Where to go in Italy?

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Next January I might be going on a study abroad trip to Italy. The trip is designed by the students who will go on it, so I don’t yet know exactly where I would be. So I have a few questions:
  1. What Catholic sites in Italy would you recommend visiting?
  2. Do I need to worry too much about exactly where we stay, or is any hotel in a major city going to be within walking distance of a Catholic church that has early morning (preferably before 8am) Mass every day?
  3. Is it difficult to find daily Mass in English? (this is less important, since I’d rather go to Mass in Italian than no Mass at all)
  4. Are churches in Italy usually open 24/7 so people can stop in and pray?
  5. Is there anything else I need to know?
 
Venice is a beautiful city and St Mark’s Basilica is stunning, definitely worth a visit.

Rome is the obvious one, you absolutely have to go there. You can’t go three feet without finding another church so finding a Mass shouldn’t be too much trouble! I never found a church that was closed during the day, though some wouldn’t let people in if they were wearing shorts or sleeveless shirts (men or women) so that’s something to keep in mind.

I don’t think I was there over a Sunday so I can’t help with Mass times.
 
If you do not have too much money, you might try to stay at a pensione (like a rooming house) instead of a tourist hotel. You will truely experience Italy like a native! You can get a recommendation of English speaking Pensiones at the information kiosk at the railway station in every city. I would recommend Rome first- at least 5 days to see it adequately, then either Venice or Naples…in Naples you will want to spend at least a day at Pompei.
If you go to Venice, try to schedule a stop at Assisi. It is well worth it!
 
As far as religious sites to go to in Italy, there are books on shrines in Italy (and in Europe). Perhaps your local library has one. However, the easiest thing to do is to go onto the 206 tours website. All this company does is give tours of Catholic shrines. You can go onto their website and see where their pilgrimages in Italy go to. They have, for example, a 10 day pilgrimage to the shrines of Italy, and the description of this pilgrimage says in detail where they go to each day.
I went on several of their pilgrimages, and this is a reputable company and with good information online.
You ask if there is anything else I need to know? at the end. You might want to check on such matters as the best sorts of places to exchange U.S. money in Italy or the weather when you will be going so you can decide what clothes to take. As far as such questions go, perhaps your local library has good travel guides for people going to Italy, which cover such questions, put out by such companies as Fodor’s and Frommers.
 
You must book well in advance but the underground tour at the Vatican is a must, where you have to wear a hard hat with a light attached and you walk underneath the Cathedral on a dirt path to a place where you can almost touch the actual tomb box of Saint Peter.

At Piazza Barberini in the centre of Rome you will see art work by ‘capuchin monks’?? that is made out of human bones. From memory this is found at a room at the front of a church.

If you travel by car we experienced a spiritual feeling by staying at Assisi that is almost indescribable. And there is a mountain top experience above the town of Assisi to visit where St Francis used to go to “to get away from it all”.

One Church that has stuck in my mind is St Rita of Cascia. I found the inside of this Church just beautiful in so many ways that was different to any other Church in Italy.
 
Gusto said:
You must book well in advance but the underground tour at the Vatican is a must, where you have to wear a hard hat with a light attached and you walk underneath the Cathedral on a dirt path to a place where you can almost touch the actual tomb box of Saint Peter.

At Piazza Barberini in the centre of Rome you will see art work by ‘capuchin monks’?? that is made out of human bones. From memory this is found at a room at the front of a church.

If you travel by car we experienced a spiritual feeling by staying at Assisi that is almost indescribable. And there is a mountain top experience above the town of Assisi to visit where St Francis used to go to “to get away from it all”.

One Church that has stuck in my mind is St Rita of Cascia. I found the inside of this Church just beautiful in so many ways that was different to any other Church in Italy.
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How long ago did you go on the tour of the necropolis under the Vatican. When I went we didn’t have to wear hard hats. We saw the tomb of St. Peter and glimpsed his bones.
 
The Benedictine in me says the monasteries at Subiaco (where St. Benedict first lived as a hermit), and Monte Cassino (which St. Benedict founded). If you only have time for one of the two, I’d lean towards Subiaco. Absolutely breathtaking site, frescoes dating back to the 8th century and the grotto where St. Benedict lived as a hermit.
 
Mark1124 said:
Next January I might be going on a study abroad trip to Italy. The trip is designed by the students who will go on it, so I don’t yet know exactly where I would be. So I have a few questions:
  1. What Catholic sites in Italy would you recommend visiting?
  2. Do I need to worry too much about exactly where we stay, or is any hotel in a major city going to be within walking distance of a Catholic church that has early morning (preferably before 8am) Mass every day?
  3. Is it difficult to find daily Mass in English? (this is less important, since I’d rather go to Mass in Italian than no Mass at all)
  4. Are churches in Italy usually open 24/7 so people can stop in and pray?
  5. Is there anything else I need to know?
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  1. Rome, obviously. Assisi, Spoleto (just a train stop away from Assisi… spent a month there studying music. It was beautiful and there is a little chapel in the cathedral with a letter written by St. Francis.), Firenze… must see. I loved that city. See The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. It’s worth waiting in line. I was literally brought to my knees and began to tear up when I walked under the great dome. A mix of man’s greatness in art and architecture and the power of God. It was overwhelming. Also, if you are able, climb the 400 + stairs to the top of the dome, the views are spectacular. Civita di Bagnoregio - I was just there this past summer for a day. It is magical and something you can’t completely appreciate without seeing it in person. It felt like I was in some LOTR movie. It is the birthplace of St. Bonaventure.
    youtube.com/watch?v=pG45OwYbFwo
  2. I would say in every place I’ve been to, there is always a Catholic church. At the city I stayed in this past summer, there were churches all over the place. They weren’t open all day long, but they were open in the morning for mass, the afternoon, late afternoon for prayers and on Sunday mornings. Otherwise, they were kept closed. But this wasn’t a major city. Mass times varied. You have to go to the churches, themselves, to see when mass is celebrated. All the churches where I was, used military time, so be aware of that. Also, you are working on Italian time, not US time, which means that even though the sign might say they will be open at such and such a time, it doesn’t always mean that it will follow their own signs. This goes for everything. It’s better in the major cities, though.
  3. Having stayed there twice for about a month each time, I was never able to find a mass in English. They were in Italian, but since I had some experience with Latin and spoke a little Italian, it wasn’t difficult or strange. Even if you don’t know the language at all, you’ll be able to follow along… you just won’t understand the homily. haha! I never attended mass in Rome or a major city, so I don’t know what the masses will be like (I imagine mass at the Vatican is an experience). In the smaller towns/cities, especially this time around I was there, mass was in and out. We’d be done in like 20-30 minutes on a Sunday. No music. One Sunday, I was running late and got there 10 minutes after mass was to start. The mass was over 15 minutes later. I do recommend taking some remedial Italian before you go just so you can have an easier time getting around.
  4. In the smaller towns/cities I was in, they weren’t. But I believe in places like Rome and Florence many of the churches were open all day, if not 24/7.
  5. As I mentioned earlier, I recommend taking a beginner’s Italian class. In the smaller cities and towns, people still observe the riposo (it’s their siesta). Most of the shops and restaurants close up between 1 and 4. Sometimes, even if they are to open up again after 4:00, the owners will decide to not come in (many of the places were mom and pop stores/restaurants). Just how it is over there and you kind of have to readjust your way of thinking to get used to the laid back attitude. It’s actually kind of nice once you are used to it. Accommodations usually aren’t the same as you would imagine here in the States. When I was there this past summer, some of my colleagues who had never sung over in Italy complained so much about their accommodations which were 3 star (Italy standards). Beds and bedding aren’t as “luxurious”. Hair dryer doesn’t have the same power as you would get in the States or I would imagine a real luxurious hotel over there, etc. The first time I was there, I stayed in a converted convent in Spoleto. Just a little cell with a toilet and I shared the shower with a girl staying next to me. That was bare bones, but pretty inexpensive… no air conditioning (most places don’t have air conditioning actually), no screens on windows, so you wake up every morning with tons of bugs on the walls, blew out my adaptor when trying to use my own hair dryer. haha! I didn’t mind all this though because I never go to another country expecting things to be the same as where I’m from. I find a lot of Americans, especially those I worked/studied with, do have those expectations and then they complain, develop a superior attitude, etc. So, when you do visit Italy, take everything as part of the experience. It will make it a much more enjoyable experience and allow you to be open and will meet and get along with more of the locals much better.
Feel free to ask me any other questions.
 
Mark1124 said:
Next January I might be going on a study abroad trip to Italy. The trip is designed by the students who will go on it, so I don’t yet know exactly where I would be. So I have a few questions:
  1. What Catholic sites in Italy would you recommend visiting?
  2. Do I need to worry too much about exactly where we stay, or is any hotel in a major city going to be within walking distance of a Catholic church that has early morning (preferably before 8am) Mass every day?
  3. Is it difficult to find daily Mass in English? (this is less important, since I’d rather go to Mass in Italian than no Mass at all)
  4. Are churches in Italy usually open 24/7 so people can stop in and pray?
  5. Is there anything else I need to know?
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How long are you planning to stay in Italy? Is that a group of Catholic students? What is the purpose of the trip, general education or spiritual?
 
Cristiano said:
How long are you planning to stay in Italy? Is that a group of Catholic students? What is the purpose of the trip, general education or spiritual?
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We would be there for a month. Everything would be much simpler if it were a group of Catholic students, but I would probably be the only Catholic in the group (or at least the only one who would go to Mass more than once a week). The purpose of the trip is educational, although the classes are about religion.
 
Mark1124 said:
We would be there for a month. Everything would be much simpler if it were a group of Catholic students, but I would probably be the only Catholic in the group (or at least the only one who would go to Mass more than once a week). The purpose of the trip is educational, although the classes are about religion.
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First of all I would say to forget about daily Mass in English. A lot of Parishes tend also to have daily Mass in the evening instead of early morning. Considering that probably you will be the only Catholic I encourage you to focus your planning on the cities of greatest cultural interest for the group. Once those cities are defined you will discover that each one of them has religious gems hidden in them. If I were you I would not worry about managing a spiritually engaging trip considering that you go for other purposes, it will happen anyway. You must also remember that Italy is not as wide as the USA and a lot of cities can be reached within an hour or two of train travel (assuming no delays :D). If you post or PM me a list of the cities I should be able to give you links for details about spiritual life in the area (you might have to use Google translate for some of them). My final suggestion is not to do too much or you will get burned out and that is not good for a good spiritual life, do not succumb to the external or the internal noise.

In the mean time enjoy this documentary from the town of Norcia:
Quarere Deum
 
Mark1124 said:
Next January I might be going on a study abroad trip to Italy. The trip is designed by the students who will go on it, so I don’t yet know exactly where I would be. So I have a few questions:
  1. What Catholic sites in Italy would you recommend visiting? We went in October and started in the north at Venice, worked our way south to Florence/Tuscany Assisi and then Rome. The Vatican was nice but we didnt like the rest of Rome. Assisi was amazing and relaxing, Florence was the most artistic and my personal favorite, the Wife liked Venice but aside from St Matthews it was an absolute tourist attraction. I dont think any real person actually lives in Venice.
  2. Do I need to worry too much about exactly where we stay, or is any hotel in a major city going to be within walking distance of a Catholic church that has early morning (preferably before 8am) Mass every day?Everything is within walking distance of everything in most any city. There can be daily masses, they will not be in English.
  3. Is it difficult to find daily Mass in English? (this is less important, since I’d rather go to Mass in Italian than no Mass at all)Very difficult and almost impossible outside of Rome. For two weeks we went to Mass every day and only the Mass at the US bishops office was in english.
  4. Are churches in Italy usually open 24/7 so people can stop in and pray?Some are, you are going to be shocked that most of the Churches are museums and not much else.
  5. Is there anything else I need to know?
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Yes, many other things to know. If you do not know Italian it will be very frustrating but still worth it. The food is hit or miss but the gelato is always good no matter where you are. The trains almost never run on schedule and may not run at all. This is not uncommon and one wonders why no one else in Italy thinks it odd.

Make an effort to see the Pope, the Wednesday audience is a good opportunity. It is like a giant pep rally and we had front row seats. Write to your Bishop’s office to get tickets.
The scavi(under St peters) tour has started up again on a limited basis. Totally worth it. Take time in museums, go back several times if you have too.
Italy is very secular and I think that is what shocks most people. Skimpy lingerie stores that are full next to a 1500 year old Church that is empty. But if you focus and allow the distractions to pass you by then you will find that it is absolutely amazing.

The following is a generalization that I experienced:
I am from a pretty friendly part of America. My house and cars are unlocked, and everyone smiles. Italians were downright rude. I have never been treated so bad by people you are paying money to.
Everything was also mega expensive. I think that is all of Europe right now but dang, food is downright robbery.
Almost everywhere we went no one worked outside of a tourist or restaurant business. there was no “rush hour” and no real concern for anyone to be anywhere at any given time.

I hope I don’t sound like a party pooper It was the most amazing place i have ever been and the best trip I have ever had, just trying to give you an accurate picture.
 
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