Biblical Study Trip: ITALY
We invite you on an immersive journey through Italy, a land where the ancient and modern worlds don’t just coexist - they converse. While Israel provides a foundational context for the life of Jesus, Italy provides the essential context for the life of His Church. Travel the Text is passionate about providing experiences that connect historical and cultural contexts to our modern faith and Biblical study. In Italy, the biblical narrative collides with the reality of the Roman Empire. We will engage the Bible in its original first-century context—from the preserved ruins of Pompeii to the grit of the stones on the Appian Way, and the soaring art of the renaissance in Florence, we will weigh the legacy of earthly power against the enduring, servant-hearted nature of the Kingdom of Heaven. Italy provides an ultimate backdrop for an even deeper understanding of the faith movement that outlasted the most powerful empire in history, as we strive to pursue His Kingdom first each new day.
Sunday, November 22: Depart USA to Italy
Depart from the USA and travel to Rome, Italy. Rest and stay hydrated on the flight!
Monday, November 23: Arrive in Rome
Benvenuto in Italia! (Welcome to Italy!) You have arrived, and it is time to soak up time on the Italian Peninsula. After collecting your luggage at the airport of FCO, we will transfer straight to our hotel. Adjusting to a different time zone can be difficult. Thankfully, you are in Rome, known as the “Eternal City”, and it provides many opportunities for exploration, eating, and rest. Overnight in Rome.
Tuesday, November 24: Imperial Rome
For our first day in Rome, we will explore the heart of the ancient Roman world, taking in her wonders at the Colosseum, where thousands competed in the gladiatorial games, and the Roman Forum, where dozens of structures testify to the wealth and power of the empire. We will see the Arch of Titus, where evidence of the spoils of Jerusalem adorn its facade, and the Palatine Hill, a massive palatial complex first constructed by Emperor Augustus. We will then enter the Basilica of St Clement, which houses several fascinating ruins from Rome. After we enjoy lunch nearby, we will visit sites such as the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, one of the most intact and impressive ancient Roman structures, and the Ara Pacis Museum, where we see an altar dedicated to Augustus in the first century BC. Dinner and overnight in Rome.
The Aelian Bridge leading to Hadrian’s Mausoleum
Wednesday, November 25: Assisi
The original 1st-century fluted columns of the Temple of Minerva
After breakfast and check-out, we travel North through the beautiful countryside of Umbria and Tuscany, visiting Assisi, a quaint, medieval town, on the way. Perched on a serene hilltop, Assisi was the birthplace of St. Francis and offers a physical contrast to the imperial power of Rome by highlighting a "counter-empire" built on radical humility, poverty, and peace. Visiting allows you to stand in the breathtaking and multi-layered Basilica of St. Francis (where Francis is buried) and the rugged hermitages where the medieval Church was famously called to "repair" itself by returning to the simple, servant-hearted roots of the Good News of Jesus. We will then make our way to our Tuscan villa, where we will be for the next three nights. Dinner and overnight in Tuscany.
Thursday, November 26: A Tuscan Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving! Today we will enter Medieval and Renaissance Italy, meandering through ancient hilltop cities and experiencing local food and drink. In the afternoon, we learn first-hand the joys of cooking from an Italian chef with a cooking class and relish a Thanksgiving meal together.
Friday, November 27: Florence
After breakfast at our hotel, we will enjoy a full day trip to Florence, where we explore the influence of the Renaissance on Christian art, history, and theology. Sites today include the Duomo, easily the most recognizable structure in Florence, the Basilica of the Baptistery of St. John, one of the oldest church buildings in Florence, and a visit to the Accademia Gallery, home of Michelangelo’s “David”. Free time is provided to enjoy personal exploration of the city’s incredible museums, piazzas, shops, and restaurants on your own as you soak up the magnificent city of Florence. We will then return to our hotel for a final night in Tuscany.
Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) over the Arno River
Saturday, November 28: Naples and Puteoli
After taking the fast train from Florence to Naples, we will enjoy a pizza lunch in Naples, where legend says pizza originated, and then roam through the halls of the National Archaeological Museum, where many of the Pompeiian artifacts are on display. We will then transfer to the very seaport from which Paul experienced the final leg of his many journeys in the Bible: Puteoli (modern day Pozzuoli). From this port we will glimpse the nearby Macellum, an ancient meat market, before we travel to our hotel in Pompeii for our first of two nights there. Dinner and overnight in Pompei.
The ruins of Pompeii with Mt. Vesuvius in the background
Sunday, November 29: Pompeii
Today we will visit one of the greatest archaeological sites in the world - the beautiful ancient city of Pompeii. Destroyed by the Mt. Vesuvius Volcano in 79 AD, this city conveys most clearly a picture of daily life in the first-century world. Though Paul is never recorded to have visited, he went to many cities just like it. After a morning tour/teaching, you will have free time to enjoy lunch and more of the site on your own, and then return to the hotel when you wish. Dinner is on your own in the small and lovely modern village of Pompei. Overnight in Pompei.
Monday, November 30: Rome with Paul
Our final leg of the trip takes us back to Rome where we focus on Paul’s final days. We will visit the Abbey of the Three Fountains, where later tradition says Paul was beheaded, and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, where Paul is said to be buried. After lunch we will head underground to the Catacombs of Saint Callisto along the Appian Way, which testifies to the burial practices of our Christian ancestors, and then St. Paolo Alla Regola, an approximate location where Paul lived while under house-arrest in Rome from approximately 60-62 AD. Dinner and overnight in Rome.
Tuesday, December 1: Vatican City
Today we take in Vatican City, a country within the city of Rome. After breakfast, we will check out of our hotel and go to this amazing area. Functioning as the center of the Roman Catholic Church, the area boasts St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church building in the world, whose dome was designed by Michelangelo. After visiting the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel, we will enter the interior of the church where we can see Michaelangelo’s “Pieta”. In the afternoon, we will enjoy free time at the Christmas market in Piazza Navona, which was once a stadium built by Emperor Domitian. In the evening, we will enjoy a final dinner together. Overnight in Rome.
Wednesday, December 2: Ostia Antica & Departure from Italy
After breakfast and check-out, we will head to the airport, and depending on flights, will make our way to Ostia Antica, the ancient port of Rome where the Tiber empties into the Mediterranean Sea.
It is now time to return home and, and like the early followers of Jesus, be witnesses for God’s Kingdom to the ends of the earth by taking on the very servant-nature of its King - Jesus. Though we have focused on the past, we look ahead to the future, hopeful of what God will do in and through us to make all things new.
*Itinerary subject to change, pending final availability, or necessary adjustments
