Main Info
A Visual Theology Pilgrimage in Italy
Led by
The Revs. Hal Chorpenning and Jane Anne Ferguson
Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ
Fort Collins, Colorado
April 18 – May 2, 2020
At a recent meeting, biblical scholar John Dominic Crossan described his way of approaching the study of art, archeology, and architecture as “visual theology.” Unlike the study of art history just on its own, visual theology begs the question, “So what did it mean?” What does a 5th century mosaic in Ravenna say about Christianity during the fall of Rome? What does a Paleochristian site under St. Peter’s Basilica say about Christianity under the Empire? What does a fresco in the subterranean reaches of fifth-century church say about the ways they saw resurrection? What can a Byzantine icon impart about the ways different peoples and cultures have experience Christ? And the biggest question for pilgrims is What does that art, architecture, and archeology say to me about the way I live my faith in the 21st century?
Join the Rev. Hal Chorpenning and the Rev. Jane Anne Ferguson, clergy who have led pilgrimages in Ireland and Scotland as they invite you to experience what they have seen and learned in previous trips to Italy.
Itinerary
Download BrochureDay 1, Saturday - April 18, 2020: We depart from the Denver Airport for our flight to Rome via Munich on United and Lufthansa Airlines. M
Day 2, Sunday - April 19: We meet our guide and driver at the airport. Our first stop is the Church of Santa Sabina all’Aventino, which offers a splendid view of Rome. We enter through the original doors with scenes from the Old and New Testaments carved in cypress wood in the eleventh century. We continue to our hotel for our “Welcome to Italy” dinner and overnight in Rome. D
Day 3, Monday - April 20: We enjoy a lovely breakfast at our hotel before we set out for a tour of Rome. We visit the Colosseum, Roma Forum, and Santa Maria in Antiqua. We have time for lunch on our own, and then we visit the Musei Capitolini, the oldest national museum in the world founded in 1471. We return to our hotel for some free time before dinner and overnight in Rome. BD
Day 4, Tuesday - April 21: After breakfast, we visit the Vatican Museums, St Peter’s Basilica, and Scavi of San Pietro. We have lunch on our own, and then wevisit the Church of San Clemente. We have dinner at a local restaurant, we return to our hotel for overnight in Rome. BD
Day 5, Wednesday - April 22: Today, we enjoy a half-day tour including the Catacombs of San Callisto and the Church of Santa Prassede. We return to our hotel for an afternoon free to explore Rome on our own. We have dinner and overnight in Rome. BD
Day 6, Thursday - April 23: After breakfast, we say goodbye to Rome as we depart for Siena. On the way, we visit Orvieto where we view amazing frescos. We visit the Duomo di Orvieto and the Paleochristian Church of Sant’Andrea. We continue to our hotel and have some free time before dinner and overnight in Siena. BD
Day 7, Friday - April 24: After a leisurely breakfast, we set out for a tour of Assisi, the birthplace of Saint Francis and one of the prettiest cities in Italy, with pink and ivory-colored stone buildings and captivating views. We enjoy a guided walking tour including the gothic-style Saint Clare Church, built in 1265, and the Basilica of Saint Francis, which contains the Upper Church and the Lower Church, plus several monastic structures. We continue to Piazza del Comune, the pulse of Assisi, and admire the Temple of Minerva, a fine example of Roman architecture, and the Torre Civica, an early-1300s bell tower. We return to our hotel for dinner and overnight in Siena. BD
Day 8, Saturday - April 25: We enjoy a special treat today - the Super Chianti Tour in Tuscany. We visit the Chianti and Chianti Classico wine regions touring the vineyards and tasting exquisite wines and cheeses. We have lunch at the famous butcher, Dario Cecchini, with a sampling of meats and Bistecca. We have some free time in the village of Greve to shop the artisanal shops, continue wine tasting, or just relax in a café. We return to our hotel where we have dinner on our own this evening in Siena. BL
Day 9, Sunday - April 26: After breakfast at our hotel, we attend Mass at the Annunziata Church in Siena. We tour San Pietro alle Scale, a Roman Catholic Church originally built in the twelfth century and rebuilt in the Baroque style in the seventeenth century. We visit the Duomo di Siena including the Crypt and Museum. This afternoon, we visit the Museum of Santa Maria della Scala, with its labyrinth of hallways and colorful frescoes. We return to our hotel for dinner and overnight in Siena. BD
Day 10, Monday - April 27: Today, we enjoy a full day of touring the magnificent city of Florence. We visit the Duomo, Baptistry, Crypt, and Museum. We continue to the Gallery of Accademia, a gallery of pre nineteenth century art. We attend vespers at San Miniato before returning to our hotel for dinner and overnight in Florence.BD
Day 11, Tuesday - April 28: After breakfast at our hotel, we visit the Museum of St. Marco and the famous Uffizi Gallery where we see masterpieces from the fourteenth century and Renaissance period. We have the afternoon at our leisure to explore this amazing city and dinner on our own this evening. We overnight in Florence. B
Day 12, Wednesday - April 29: We bid farewell to Florence and continue our journey to Ravenna, the city of mosaics. We visit the Basilica of San Vitale, one of the most important examples of early Byzantine art and architecture. We continue to the splendid Mausoleum of Galla Placidia and marvel at the mosaics. We end our day with a visit to the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe. We check into our hotel and have dinner and overnight in Ravenna. BD
Day 13, Thursday - April 30: Today we set out for the magnificent city of Venice. We take the vaporetto, waterbus, into the city. We visit Saint Mark’s Basilica, the most famous of the city’s churches and one of the best examples of Italo-Byzantine architecture. We have time for lunch on our own before we continue our tour of Venice. We experience amazing Venetian Renaissance art at Santa Maria Glorisoa dei Frari, usually referred to as the Frari. Our dinner tonight is at the delightful Trattoria San Tomà in Venice. After dinner, we continue to Padua where we check into our hotel for overnight. BD
Day 14, Friday - May 1: After breakfast, we visit Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, where we view stunning frescos by Giotto completed in 1305. We have the rest of the day to explore Padua or to return to Venice for independent site seeing. We have our farewell dinner and overnight in Padua. BD
Day 15, Saturday - May 2: We enjoy breakfast at our hotel before departing for the Venice Airport for our return flight home via Frankfurt. BM
B – Breakfast L – Lunch D – Dinner M – Meals on Aircraft
Itinerary is subject to change due to local conditions or at the discretion of the leaders.
CT20011 Chorpenning Italy
Price is based on double occupancy:
15-20 participants: $7,400.00*
Single supplement: $999.00 (limited space)
*Pricing includes airline taxes & fuel surcharges and are subject to change until the tickets are issued. Optional activities and sites visited during your free time are not included in the cost of the pilgrimage and are to be paid for at the time of your visit. Tips for the driver and guide are payable upon completion of services.
Deposit of $1,000.00 per person due by November 30, 2019 with reservation form and a copy of passport
Final Payment Due January 10, 2020
