Travel to Italy with Benedictine College: June 13 - 21, 2021
Raven Discovery Travel: Faith & Beauty in Italy
As we advance in life, we become more curious about reality in new ways, we develop new passions, we detect deeper connections, we look at things from different angles, and we value hands-on learning. If learning is pre-eminently a discovery endeavor, nothing epitomizes it like traveling.
Join Benedictine College alumni, parents, and friends to reignite your spirit of discovery and experience for yourself why Benedictine College continues to attract top-notch students to our community of faith and scholarship.
Register by December 15, 2020 for a $500 Early Bird Discount!
Do you have questions about this trip? We host info sessions at different times during the year! Register for an Info Session.
A Note About Travel-Planning During this Time
Benedictine College will continue to closely monitor the travel situation in Italy and to follow the advice of the CDC and the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Italy. You can expect that a final decision about whether to move forward with Faith & Beauty in Italy will be made in late February or early March of 2021. You can likewise expect a 100% refund at that time if the program is cancelled due to coronavirus-related concerns.
About the Trip
This trip is offered to Benedictine College alumni, parents, and friends as a distilled experience of the Benedictine College Florence program. Participants will travel with a Benedictine College faculty member and visit places in Rome, Florence, Assisi, Subiaco, and Montecassino. The professor will help participants discover and better appreciate the Catholic and Benedictine roots of Western culture, as well as make connections between faith and beauty in art, nature and relationships.
More than 1,000 have participated in our Study Abroad program, fourteen years after its founding in 2006. The semester program begins in Rome, where students visit the main historical and religious sites and participate in the Wednesday papal audience. The program also includes guided visits to Subiaco, Montecassino, Florence, and Assisi.
Leading Professor: Dr. Richard White
Dr. Richard White holds a Ph.D. in Theology from Marquette University and has taught at Benedictine College since 1996. He has written considerably on the Theology of Justification and Catholic participation in ecumenical dialogue on Justification. He is co-author of two books in the Catholic for a Reason series and is currently working on a manuscript on Cinema and Beauty. Dr. White regularly teaches Christian Marriage, Protestant Tradition, a three-semester Great Books sequence on Faith and Reason, and seminars on Theology and the Arts, C.S. Lewis, and Theology through Film. Dr. White was recognized as Benedictine College's Distinguished Educator of the Year for 2018. He has traveled extensively in Italy and has taught courses at Benedictine's Florence campus; he also taught "Journey with Dante," an innovative course for high school students in Italy, following the footsteps of Dante Alighieri. He is a convert to Catholicism and is married with three children. He enjoys traveling and fishing and scuba diving in his home state of Florida.
2021 Travel Itinerary
Note that this itinerary is subject to change.
Date | Overview of Day |
Sunday, | Departure from the U.S. |
Monday, | Rome Upon your arrival in Rome, you will be picked up at the airport and transported to the hotel for check-in. After a short rest, we’ll gather for an afternoon/evening stroll, dinner at a restaurant and a welcome address by Dr. White over a glass of wine. |
Tuesday, | Rome Spend the morning discovering the ancient Roman Forum and the Coliseum, followed by lunch and a guided visit to the Vatican Museum, ending in St. Peter’s Basilica. Join the group for dinner at a restaurant and a talk by Dr. White over a glass of wine. |
Wednesday, | Rome During this full day in Rome, we will join fellow pilgrims from around the world for the General Wednesday Audience with the Pope at St. Peter’s Square, visit the major basilicas of Rome, and enjoy a walking tour with lunch and dinner at restaurants. Dr. White will provide a talk as we enjoy a glass of wine. |
Thursday, | Montecassino and Subiaco We’ll be transported via private bus to the Abbey of Montecassino, founded by St. Benedict, and to Subiaco, where St. Benedict lived as a hermit before establishing his community of monks. Dr. White will highlight St. Benedict’s important role in the life and history of the Church. Upon returning to Rome, enjoy dinner on your own. |
Friday, | Florence We’ll travel by private bus from Rome through the hills of Tuscany, listening to a talk by Dr. White en route to Florence. The morning will include a visit to Piazzale Michelangelo for a panoramic view of the city of Florence, followed by a short, leisurely hike to San Miniato, one of the finest Romanesque structures in Tuscany. After a visit to the Museum of San Marco to view the famous frescoes of Fra Angelico, we’ll join the Benedictine College summer study abroad students for a cookout at Villa Morghen’s “terrazza.” |
Saturday, | Florence No visit to Florence is complete without a visit to its famous Duomo (Cathedral). You’ll stop at the Battistero (Baptistry) and the Museo del Duomo as well. After lunch at a restaurant together, you’ll visit the Uffizi Gallery, one of the largest and best collections of priceless Renaissance art. You will have the chance to attend the vigil Mass in English at the Duomo at 5 PM. Over dinner and a glass of wine, Dr. White will unpack the experiences of the day. |
Sunday, | Florence to Assisi Sunday Morning will be free for you to explore the city, which is pleasantly walkable. Lunch on your own. In the afternoon a private bus will transport you to Assisi. During dinner, we will review our Florence experience and enjoy an introduction to Assisi from Dr. White. |
Monday, | Assisi In the morning you’ll pray at St. Francis’ and St. Clare’s Basilicas and visit other downtown sites. After lunch we will attend Mass at St. Maria degli Angeli, the renouned site of the Portiuncola, the religious center of the Franciscan order. Dr. White will provide a talk over dinner and a glass of wine. |
Tuesday, | Assisi After waking up in the city of Assisi, we’ll take a short stroll to San Damiano, where the image of Christ in the crucifix miraculously spoke to St. Francis. This final full day in Italy includes lunch at a restaurant, transportation by bus to Rome, and a farewell dinner and final talk by Dr. White. |
Wednesday, | Departure from Rome |
Costs & Registration
Register for Faith & Beauty in Italy
Last day to register: February 28, 2021
Program Fee for Double Occupancy* | $4,120 |
Early Bird Price (if you register by December 15, 2020) | $3,620 (that's a savings of $500!) |
*For Single Occupancy, add $450. | |
When you register, you will be required to pay a $250 deposit toward the total cost of the program. At registration, you may also opt to pay the entire remainder of the full cost of the program. If you opt to pay only the deposit, the remainder of the cost will be due according to the schedule below:
- Half of the remainder is due by February 28, 2021.
- The trip must be paid in full by March 30, 2021.
The Program Fee includes:
- All travel, excursions, and tour activities within the host country
- All housing and group meals as specified by the schedule
- All planned group co-curricular activities
- Travel medical insurance coverage
- All faculty and or staff assigned to the group for the duration of the program
- Welcome kit, orientation materials, and trip handbook
Participants are responsible for the following additional costs:
- Airfare to and from Rome (airport code: FCO)
- Single occupancy supplemental fee
- Some meals (designated on itinerary)
- Telephone expenses
- Passport fees
- Personal expenses including souvenirs and any elective spending on food and entertainment
Cancellation Policy:
If the program is canceled by the college, all payments, including the deposit, are fully refundable. The $250 deposit is nonrefundable if you choose not to travel with us. Other refunds will be equal to the amount of the payments made, less any costs the college has incurred. Generally, costs incurred by the college could include (but are not limited to) transportation arrangements, entrance tickets, lodging, meals, tour guides, etc. Within 30 days of departure, refunds are not available.
More Information
Physical Activity Rating: Slightly strenuous. May require extended walking over uneven ground as well as the ability to climb stairs and to stand for considerable periods of time.
Group Size: This program is designed for 12-25 travelers.
Benedictine College's Raven Discovery Travel programs are offered in partnership with WorldBound Learning Projects, LLC.
WorldBound’s mission is to provide affordable, life-changing, and academically engaging international education solutions to institutions of higher education, serving students and administrators alike in their desire to learn on a global scale and to build relationships among people.
Learn more at www.worldboundlearning.com
Interested in this exciting new program? Contact us to learn more!
