Grand Marian Pilgrimage

Day 1:  MADRID

Arrival at Madrid Airport where we will meet our tour escort. We will go by coach to our hotel to register and leave our luggage. Afterwards we will start our panoramic tour of Madrid during which we will see La Gran Vía, the most known street full of shops and theatres which we could compare to Broadway, Plaza de la Cibeles with a beautiful building of the former Main Post Office with a Demeter fountain in front. Lunch in local restaurant. In the afternoon we will see the Royal Palace (the exterior visit) and Madrid Cathedral, which is known as Sanctuary of Our Lady of Almudena, the patroness of Madrid. According to legend, the statue representing Virgin Mary was brought to Madrid almost two thousand years ago by Caloserus who was one of the disciples of Saint James the Great. The image was carved by Nicodemus and painted by Saint Luke. The devotion to Our Lady of Almudena dates back to the 11th century. The tradition says that when the King Alfonso VI of Castile conquered Madrid in 1083, ordered the purification of the Church of Saint Mary that had been profaned by the Muslims. Since the statue had disappeared the King and the religious authorities decided to organize a procession. During it, at a certain moment a part of the city walls fell down and the statue of Our Lady, hidden for three hundred years, was found. On each side of the statue there were two candles, still lighting! And why do the statue and the cathedral are named Almudena? It is easy - this word means "market" or "granary" in Arabic and indeed that was the place next to which the statue had been hidden. We will have our Holy Mass in the Cathedral. Dinner and overnight in our Hotel.

Day 2: MADRID – TOLEDO (56 miles) – MADRID (56 miles)

Breakfast in our hotel. Today in the morning we will depart to Toledo that lies 56 miles south from Madrid. Toledo is a former capital of the Spanish Empire. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. Many famous people were born or lived in Toledo: Al Zarqali, Garcilaso de la Vega, King Alfonso X the Wise and El Greco. While in Toledo, we will visit the Gothic Cathedral of Santa Maria - the primate church in Spain - and we will celebrate our Holy Mass there. The Cathedral was built between 1226-1493 and was modelled after the Bourges Cathedral though it also combines some elements of the Mudéjar style. Lunch in local restaurant. During our stay in Toledo we will have the possibility to admire some El Greco paintings among which one of the most famous - "The Burial of the Count of Orgaz" that is exhibited in the Church of Santo Tomé. We will also have time to sit down for a cup of coffee or tea in the Zocodover Plaza, the most frequented Toledo square and we will visit the San Sebastian Church, Mosque of Cristo de la Luz and Synagogue of El Tránsito - dating from before the expulsion (1492) and still in good conditions - these temples are a perfect proof of the coexistence of three religions that lived in Spain. Return to Madrid. Dinner and overnight in our hotel in Madrid.

Day 3: MADRID – EL ESCORIAL (35 miles) – AVILA (48 miles) – MADRID (72 miles)

Breakfast in our hotel. Today we will go by our coach to El Escorial located 35 miles northwest in the foot hills of Sierra de Guadarrama where we will visit the Palace of Philip II. The King himself selected the site and oversaw the project. Afterwards we will depart to Avila where we will have our lunch. After lunch we will visit the place where Teresa of Cepeda y Ahumada, now known as Saint Teresa, was born. Her house was transformed in Church and we will have our Holy Mass there. After we will go the Convent of La Encarnación, placed just outside the medieval walls of Avila where Saint Teresa spent thirty years of her life. We will also enter the 12th century fortress - like Cathedral dedicated to Saint Salvador known as the first Gothic Style Cathedral in Spain. Late in the afternoon we will return to Madrid for dinner and overnight in our hotel.

Day 4: MADRID – TRUJILLO (157 miles) - LISBON (232 miles)

Breakfast in our hotel. Today in the morning we will leave Madrid heading to Portugal. On route we will stop in Trujillo, lovely town in the Extremadura region. Two famous people were born there - Francisco Pizarro who conquered Peru and Francisco de Orellana who was the first man ever to complete the first known navigation through the length of the Amazon River and who named it. We will have a short tour of the town; we will celebrate our Holy Mass there and we will have our lunch there. Afterwards we will depart to Lisbon, ancient and beautiful capital of Portugal. Lisbon is recognized an alpha city because of its importance in finances, media, entertainment, commerce, international trade, education, tourism and arts. Lisbon is also one of the oldest cities in the world since it was Julius Ceasar who in the 1st century BC made it a municipium. Arrival to Lisbon. Dinner and  overnight in our hotel in Lisbon.

Day 5: LISBON – FATIMA (81 miles)

Breakfast in our hotel. Our tour will take us to the Tower of Belem. During the trip we will admire the panoramic views of the estuary of the Tagus River. The Tower of Belem is an architectural jewel of the Portuguese Art known as El Manuelino Style and it was a mute witness of the First and Great Lusitanian Empire in the whole World. During 15th and 16th centuries Lisbon was the richest and the most cosmopolitan European city. The impressive Jeronimo's Monastery rises right in front of the Tower of Belem. We will visit the Lisbon Cathedral dedicated to Our Lady - the Cathedral is the oldest Lisbon church and its beginnings date back to 1147. Lunch in local restaurant. Afterwards we will go to the birth house of Saint Anthony, born in 1195, known as Saint Anthony of Padua for the place where he died and where his tomb is. He was canonized shortly after his death in 1232. We will celebrate our Holy Mass at the Cathedral of Lisbon or at the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua. In the afternoon we will head towards Fatima (81 miles) to assist to the Candlelight Procession in the evening. Dinner and overnight in our hotel in Fatima.

Day 6: FATIMA - SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA (260 miles)

Breakfast in our hotel. Today we will visit all the places related to the pasthorinhos whose names were Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia and to apparitions of Virgin Mary that took place in 1917. We will visit the houses where they were born in the humble village of Aljustrel and the Parish Church of Fatima where they were baptized. We will see also the Chapel of the Apparitions - an open - air chapel built at the place where the Fatima apparitions were reported. Later on we will visit Great Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima where the bodies of Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia lie. We will celebrate our Holy Mass in the Our Lady of Fatima Church or in the Chapel of The Apparitions. Lunch at local restaurant in Fatima and after it we will head to Santiago de Compostela. Dinner and overnight in our hotel in Santiago.

Day 7: SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

Breakfast in our hotel. In the morning we will have our walking tour of this incomparable city, one of the most monumental and extraordinary cities of Spain. We will visit the Cathedral where we will have our daily Holly Mass. In the Cathedral we will assist and watch the ceremony of Botafumeiro, but, of course, the most important place in the whole Cathedral is Saint James's Tomb. Yet in the 9th century pilgrims coming from the whole world began to visit the Tomb of the Apostle, whose remains had come to these Galician coasts proceeding from Palestine. “El Camino de Santiago” became world famous as the Saint James's Tomb was turned into a religious and cultural centre of Europe. It is a custom to visit the Tomb of the Apostle. His relics lie in a Silver Urn with a representation of Christ's anagram (Crismón) in the covers. Afterwards we will walk down narrow streets and little squares of the old town passing near the university colleges. Later we will visit the Carmelite Cloister and the Franciscans'. Lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon will be free at leisure. Dinner and overnight in our hotel in Santiago.

Day: 8 SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA - COVADONGA (248 miles) – SANTANDER (84 miles)

Breakfast in our hotel. Today, early in the morning we will head to Covadonga that is placed in the province of Asturias. We will have our lunch there. After lunch we will visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Covadonga, the patroness of Asturias and we will have our Holy Mass there. This Sanctuary is located in a natural enclave of the National Park known as the “Picos de Europa" (Peaks of Europe). The name of the Sanctuary - Covadonga - comes from two words - cova for "cave" and donga for "deep". The image of the Virgin is called by the local people “The Santina". According to legend, the Virgin appeared to Don Pelayo the first King of Asturias and his soldiers in the historic battle between Christian troops against the Muslims in 722 AC. After the victory the cave in which the soldiers had taken refuge was converted into a place of Christian worship where King Alfonso the Catholic built the very first chapel. This victory laid the foundation of the Asturias Reign and also gave the beginning to what we know as the "reconquista". Late in the afternoon we will head to Santander for dinner and overnight.

Day 9: SANTANDER – LOURDES (248 miles)

Breakfast in our hotel. Early in the morning we will leave in a direction of the French Pyrenean region. Today we will have our lunch in Lourdes in France and after we will visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes called The Domain. This is one of the Marian Sanctuaries known as well as one of the most important pilgrimage centres in the world since 1858 when Virgin Mary appeared to the 14 - year old peasant girl Bernardette Soubirous. The Sanctuary of Lourdes is part of the Marian Route, together with the sanctuaries of Torreciudad, The Pillar and Montserrat. It is a destination of faith and Marian devotion. It is surrounded with a vast cultural and natural heritage. This is the reason why this itinerary is visited by both, the faithful and pilgrims, as well as by art and nature lovers. Today we will visit the Crypt - the very first church built in the Domain and the Grotto of the Apparitions and we will participate in the Torchlight Marian Procession that starts outside the Grotto daily at 8.45 in the evening. In extreme weather an indoor ceremony may be held in the Underground Basilica instead. Dinner before the Procession in our hotel, overnight in our hotel in Lourdes.

Day 10: LOURDES

Breakfast in our hotel. In the morning we will visit the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception known widely as the Upper Basilica that was the second among the churches to be completed. There we will have our Holy Mass. After the Holy Mass we will have our lunch and later we will visit again the Grotto, we will see the Baths used each year by 350 thousand pilgrims coming from all over the world, the Candle Burners, the Saint Bernadette Museum and the Museum of the Miracles. We will watch the Eucharistic Procession and Blessing of the Sick. Dinner and overnight in our hotel in Lourdes.

Day 11: LOURDES – MANRESA (230 miles) - BARCELONA (41 miles)

Breakfast in our hotel. Today we will travel from the Southern France to Manresa in Spain where we will have our lunch. Manresa is a place of Saint Ignatius of Loyola’s conversion. We will visit the Cathedral and the Holy Cave, where the future Saint spent a lot of time praying, fasting and writing. We will celebrate Holy Mass there. Late in the afternoon we will depart to Barcelona. Dinner and overnight in our hotel in Barcelona.

Day 12: BARCELONA – MONTSERRAT (40 miles) – BARCELONA (40 miles)

Breakfast in our hotel. Today in the morning we will depart for a half day trip to Montserrat to visit the Sanctuary famous for its Statue representing Saint Mary with Jesus Child which is placed over a solid block of stone coming from the Montserrat Mountain in which base there is the San Michael image. Our Lady of Montserrat is called by the devout Catalans the “Moreneta” because of a dark colour of her wooden face and hands. This carving is among the Saint Mary representations known as “Black Virgins”. We will celebrate Holy Mass in Montserrat and after we will have our lunch in local restaurant. Early in the afternoon we will take our coach to return to Barcelona where we will visit the beautiful Cathedral in the heart of the medieval city centre. During our tour we will also have the opportunity to get acquaintance with worldly known Gaudi's masterpieces: Park Guell, La Sagrada Familia, la Casa Milá and la Casa Batló. Dinner and overnight in our hotel in Barcelona.

Day 13: BARCELONA – SARAGOSSA (186 miles) - MADRID (200 miles)

Breakfast in our hotel. Today we will travel to Saragossa where we will have our lunch. While in Saragossa we will visit the Basilica - Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar. Tradition says Our Lady appeared in 40 AD to Saint James the Great who had brought the Christianity to the Peninsula and it is the only one known apparition of St. Mary before her Assumption. The present Baroque Style Church was founded by Charles II, King of Spain and was completed in 1686. In 1725 the Cabildo of Saragossa decided to change the aspect of the Holy Chapel and the architect Ventura Rodriguez converted the building to its present dimensions. In the afternoon we will depart to Madrid. Dinner and overnight in our hotel in Madrid.

Day 14: MADRID

Breakfast in our hotel. Time for leisure until the hour to leave the hotel in the direction of Madrid Airport to take our flight back home. End of our services.

SINGLE ROOM SUPPLEMENT IN 4 STAR HOTEL: 462 €

DISCOUNT THIRD PERSON IN THE ROOM: 15%

THE PRICE INCLUDES

13 overnights in 4* hotels: 3 in Madrid (2 at the beginning of the trip and 1 at the end), 1 in Lisbon, 1 in Fatima, 2 in Santiago de Compostela, 1 in Santander, 2 in Lourdes, 2 in Barcelona.

13 breakfasts and 13 dinners in the hotels.

13 lunches in local restaurants.

Still water included during lunch and dinner.

Luxury coach throughout the trip.

Tour escort service throughout the trip.

Guided visits: FD in Madrid, FD in Toledo, 2 hours in El Escorial, 2 hours in Avila, 1 hour in Trujillo, HD in Lisbon, HD in Fatima, HD in Santiago, one HD and one FD in Lourdes, 2 hours in Montserrat, HD in Barcelona, 2 hours in Saragossa.

Travel insurance.

Cancellation insurance.

THE PRICE DOESN´T INCLUDE

Flight ticket.

Extras such as telephone calls, tips, etc.

Everything that has not been mentioned in the programme or in the leaflet concerning the trip.

IMPORTANT: THIS PROGRAMME IS ONLY A SUGGESTION AND IT CAN BE TAILORED AND PERSONALISED ACCORDING TO GROUPS WISHES.