1Day 1 Rho / Santa Gianna Beretta Molla (Mesero)

Meals included: breakfast / dinner

After breakfast don’t miss the opportunity to visit the nearby Sanctuary of Madonna Addolorata (Our Lady of Sorrows). It’s a charming sanctuary, especially considering that it was built on the site of a small chapel where the miracle of the tears of blood spread from the painting of a Pietà. This painting is still lovingly preserved, and in place of that small chapel an important Marian sanctuary has been built, in Baroque/Neoclassical style, housing
works of considerable artistic value. After lunch a short journey to Sanctuary for Family, dedicated to Saint Gianna Beretta Molla. It’s a very modern
sanctuary, built in 2007 according the wish of Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini and Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, both archbishops of Milan. Free time for prayers for your family and it is up to you to decide if you want to visit the tomb of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla in the local cemetery.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

2Day 2 Rho / Sacro Monte di Varese / Sancarlone

Meals included: breakfast / dinner

After breakfast a short journey to Sacro Monte di Varese, UNESCO Heritage. It is a devotional complex consisting of 14 chapels (the trail is 2 km long and it represents the mysteries of the Rosary), the sanctuary and the crypt, built on the mountain of Velate between 1604 and 1698 as a work of popular evangelization aimed at celebrating the dogmas of the Catholic Church against the spread of the Protestant Reformation. Free time for prayers and
lunch. In the afternoon your coach moves on to Arona, where you can enjoy a guided visit inside the Sancarlone: the towering statue of Saint Charles Borromeo overlooking Maggiore Lake. Dating to the 17th century and standing over 35 meters tall, the statue features a hollow structure that permits internal access. It is a notable example of monumental engineering and a longstanding symbol in the lake’s landscape.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

* San Carlone statue has limitations for opening time (according to the season) and for accessibility inside the statue.

3Day 3 Rho / Certosa di Pavia / Pavia

Meals included: breakfast / dinner

Breakfast in hotel. In the heart of Lombardy stands a masterpiece of Italian Renaissance art: the Certosa di Pavia. This extraordinary monastic complex is not only a religious site but also a place of great artistic, cultural, and historical appeal, visited every year by thousands of tourists and worshippers. Its construction began in 1396 at the behest of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the first Duke of Milan, as a family mausoleum. He wanted to create a sacred place that would celebrate the glory of the Visconti family and perpetuate their memory over time. After the visit move on to Pavia. Free time for lunch. Pavia offers a compact historic center with medieval towers, Romanesque churches and the scenic covered bridge over the Ticino River. The city is home to one of Italy’s oldest universities, giving it a lively, student-driven atmosphere alongside its scholarly heritage. The Visconti Castle is a prime example of Renaissance architecture built between 1360 and 1365 by orders of Galeazzo II. If you wish, you can visit its halls and rest at the garden for a bit of relaxation. Once you are done, take the pedestrian street of Strada Nuova and walk among its shops and alleys. Before leaving Pavia you must stop at the tomb of Saint Augustine of Hippo in San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro, a major pilgrimage destination for devotees of the Doctor of the Church.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

4Day 4 Rho / Turin

Meals included: breakfast / dinner

After breakfast at the hotel, begin a guided tour of Turin, focusing on sites connected to Saint John Bosco, founder of the Salesian order and Superga, the grand basilica up the hill. You will also visit the Cathedral of Turin, home to the revered replica of the Shroud of Turin. Lunch at leisure. Free time in the afternoon for enjoying this great city, the first capital of Italy, where you can find the second largest Egyptian museum in the world, the museum of Italian cinema and car industry, parks, gardens, piazzas, palaces, cafè, chocolate (like Nutella), and a great cuisine and wine culture.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

5Day 5 Rho / Mantova

Meals included: breakfast / dinner

Mantua is a hidden Italian gem, declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site in 2007 along with the nearby town of Sabbioneta. The power and influence of the Gonzaga family (1328-1707) made Mantua one of the most eminent Italian hubs for art and culture. Today Mantua is famous for its art and architecture, its understated charm, and fabulous food. After the visit of Palazzo Te, a true masterpiece by Giulio Romano that will leave you speechless, enjoy a walking
tour in the old town where you can’t miss Piazza Sordello, the clock tower and the Cathedral dedicated to St.Peter. But the Basilica di Sant’Andrea is the church to visit in Mantua. In medieval times, pilgrims would come here to view a vial believed to contain drops of Christ’s blood collected during the crucifixion.
Free time for lunch and discover the town at your own pace. If you wish you can visit the Palazzo Ducale with its countless frescoed rooms and wonders or take a boat trip through the three lakes surrounding Mantua. It’s up to you to decide.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

6Day 6 Rho / Monza / Milano

Meals included: breakfast / dinner

After breakfast, move on to Monza. Its Cathedral is located in the heart of the city; the Chapel of Theodolinda houses the precious Iron Crown that belonged to the Lombards (VI century). An ancient tradition, reported by Saint Ambrose at the end of the 4th century, identifies the iron, which gives the name to the crown, with one of the nails used for the crucifixion of Christ: a relic, therefore, that Saint Helena would have found in 326 during her pilgrimage to Palestine and inserted into the diadem of her son, the emperor Constantine. Free time for lunch. In Milan you can’t miss the visit to the Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio, a gorgeous Romanesque Church where Saint Ambrose, a leading figure for the Church of Milan, is buried. End your visit in town at the Sforza Castle, an imposing fortress housing museums and art collections, including works by Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. You can stroll through the surrounding park, Parco Sempione, for a relaxing moment or enjoy your free time in the shopping district because Milan is one of the world’s fashion capitals.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

7Day 7 Rho / Milano

Meals included: breakfast / dinner

After breakfast at the hotel, starting a guided tour of the Duomo Cathedral, the biggest one in Italy. Its construction started in 1386 and is still ongoing. It is adorned with more than 3400 statues, 135 steeples and you will be amazed by the beauty of the golden Madonnina on the top of the building. Then you can walk around the streets nearby: Vittorio Emanuele Gallery, the Alla Scala Theatre and the shopping district. Then a sightseeing tour is planned, with photographic stops around the modern districts and recently renewed areas in town, such as City Life, the “Bosco Verticale” and Gae Aulenti Square. Conclude the sightseeing tour at the Darsena, the ancient harbor of Milan where Naviglio Grande and Naviglio Pavese meet each other. The area is nowadays one of the funniest nightlife centers of the city.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.