Day-by-Day Itinerary
October 10 BARI - ROSETO
Friday VALFORTORE
Welcome to Puglia, Italy! Our happy group gathers this morning at the Hotel Nicotel, (about 35 minutes from the Bari airport) for this exciting journey. The delightful and charming Lucia will be our guide. She will greet us this morning with our driver and private motorcoach.
If continuing from the Precious Stones tour begin the day with breakfast at the Hotel Nicotel in Bisceglie.
Once our group has gathered, we will visit the Jatta Museum on our way to Roseto. The Archaeological Museum in Ruvo di Puglia is housed in Palazzo Jatta. Here you can see some of the best known and valuable artworks by Puglian and Greek ceramic artists and painters. One area has displays of terracotta pieces, Daunian jars and black vases with painted decorations. Another hall contains masks depicting the myth of Niobedes’ death. The museum’s most important piece is an Attic vase with red figures by Talos, which dates back to the 5th Century BC.
With happy hearts and great excitement we will continue on our journey to Roseto Valfortore, the Valley of the Roses. Located in the province of Foggia, Roseto Valfortore is probably named after the nearby Fortore River and the dog rose, a wild flower abundant in this territory. The roses, besides being represented in the coat of arms of the town are also cultivated along the main road. Our friends, Margaret and Antonio Menecola, are invited to dine with us this evening. During our time together in the next three days, the Rosetani (as locals are known) will share the town’s history and philosophy of life while we are together. We might see how local wine is made.
We’ll settle into our modest but comfortable accommodations at the Hotel Miravalle. The innkeeper may inquire into your preferences for dinner this evening. Whatever the selection, our dinner will be homemade and delicious! We have also been offered accommodations in private apartments. (L-D)
**Hotel Miravalle
or Private Apartment
October 11 ROSETO
Saturday VALFORTORE
After a hearty breakfast at our hotel, we have a walking tour of Roseto. We’ll stroll the narrow old streets and learn about the old buildings that we pass. Some of the Rosetani will join us along the way and regale us with tales of the Roseto of long ago.
This afternoon, we’ll have the opportunity to meet many of Roseto’s 1,350 inhabitants. The annual procession of the Madonna della Consolazione has been celebrated though generations. Today is the first part of the festival when the statue of the Our Lady of Consolation is carried in procession by priests and other church officials through the streets of Roseto. To the believers, Our Lady of Consolation is able to help console the afflicted. Her origins are traced back to the year 1436 in Bologna and today she is revered the world over. There are many Lady of Consolation churches, hospitals and nursing homes in the U.S., especially in the eastern states. Participate and be a part of the richness of their faith in one of Our Lady’s ancient festivals. (B-L-D)
**Hotel Miravalle
or Private Apartment
October 12 ROSETO
Sunday VALFORTORE
Today, those who wish can attend services at the local church. This is the second day of the Madonna della Consolazione festival. Today the Madonna is returned to her home church in grand procession. This evening there will be much celebration with music from a local band and fireworks!
There will also be free time today for relaxing in this delightful town. You might enjoy a walk through the historic center on your own. Did you know that only about 590 families comprise the town’s population? Is your family name among them? (B-L-D)
**Hotel Miravalle
or Private Apartment
October 13 ROSETO
Monday VALFORTORE
LUCERA
SAN GIOVANNI
ROTONDO
OPTIONAL EXCURSION TO TROIA
Today, those who wish can remain in Roseto this morning to research their family roots. Or, you may join us for an optional excursion at no additional charge to the nearby town of Troia.
The small village of Troia, was founded by the Byzantines at the beginning of the 11th century on the ruins of the ancient Aecae. We’ll see the town’s cathedral which was begun in 1092 and is one of the best Romanesque-Puglian examples in existence. It is decorated with an elegant and imposing sculptured rose window and by a bronze doorway by Oderisio da Benevento (1119–27). In the interior, which has three naves, is a 12th century pulpit. The remains of the old town walls can also be seen.
Return to Roseto Valfortore to pick up our travelers who stayed behind. We’ll say goodbye to the new friends we’ve made in Roseto. Then, we’re off with Lucia to the town of Lucera. After lunch in a local restaurant, we’ll explore this fascinating town.
Lucera hosts several important monuments from several ages. We’ll visit the Amphitheater Romano Augusto and the Fortress, Svevo Angioina. The Fortress, located strategically on a hillside, is famous for it’s 24 towers and it’s pentagon shape. It was built by King Frederick II who had many titles. He was also known as the Holy Roman Emperor, the German King, King of Sicily, and Last of the Great Hohenstaufen Rulers. Frederick II once claimed the Kingdom of Jerusalem for himself through the marriage of Isabella. His noble battles and numerous triumphs gained him power, respect and nobility. On March 18, 1229 his entry into Jerusalem was compared with that of Christ on Palm Sunday, and indeed, in a manifesto the emperor, too, compared himself to Christ. At times, acting against papal authority and the pope, he strongly believed in the roman church. In addition to erecting a chain of castles, he established a navy and a chain of merchant vessels to bring trade and state control of manufactured products for a monopoly to the state. Finally, he created a civil service for which candidates were trained at the first European state university, in Naples, which he himself founded in 1224.
In the Thirteenth century Lucera was called “Lucaera Saracenorum,” because it represented the last stronghold of Islamic presence in Italy, after King Frederick II was crowned king of Italy around year 1220 and the forced deportation of the Muslims who had been living in Sicily since the Ninth century to Lucera and its surrounding region. At one point numbering more than 20,000 inhabitants, Muslim Lucera was destroyed and its entire population massacred in the summer of the year 1300, by mobs and mercenaries lead by local Christian nobility, claiming to purify Christian soil as a way of celebrating the first Jubilaeum proclaimed by the Pope that same year.
Also in Lucera is the Church of Saint Francesco and the Cathedral, built in the year 1300 on the grounds of the last standing mosque in Italy, destroyed the same year. Arrive in San Giovanni Rotondo in the evening, and stay at one of the many vacation hotels in this rapidly developing area. (B-L-D)
Overnight in SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO
October 14 SAN GIOVANNI
Tuesday ROTONDO – MONTE
SANT’ ANGELO
GARGANO
After breakfast, we will visit the places where Padre Pio lived and made famous throughout the world.
Francesco Forgione (May 25, 1887–September 23, 1968), canonized Saint Pio of Pietralcina, was an Italian priest. He became famous not only for his piety, but for stories of supernatural events which became attached to him.
On September 20, 1918, Padre Pio had his first occurrence of stigmata, a phenomenon present for the rest of his life. He acquired fame as a miracle worker and was purported to have the gift of reading souls. He is alleged by believers to have been able to bilocate.
Padre Pio was assigned most of his life to the friary of San Giovanni Rotondo. We will see the Sanctuary, the old church of “Santa Maria della Grazie,” the chapel “Madonna di Loreto” and walk in the footsteps of this peaceful man. In 1940, Padre Pio began plans to open a hospital in San Giovanni Rotondo, to be named the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza or “Home to Relieve Suffering.” The hospital opened in 1956, and is today considered one of the greatest hospitals in Europe and the world. Padre Pio died in 1968 in San Giovanni Rotondo and we will pay our respects at his tomb.
We will also visit the dazzling new Padre Pio Pilgrimage Church. Dedicated in 2004, it can accommodate 6,500 people seated at worship, with standing room for 30,000 people outside. The church was designed by architect Renzo Piano and stands in front of the hospital.
After lunch in a local restaurant, we’ll depart for Monte Sant’Angelo; Monte Sant’ Angelo is the site of the oldest shrine in Western Europe dedicated to the archangel Michael. According to the local legend, Michael appeared at this site three times. Pope Gelasius I directed that a basilica be erected enclosing the sacred grotto. Built in 600 AD, this is one of Italy’s oldest sacred spots. Atop a hill overlooking the sea, the Santuario di San Michele was the last stop for crusaders for hundreds of years before they set off for the Holy Land and other parts unknown. Pilgrims still visit the monastery by the thousands each year, gleaning a taste of the first days of Christianity.
We will also visit the nearby ruins of a Norman Aragonese castle enroute to the coast. The white-washed village of Rodi Garganico is perched on a green hill right on the sea. Rodi is well-known for the sweet scent from the surrounding orange and lemon groves which intersect the traditional plantations of centuries old olive trees. Traditional southern hospitality and a relaxed atmosphere characterize the area. (B-L-D)
***PietreNere Hotel
October 15 VIESTE - GARGANO
Wednesday
After breakfast we depart for Vieste. The Gargano Peninsula has some of Puglia’s best beaches, especially the ones by its medieval capital, Vieste, overlooking the rock monolith, Scoglio di Pizzomunno. This narrow “boot heel” is rich in white- and golden-sand called spiaggia.
Today (weather permitting), we’ll tour the coast by boat. From this vantage point, we can admire the wonderful Gargano’s coast with its white rocks and sheer cliffs. We’ll see San Felice Bay and the famous “Architiello,” Campi Bay, Zagare Bay, Porto Greco, Vignanotica and Pugnochiuso. Along the coast there are the famous “Grotte Marine” Sea caves, which offer visitors a show of lights and colors with a breathtaking beauty.
In the afternoon, we turn inland for a stop at the famous park “Foresta Umbra,” the largest natural forest of Italy, this 62,000-acre park is inhabited by legions of animal species such as roe deer, wildcats, fox, wild boar, fallow deer, goshawks and eagle owls. (B-L-D)
***PietreNere Hotel
October 16 GARGANO
Thursday SIPONTO – BARI
Today we’ll make our way back to Bari traveling along the beautiful Puglian coastline. Sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery. We’ll make a stop in the town of Siponto for a visit to the cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore. During the Middle Ages it was the most important port of northern Puglia and the embarkation point for the crusaders who were bound for the Holy Land.
We will then pass by some wetlands, among which are the salt-pans of Margherita di Sovoia. We arrive at Bari with time to freshen up before our farewell dinner this evening. Tonight we say goodbye to Lucia and the new friends we’ve made. Don’t forget to exchange e-mail addresses. (B-L-D)
Hotel Nicotel
or similar
October 17 BARI
Friday
Arrivederci Puglia! An early morning departure transfer will be provided to the Bari Airport. Have a very pleasant flight. Welcome home. (B)
B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
Foundation
