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Florence is the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance that
spread throughout the western world. Florence abounds in beautiful
sacred art and religious buildings. Among the most famous are the
Duomo, with its distinctive dome designed by Brunelleschi,
Michaelangelo's sculpture of David in the Galleria d'Accademia, and
the Baptistery with its elaborate bronze doors by Ghiberti.
Assisi is a small Umbrian town in central Italy, located 12
miles east of Perugia at an elevation of 1,300. Assisi is best known
as the birthplace of St. Francis of Assisi - patron saint of Italy,
founder of the Franciscan order, and one of the most popular
Catholic saints in history. Assisi's main attraction is the
13th-century Basilica Di San Francesco, which contains the sacred
relics of Francis and beautiful frescoes of his life.
Rome,
the "Eternal City," has been a sacred place and internationally
important city since ancient times. Rome's history extends nearly
2,800 years, during which time it has been the seat of the Roman
Kingdom, the Roman Republic, the Roman Empire, the Papal States, the
Kingdom of Italy and the Italian Republic. Rome's abundance of
ancient temples, synagogues, churches and shrines make it one of the
best cities to explore the holy places of a variety of religious
traditions.
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