that supplied limestone for this ancient city. The ‘Santuario delle Madonna delle Lacrime’ is next on the list. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Tears, is located opposite the Archaeological Museum and was built to house a statue of Our Lady that miraculously wept for three days in 1953. The Sanctuary was built to resemble a large tear drop. In the afternoon we will visit, the Island of Ortigia linked to the Siracusa by two bridges where wevisit the magnificent Baroque cathedral in the Piazza del Duomo.
DAY 4-Following breakfast, we will travel by coach to Catania where we will visit the Duomo and the site of the Capella (Chapel) of Saint Agatha. We will also experience the famous open-air market. In the afternoon we travel to the southern base of Mt. Etna and travel skyward to an altitude of 2,500 feet and above the tree-line where we will view the three Silvestri Craters and the “River of Lava”.
DAY 5-Enjoy breakfast in the hotel. Today will be a free day to enjoy the hotel, the beach or return to Taormina with all this world-class resort has to offer! Perhaps travel on our own to quaint Castelmola, situated above Taormina.
DAY 6- Following breakfast, we have a half day excursion to the quaint village areas of Savoca and Forza d’Agro made famous by Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” (Part I).
We will witness the beautiful mountain locations where the movie was filmed, we see Bar Vitelli and the church of the wedding where the self-exiled young Michael Corleone and his Sicilian bride, Apollonia, were married. We return to hotel for some free time.
DAY 7- After breakfast, we will travel north along the eastern coast of Sicily to Tindari and Milazzo. During today’s tour, we will stop in the ancient city of Tindari to visit the Sanctuary of the Black Madonna, and travel along the coast to Milazzo where we will enjoy a guided tour and visit a local ceramics factory to learn first-hand about the Italian art of making exquisite ceramics.
DAY 8- This will be the last day of this incredible pilgrimage. Time depending there may be room for relaxation or some last minute shopping. We will then transfer to Catania Airport for our return flight.
