Rome, the Eternal City, is the capital and largest city of Italy.

It is the famed city of the Roman Empire, the Seven Hills, La Dolce Vita (the sweet life), the Vatican City and Three Coins in the Fountain.
Rome, as a millennium-long center of power, culture and religion, has exerted a huge influence over the world in its roughly 2,800 years of existence. The historic center of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Rome has an immensely rich historical heritage and cosmopolitan atmosphere, making it one of Europe’s and the world’s most visited, famous, influential and beautiful capitals. Today, Rome has a growing nightlife scene and is also seen as a shopping heaven, being regarded as one of the fashion capitals of the world. With so many sights and things to do, Rome can truly be classified a “global city.”

The town of Genazzano is home to the original fresco of Our Lady of Good Counsel.
According to tradition, in the year 1467, in the midst of the festivities for the Feast of Saint Mark, the residents of the town suddenly heard beautiful music. A mysterious cloud was then said to have descended and obscured an unfinished wall of the parish church. Then, as everyone watched, the cloud dissipated and a beautiful fresco appeared, no thicker than a post card and only about 18 inches square, of the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child.
This event naturally led to increased devotion to Our Lady of Good Counsel. In 1630 Pope Urban VIII made a pilgrimage to the shrine, invoking the protection of the Queen of Heaven.
As time went on, the Augustinian Order contributed to the spread of this devotion internationally. There are many parishes, schools, hospitals and other institutions named in honor of Our Lady of Good Counsel.

Naples is the capital of Campania and the 3rd largest municipality in Italy after Rome and Milan.
The historic centre of Naples has earned the UNESCO World Heritage Site denomination. It has one of the biggest historical city centres in the world, and its pride are the 448 historical and monumental churches, the highest number in the World for a single city.
Naples is a vibrant city with plenty to see and do. The city is a hidden gem just 2 hours south of Rome, retaining much of its original culture. Its territory, particularly the iconic sight of the gulf of Naples is arguable one of the most powerful symbolic images of Italy.

San Giovanni Rotondo was the home of St. Pio of Pietrelcina from July 28, 1916 until his death on September 23, 1968. It is a city in the province of Foggia, Puglia region in southern Italy.
San Giovanni Rotondo centers on the tomb of St. Padre Pio, a Capuchin friar, priest and mystic known for his devotion to God, care for the sick and supernatural gifts. He was declared a saint in 2002.
The Shrine of Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo receives 7 million pilgrims each year. The large and ultramodern Padre Pio Pilgrimage Church was built in devotion to the saint and to accommodate the increasing throngs of pilgrims that visit the place.
The city is renowned for its hospital and medical research center Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza (Home for the Relief of the Suffering) founded by St. Pio of Pietrelcina and is considered one of the most efficient hospitals in Europe.

The Miracle of Lanciano is officially recognized by the Catholic Church as a Eucharistic miracle.
In the city of Lanciano, Italy, around 700, a Basilian monk was assigned to celebrate Mass in the small church of St. Legontian. Celebrating in the Latin Rite and using unleavened bread, the monk had doubts about the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.
During the Mass, when he said the Words of Consecration (“This is my body. This is my blood”), with doubt in his soul, the priest is said to have seen the bread change into living flesh and the wine change into live blood which coagulated into five globules, irregular and differing in shape and size (the number supposedly corresponds to the number of wounds Christ suffered on the cross: one in each hand and foot from the nails, and the wound from the centurion’s spear).
The elements can still be seen today. The flesh, which is the same size as the large host used in the Latin Church, is fibrous and light brown in color and becomes rose-colored when lighted from the back. The blood consists of five coagulated globules and has an earthly color resembling the yellow of ochre.
Over the last 12 centuries, different Bishops of the diocese of Lanciano made authentications of the holy relics. All testified that these facts were miraculous and true.

Loreto is home to one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Italy.
It is an important hill town to the south of Anacona. It is inland from the Adriatic coast in the Marches region of central Italy.
The main attraction for visitors to Loreto – pilgrims or otherwise – is the imposing basilica and fortress complex which also includes the museum and the Holy House of the Virgin Mary.
The Holy House of Loreto is one of the most revered Marian shrines in the world. Since medieval times, the Holy House has been believed to be the very home in which the Virgin Mary lived, conceived and raised the young Jesus.
A large basilica has been built around the small shrine, and the sacred site attracts as many as 4 million Catholic pilgrims and visitors each year.

Assisi is best known as the birthplace of St. Francis, Italy’s patron saint.
Framed by the long, undulating hills of Umbria and the forests of Monte Subasio, Assisi is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in the world and one of Italy’s most spell-binding gems.
Assisi is closely associated with the work of the Franciscan Order. Its medieval art masterpieces, such as the Basilica of San Francesco and paintings by Cimabue, Pietro Lorenzetti, Simone Martini and Giotto, have made Assisi a fundamental reference point for the development of Italian and European art and architecture.
Together with almost all its surrounding territory, Assisi was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 2000, described as constituting a unique example of continuous history: a city-sanctuary beginning with its Umbrian-Roman origins, through the Medieval Age and up until today.

Florence is the capital of the region of Tuscany in Italy, The city is considered a cultural, artistic and architectural gem.
Florence was the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. Politically, economically, and culturally it was the most important city in Europe for around 250 years; from some time before 1300 until the early 1500s.
Florence’s museums, palaces, and churches house some of the greatest artistic treasures in the world. The most popular and important sites in Florence include the Cathedral, the Baptistery, the Uffizi, the Bargello, and the Accademia. The churches of Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croce are veritable art galleries, and the library of San Lorenzo is a magnificent exhibition of Michelangelo’s architectural genius. Wander some of the oldest streets in the city until you reach the Arno River, cross the Ponte Vecchio, and experience the “newest” area of Florence, the Oltrarno.

Turin is a city and important business and cultural center in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River.

It’s famous for being the home of Italy’s royal family. Today, Turin, with its fine, aristocratic atmosphere, old world sophisticated shops, grand boulevards and palaces, leafy park and several art galleries, is an increasingly popular tourist resort.

Turin was the first capital of modern Italy. Its setting is pleasant, with the Po River flowing through the city, the genteel hills overlooking the city and scattered with pleasant villas and surrounded by the Italian Alps off in the distance. Around the city, a crown of churches and castles, some up on a hilltop, some lost in a park, provide plenty of interesting views. Turin also has an aristocratic atmosphere – the centre is filled with posh 19th century cafes, regal-like arcaded mansions, debonair glittering restaurants, and grand churches.

Turin is home to the famous Shroud of Turin. More recently, it has become the home of the Slow Food Movement.

The principality of Monaco is the second smallest independent state in the world (after the Vatican) and is almost entirely urban.
It is a tiny city-state on the Mediterranean Sea and surrounded by France, although the Italian Riviera lies a few kilometres farther east.
Monte Carlo is not the capital of Monaco but a government district.
With no natural resources to exploit other than its location and climate, the principality has become a resort for tourists and a tax haven for businesses. Monaco is six times the size of the Vatican and the world’s most densely populated independent country.
The principality of Monaco offers a great balance of historical and modern attractions. There are various museums and palaces to visit as well as shopping malls and casinos. Monaco also offers relaxation spots along the harbor and even around the attractions. It is relatively easy to navigate Monte Carlo and Monaco if you take the time to learn where the various “short cuts” are. City maps are generally available at most news vendor stands and shops for a small fee.

Monte Carlo is one of Europe’s leading tourist resorts.
It is situated on a prominent escarpment at the base of the Maritime Alps along the French Riviera. Near the quarter’s western end is the world-famous Place du Casino, the gambling center which has made Monte Carlo “an international byword for the extravagant display and reckless dispersal of wealth.” It is alos the location of the Hotel de Paris, the Cafe de Paris, and Salle Garnier (the casino theatre which is the home of the Opera de Monte Carlo).
Monte Carlo has been visited by royalty as well as the public and movie stars for decades. The Monte Carlo Rally is one of the longest running and most respected car rallies.

Aix-En-Provence also known as Aix is noted for its elegance and high culture.
Aix has been settled by some of France’s most preeminent minds and artists. Most notable of all is Paul Cezanne who immortalised the limestone peak of the Montage Sainte-Victoire, which rises to the east of the city.
Provence is famously scorching in summer, but the streets of Aix are kept cool by the shade of its handsome honey-coloured buildings and plane trees, as well as the spray from the many fountains.
Aix has a lot to offer. It is a quiet, clean and comfortable city. The city center is mostly pedestrian and, though it is quite small (you can cross the centre in 15 min by foot), offers long hours of nice walks. As in all Provençal towns, the city centre consists of narrow streets, lined with interesting buildings from 17th century hotels to paved plazas.
Aix is famous for its fountains. The largest and most famous is on the Cours Mirabeau, the main avenue through town, as well as a moss-covered fountain which draws its water from a hot spring. Cours Mirabeau is the boulevard where Camus and Hemingway would have come for lunch when they lived in the city.
Aix is also known for its architecture. The varied and often intricate doors are a key feature, as well as the bell towers. The bell towers throughout Aix-en-Provence, and Provence more generally, are made of wrought iron. This allows the strong winds of the Mistral to flow straight through them, since solid stone would be destroyed by the force of the winds.

Lourdes is the largest Catholic pilgrimage destination in France and one of the most popular Catholic shrines in the world.
On February 11, 1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary revealed herself to a poor shepherd girl, Bernadette Soubirous. Eighteen such apparitions were reported.
The most sacred site at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is the Grotto of Massabielle, also known as the Miraculous Cave or the Cave of Apparitions. The Grotto of Massabielle is the site of St. Bernadette’s vision of the Virgin Mary where she revealed herself as the Immaculate Concepcion. The Virgin Mary is said to have pointed out a previously undiscovered spring in the grotto and instructed St. Bernadette to “Go and drink at the spring and wash there.” The spring water from the grotto is believed to posses healing properties and to date, seventy cures have been officially recognized as miraculous by the Roman Catholic Church.

Paris, city and capital of France, has the reputation of being the most romantic of all cities.
Located in the north of France on the river Seine, the city is brimming with historic associations and remaining vastly influential in the realms of art, fashion, food and design. It is one of the most beautiful cities on earth.
Dubbed as the City of Light, a large part of the city, including the River Seine, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city has the second highest number of Michelin-restaurants in the world (after Tokyo) and contains numerous iconic landmarks, such as the world’s most visited tourist site, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, Moulin Rouge, etc. making it the most popular tourist destination in the world with 45 million tourists annually.