Proposed Mass site: Church of San Sebastián (Calaruega) 

On arrival in Madrid, we journey north through the Castilian plains to Calaruega, birthplace of St Dominic de Guzmán. Visit the Dominican Nuns’ Convent where his mother, Blessed Jane of Aza, first entrusted him to God’s care, and the church of San Sebastián, where he was baptized.  

Explore the Torreón, the Guzmán family tower, now a museum dedicated to Dominic’s life and mission. 

Overnight: Caleruega (D) 

Proposed Mass site: Parish Church of Aza 

Today we deepen our encounter with Dominic’s beginnings. Visit the crypt marking the site of his birth, the convent chapel, and the hill of San Jorge, where local tradition holds that Dominic often prayed as a child. 

We then travel a short distance to Aza, ancestral home of his mother, Blessed Jane. Celebrate Mass in Aza, giving thanks for the faith that shaped the family from which Dominic emerged. 

Return to Caleruega for dinner and an evening reflection on the Dominican pillars of prayer, study, community, and preaching. 

Overnight: Caleruega (B,D)

Proposed Mass site: Cathedral of Santa María de la Asunción, El Burgo de Osma or Abbey of Santo Domingo de Silos 

Depart for El Burgo de Osma, where Dominic served as canon alongside Bishop Diego de Acebo, his mentor and companion on the early preaching missions to the Cathars. Continue to Gumiel de Izán, where Dominic received his early education under the care of his uncle, a parish priest. 

Then visit the Abbey of Santo Domingo de Silos, renowned for its serene cloisters and Gregorian chant, recalling the deep monastic roots that nourished Dominic’s spiritual formation. 

Continue on to San Sebastian for dinner and overnight. 

Overnight: San Sebastian (B,D) 

Proposed Mass site: Monastery of Our Lady of Prouilhe 

Departing Spain, we cross the Pyrenees into southern France, entering the region where Dominic’s vision took form. Arrive at Prouilhe, cradle of the Dominican Order and the first convent founded in 1206 for women converts. Celebrate Mass at Prouilhe and meet the Dominican Sisters who continue this sacred legacy of contemplation and intercession for the preaching mission. 

Overnight: Prouilhe region (B,D) 

Proposed Mass site: Church of Notre-Dame de l’Assomption or St Dominic’s Chapel (Maison de Dominique)  

Today we journey to Fanjeaux, where St Dominic lived and preached for over a decade. Visit Dominic’s House, now a chapel, and the Seignadou Lookout, where tradition recalls his vision of a globe of fire descending from heaven — a sign of divine blessing upon his mission. 

Visit the Church of Saint Jacques and nearby sites where the first friars gathered in study and fraternity. 

Return to Prouilhe for dinner and an evening reflection on Dominic’s zeal for truth and mercy. 

Overnight: Prouilhe region (B,D) 

Proposed Mass site: Convent of the Jacobins (Chapel of St Thomas Aquinas) 

Travel to Toulouse, heart of the early Dominican mission and the city where Pope Honorius III formally approved the Order of Preachers in 1216. Visit the Convent of the Jacobins, a masterpiece of Gothic Dominican architecture housing the relics of St Thomas Aquinas. Continue to the House of Peter Seilhan, where the first Dominican community lived in evangelical poverty and fraternity. 

Visit Saint-Sernin Basilica, recalling the friars’ early preaching ministry in the city. 

Conclude the day by joining the Dominican friars for Vespers at their convent — a profound encounter with the living tradition of prayer that continues to sustain the Order today. 

Overnight: Toulouse (B,D) 

Proposed Mass site: Basilica of San Domenico – Chapel of St Dominic 

Transfer to the airport for our flight to Bologna, where St Dominic spent his final years and where his body rests. Evening stroll through Bologna’s medieval piazzas and porticoes, reflecting on the university city’s role in shaping Dominican intellectual life. 

Overnight: Bologna (B,D)

Proposed Mass site: Convent of San Domenico (Cloister or Choir) 

Celebrate Mass at the Basilica of San Domenico, where St Dominic’s tomb stands as a focus of Dominican devotion. See the chapel artworks by Michelangelo and the friars’ choir stalls, rich in theological symbolism. 

Continue to the University of Bologna, the world’s oldest, where early Dominicans taught and studied — a reminder of the order’s mission to unite faith and reason. 

Overnight: Bologna (B,D) 

Proposed Mass site: Basilica of San Domenico, Siena 

Journey to Siena, home of St Catherine of Siena, Dominican tertiary, mystic, and Doctor of the Church. Visit her family home, Basilica of San Domenico, and the Sanctuary of St Catherine, where she received the stigmata. 

Overnight: Siena (B,D) 

Proposed Mass site: Santa Sabina all’Aventino 

Depart Siena for Rome, where St Dominic sought papal approval for the Order in 1216. Visit Santa Sabina, the Dominican mother church on the Aventine Hill, and the Angelicum, the order’s international university. 

Evening orientation walk through the Eternal City. 

Overnight: Rome (B,D) 

Proposed Mass site: Santa Maria sopra Minerva 

Celebrate Mass at St Peter’s Basilica, followed by a guided tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. Continue to San Clemente, cared for by the Irish Dominicans, and Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, resting place of St Catherine of Siena and a major centre of Dominican spirituality. 

Overnight: Rome (B,D)