Pilgrimage of Hope

Rome - The Eternal City

Visit St. Peter's Basilica and experience the spiritual heart of Catholicism. Participate in special Jubilee events and potentially receive the Pope's blessing. Walk through St. Peter's Square and feel the grandeur of universal Catholic faith.

Experience the emotion of crossing the Holy Door during the Jubilee Year, an act of faith that represents the passage toward spiritual renewal. Visit the four Papal Basilicas and participate in special jubilee celebrations that only occur every 25 years.

Explore the Vatican's artistic treasures, including the Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's frescoes, and immerse yourself in the rich history of early Christianity by visiting the catacombs and Rome's oldest churches.

Rome, the Eternal City, is the heart of the Catholic world and the Pope's seat for nearly two millennia. Here Saint Peter and Saint Paul gave witness to their faith through martyrdom, establishing the foundations of the universal Church.

The Jubilee Year 2025, known as the "Jubilee of Hope," is an extraordinary occasion of grace and spiritual renewal that the Catholic Church traditionally celebrates every 25 years. This special period offers the faithful the opportunity to obtain plenary indulgences and experience divine mercy in a particular way.

The Papal Basilicas - St. Peter's, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St. Paul Outside the Walls - are the main pilgrimage destinations during the Jubilee, each with its own Holy Door that is solemnly opened for this special year.

Assisi - Birthplace of St. Francis

Explore the birthplace of St. Francis, including the beautiful Basilica of St. Francis with Giotto's magnificent frescoes and the spiritual atmosphere of this medieval town. Walk the same streets where the saint of poverty experienced his radical conversion.

Visit the Portiúncula, the small chapel where St. Francis received his divine calling and where he founded the Franciscan Order. Experience the peace and simplicity that characterize the Franciscan spirit in this holy place where the saint spent his final days.

Discover St. Clare and her basilica, where the body of the founder of the Poor Clares, St. Francis's spiritual companion, rests. The medieval city preserves intact the atmosphere of spirituality that inspired one of the most important renewal movements in Church history.

Assisi is the birthplace of St. Francis (1182-1226), one of Christianity's most venerated saints and founder of the Franciscan Order. His life of radical conversion, from wealthy young merchant to the "Poverello" who embraced absolute poverty, continues to inspire millions of people.

The Basilica of St. Francis, built immediately after his canonization in 1228, houses the saint's remains and contains one of the world's most important fresco cycles by Giotto, narrating the life of the saint of Assisi.

The city has maintained its medieval character and atmosphere of peace and spirituality. St. Clare, founder of the Poor Clares, also lived here, following St. Francis's example in a life of poverty and contemplation.

Loreto - The Holy House

Visit the Holy House of Loreto, traditionally believed to be the house where the Virgin Mary lived and received the Annunciation from the Angel Gabriel. This Marian sanctuary is one of the most important in the Catholic world.

Experience special devotion to Our Lady of Loreto, patroness of aviators, in this place where tradition tells that angels miraculously transported the house from Nazareth in the 13th century to preserve it from Muslim occupation.

Participate in Marian celebrations and feel the peace that emanates from this sacred place, where numerous popes have come to pray and where thousands of pilgrims find comfort and spiritual renewal each year.

According to tradition, the Holy House of Loreto is the same house where the Virgin Mary lived in Nazareth and where she received the Annunciation. Tradition tells that the house was miraculously moved by angels in 1291, first to Dalmatia and then to Italy, to preserve it from Muslim invasion.

Archaeological investigations have confirmed that the stones of the Holy House actually come from Palestine and that the structure corresponds to a typical Jewish house from the 1st century. The sanctuary has been a pilgrimage destination for over 700 years.

Our Lady of Loreto has been venerated as patroness of aviators since 1920, and the sanctuary has received visits from numerous popes, including John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis.

Additional Sanctuaries

Visit the Sanctuary of St. Michael the Archangel at Monte Sant'Angelo, where according to tradition, the Archangel St. Michael appeared in a grotto. This place of profound spirituality has been a pilgrimage destination for over 1500 years.

Explore San Giovanni Rotondo and the sanctuary of Padre Pio, where the stigmatized saint lived and performed his miracles. Experience special devotion to this modern saint who continues to intercede for the faithful from heaven.

Each sanctuary offers a unique experience of faith, from contemplative prayer to participation in special celebrations, always accompanied by spiritual guidance that enriches understanding of these sacred places.

The Sanctuary of St. Michael the Archangel at Monte Sant'Angelo is one of the oldest sanctuaries in Western Europe, established after the apparitions of the Archangel St. Michael in the 5th and 6th centuries. It has been visited by emperors, popes, and saints throughout the centuries.

San Giovanni Rotondo houses the sanctuary of Padre Pio (1887-1968), canonized in 2002 by John Paul II. This Capuchin saint received the stigmata and was known for his mystical gifts, his dedication to confession, and his charitable work with the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Hospital.

These sanctuaries complement the itinerary by offering a complete vision of Italy's spiritual richness, from the origins of Christianity to the most recent saints, showing the continuity of divine presence in history.