Published on Monday, March 16, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Looking for the perfect excuse to visit Rome and the Vatican in 2016? Pope Francis just gave you one. He has declared 2016 a Holy Year.  The last one was in 2000. The Holy Year, also called a Jubilee, will start this year on December 8th – the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception – and will close November 20, 2016 with the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ...

Published on Sunday, November 9, 2014 by Kathy McCabe The Shroud of Turin will go on display for the first time in five years in the spring of 2015, in coordination with a visit by Pope Francis. The sacred cloth, said to have wrapped Jesus Christ in his tomb, is stored in the Turin Cathedral in a climate-controlled case and will be on display at the cathedral from April 19 to June 24, 2015, with Pope Francis’ visit sch...

Published on Sunday, January 12, 2014 by Steve I’m Steve Perillo of Perillo Tours. I have a video series called Steve's Travel Tips to share all the insider Italy travel tips I have learned over a lifetime of travel to Italy. Rome is the place to be these days! With the popularity of Pope Francis soaring, the number of visitors to the Italian capital increased 5% last year and visits to the Vatican increased ...

Published on Sunday, April 21, 2013 by Kathy McCabe Assisi (in the region of Umbria) and its start attraction, the Basilica of St. Francis, have always been popular with tourists but the election of the new Pope Francis makes them even more popular than ever. This is a view of the top level of the basilica with a statue of the saint in the foreground. Ready to plan a trip to Assisi? Talk to the travel experts at It...

Published on Friday, March 15, 2013 by Steve All eyes were on Rome and Vatican City this week as Pope Francis became the 266th pope in the history of the Catholic Church. There has never been a better time to visit the Eternal City and Italy and  ItalyVacations.com has put together  an amazing package for you to meet the new pope! Meet Pope Francis at a Papal Audience at the Vatican - a once-in-a-lifetim...