Italy
Christmas in Assisi
Program No. 19220RJ
'Tis the season for musical performances, great works of art, expert lectures, and traditional Umbrian cuisine on this holiday celebration in Assisi, the hometown of St. Francis.
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9 days
8 nights
19 meals
7B 5L 7D
1
Departures
In Flight
9
Program Concludes
Florence
At a Glance
The holidays in Assisi and surrounding Umbria offer a unique blend of seasonal events, hill town festivities, and stunning landscapes, epitomizing Italy in place and spirit. Through expert lectures, archaeological analysis, and in-person encounters with some of history's greatest art masterpieces, get to know the home of St. Francis and trace its heritage back to Rome and beyond as you immerse yourself in the holiday ambiance of this fabled Italian region.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to three miles a day. Extended standing during site visits with limited or no public seating. Uneven terrain, limited public handrails, unavoidable stairs, marble and terracotta flooring, cobblestones, steep inclines, loose gravel. Elevator use is limited or restricted in historic sites. Expect crowded conditions in pedestrian centers and museums. Program-related travel and transfers will be via bus and minivan.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
What You'll Learn
- Study the life of Francis of Assisi through personal encounters with 700-year-old Giotto masterworks adorning St. Francis Basilica, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Florence's Basilica of Santa Croce.
- Examine the common cultural roots shared by the hill towns of Umbria on a visit to Perugia, a traffic-free city built on Etruscan foundations and embodying an elegant standard for comparison with Assisi.
- Start your own holiday tradition based on those whose roots stretch back through the centuries by participating in a traditional Umbrian Christmas Eve family-style dinner and midnight vigil mass.
General Notes
Give us a call to combine select dates of this learning adventure with, "New Year's in Sorrento" (#22188) for even more learning in Italy! We'll even transfer you for free between locations.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Louise Maciejewski
Louise Maciejewski completed her B.A. at the Institute of Archaeology in London with a specialization in the Mediterranean area. Recently, she was awarded an M.A. from the University of Siena in the prehistory and history of Etruria. Originally from the U.K., Louise resides with her family in Cortona. She is passionate about her orchard of olive trees, and in November personally oversees the milling of the olives to make oil.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Louise Maciejewski
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Louise Maciejewski completed her B.A. at the Institute of Archaeology in London with a specialization in the Mediterranean area. Recently, she was awarded an M.A. from the University of Siena in the prehistory and history of Etruria. Originally from the U.K., Louise resides with her family in Cortona. She is passionate about her orchard of olive trees, and in November personally oversees the milling of the olives to make oil.
Bianca Obradovic
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Bianca is originally from the former Yugoslavia, but after studying at the American Business School in Rome 30 years ago, she decided to make Italy her home. She is fluent in English, Italian, French, and Arabic among other languages. Bianca has worked as the site coordinator and group leader for numerous educational travel companies in Italy and in the Mediterranean.
Suzanne Myers
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Suzanne Myers originally hails from Lincoln, Nebraska and has been living in Florence since 2011. She has a BA in art history from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota and an MA in art history from Syracuse University. She works as a lecturer for several study away programs in Florence and as a licensed group leader. Suzanne specializes in Italian Renaissance art, but also loves to lecture on a wide range of subjects from the Medici family to the Black Death to Florentine fashion.
Marco A. Ceccarani
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Marco Ceccarani, a native of Assisi, holds a PhD in humanities from the Università degli Studi di Perugia. His field of expertise includes medieval and Renaissance Italian civilization and literature. He has taught for several American universities in the United States and currently teaches in Florence for American university study away programs.
Claudia Sanvico
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Claudia Sanvico is a licensed guide in the region of Umbria. After graduating from a high school specializing in foreign languages and linguistics, she was awarded an advanced degree in the Economics of Tourism at the University of Assisi. She also served an internship in Atlanta, Georgia. Claudia lives in Perugia with her husband and two children.
Suggested Reading List
(16 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Christmas in Assisi
Program Number: 19220
On The Road with Francis of Assisi
Assisi wandered for 20 years, affording Newsweek editor Francke and her patient husband plenty to see and do in the piazzas, sanctuaries and chapels of Assisi, Siena, Bologna, Venice, Gubbio, Rome and other choice spots.
La Bella Figura, A Field Guide to the Italian Mind
Italians themselves love this guide to the Italian character, which addresses their never-ending passion for beauty, disorder and high emotion. The book opens with a snapshot of Malpensa Airport, then moves on to Tuscany, Rome, Naples and Sardinia.
Return to Umbria
Filled with the nuances of Italian manners, mentality and preoccupation with food, this thriller is set in the picturesque Umbrian towns of Orvieto and Todi. Freelance translator Rick Montoya is pulled behind their beautiful facades into a world of tantalizing secrets.
The City of Florence, Historical Vistas and Personal Sightings
A vivid tour of the city and its riches by the fine biographer of Edith Wharton and Henry James. Lewis has written what he calls "a partial biography of Florence," beautifully interweaving the personal and the historical.
Pocket Rough Guide Florence
Neither too big nor too slight, these handy guides include just the right amount of information on neighborhoods, shops, hotels, restaruants and sites (or should we say sights?) for a short visit. Well-organized and with an excellent pullout map.
A Valley in Italy, The Many Seasons of a Villa in Umbria
This short memoir chronicles a year in the small Umbrian village of San Orsola--especially the delights and frustrations of renovating a decayed villa. Taking in food, wine, local customs and landscapes, the book is an excellent introduction to the region
Ratking
Venetian crime investigator Aurelio Zen goes after the kidnappers of a Perugian industrialist in this enjoyable thriller, winner of the Gold Dagger Award (and first book in the series).
After Hannibal
Unsworth's vivid novel takes in the history, landscape, pleasures and the other Americans and Europeans, like himself, who live in Umbria.
The Art of the Renaissance
A classic, illustrated survey of the world of the Renaissance and its art. With chapters on Florence and its artists, the Netherlands, early illustrated books and many individual artists.
Italy for the Gourmet Traveler
Organized geographically, this encyclopedic guide features eating establishments, cooking schools, markets, shops and other gastronomic treasures in 500 cities and villages, perfect for the food-addled who can't be in the company of the irrepressible master himself.
Every Pilgrim's Guide to Assisi
With travel tips and an introduction for those wishing to discover more about Frances and Clare, this handy pocket guide covers not just Assisi and the Basilica of St. Francis but also easy excursions father afield, including The Hermitage (Carceri), Rivotorto, the sanctuaries of the Rieti Valley, Gubbio, Perugia and Cortona.
The Italians
Italy correspondent for The Economist Hooper explores Italy -- its baffling contradictions, unique character and contemporary culture -- in this illuminating portrait.
Reluctant Saint, The Life of Francis of Assisi
Spoto draws on fascinating new research to explore the travels, spirit and work of the beloved saint. This engaging portrait provides an excellent overview of the life of St. Francis.
Eyewitness Guide Umbria
A marvelously illustrated, compact guide to the culture, history and attractions of Umbria, organized geographically and especially helpful for its innovative site plans, building diagrams and local maps.
Songbirds, Truffles and Wolves, An American Naturalist in Italy
The author, a poet and naturalist, heads along the Franciscan Way from Florence to Assisi. This most unusual travelogue combines natural history, spirituality and a lively appreciation of local food and food traditions. A print-on-demand paperback.
Brunelleschi's Dome
The story of the design and construction of the dome in the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, a tale rife with politics, cut-throat competition and mighty inspiration.