Tutors Lead Students on St. Thomas Summer Pilgrimage

Early the next morning, the group walked through Rome to St. Peter’s Basilica for Mass, after which members spent most of the morning basking in the beauty of the basilica. There, they noted the frescoes of the chapel of the Annunciation, and in particular the fresco on the chapel’s right wall: the Triumph of St. Thomas Aquinas over Heresy, in which St. Thomas is depicted seated and flanked by personifications of Grammar, Rhetoric, Philosophy, and Theology, with Error lying defeated at his feet.

The group then re-crossed the Tiber and stopped at Piazza Navona to marvel at Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers and its obelisk before dispersing for the afternoon to wander through the city. After lunch, some members took a tour of the Pantheon while others visited Santa Maria sopra Minerva, which houses the tomb of St. Catherine of Siena and the Carafa Chapel, built and decorated by Filippino Lippi in honor of Our Lady and St. Thomas. The latter is adorned with frescos of the Annunciation, the Assumption, and The Dispute of St. Thomas. The chapel also houses a reliquary containing one of the Angelic Doctor’s arm bones.

Late that afternoon, the group returned to its lodgings at San Gregorio after a stop at the Pontificia Studiorum Universitas a Sancto Thoma Aquinate in Urbe, the formal title of the Angelicum. During their tour of St. John Lateran — their next stop — the pilgrims were surprised to find the basilica’s magnificent bronze doors open when they arrived. After appreciating the grandeur of the seat of this Papal Archbasilica, they ascended the Spanish Steps to catch the sunset overlooking Rome from the Terraza Viale del Belvedere.

On day three, the group visited Fossanova, the abbey where St. Thomas died. After Mass in the Cistercian Abbey church, there was ample time for prayer and reflection in St. Thomas’s final cell. Following lunch at the Abbey, they proceeded on to Roccasecca, the birthplace of St. Thomas, at the foot of one of the slopes of Monte Asprano. The group began a steep ascent via a narrow road to a small stone church, the first dedicated to St. Thomas Aquinas. Just above the church are the ruins of the family castle, situated on a prominent ridge line below the peak of Monte Asprano, which can be seen in the distance. The steep ascents from all sides and the 360-degree view the castle commands high above the surrounding fields suggest a lengthy history of an impressively fortified presence. 

Here are found two reconstructed buildings: One is a chapel on the original site of the family chapel in which St. Thomas was baptized; another is a tower on the site of which St. Thomas was said to have been placed under house arrest by his family after taking the Dominican habit, contrary to his parents’ wishes. After some time spent in prayer and reflection among the ruins of Roccasecca, the group returned to Rome via Castel Gandolfo, the small town which grew up around the summer Papal residence in the Alban Hills about 12 miles southeast of Rome. A sunset dinner followed, overlooking the crater lake, Lago Albano.

On day four, a few members visited St. Paul’s Outside the Walls in the morning, then prepared to transition to the next phase of the pilgrimage. The group left around noon on a train from Roma Termini traveling north to the Liguria region and the Cinque Terre, which title designates five picturesque seaside fishing villages on the Ligurian Sea south of Genoa. Riding north on the train, the pilgrims passed three of the five villages, then arrived in the fourth, Vernazza. They made their way above the town to their lodgings at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Reggio and a hearty dinner, courtesy of the proprietors. 

Nestled within the hills of the five fishing villages of Riomaggiore, Manorola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso are sanctuaries to Our Lady. The neighboring village of Corniglia’s patrons are Sts. Peter and Paul, and each year, on June 29, there is a procession from the village church of San Pietro two kilometers up to that village’s sanctuary. Somewhat unfortunately, the group just missed this event, leaving Cinque Terre for the Via Francigena two days before the feast day.

On day five, the group hiked down to Vernazza’s train station and took the train north to the seaside village of Bonassola, where the pilgrims rented bikes and rode farther north along the coast. They stopped to swim at the point just north of Bonassola, above which sits a chapel of Madonnina della Punto (Little Madonna of the Point). The northern terminus of the excursion was at the marina of Framura, where some got in another swim, followed by a snack and a cold drink before the ride back. 

Later that afternoon, all returned to the Cinque Terre, to the middle town of Corniglia, which sits about 380 steps above its train station. They toured the town and its early 14^th century stone church, San Pietro, enjoying an aperitivo before meeting for dinner at Cecio Ristorante with its glorious vistas of Corniglia and the coastline to the north.

On the sixth day, the group walked down the hill to Vernazza again and caught the train to the southernmost town of the Cinque Terre, Riomaggiore. They set out in kayaks to Portovenere and its church of San Pietro, situated on the point six miles to the south. On the way out, the pilgrims stopped at beaches to swim. After taking in the church and a caffè or gelato, they paddled the six miles back to Riomaggiore. That evening, they returned to their lodging at the sanctuary for dinner.

On day seven, the pilgrims boarded the train to pick up the Via Francigena at Gambassi Terme, about 55 miles northwest of Siena. They hiked into the medieval walled town of San Gimignano, a striking sight even with only 13 towers remaining of the original 72. Named after the 4^th century deacon and later bishop of Modena, St. Geminianus, the town also reveres Santa Fina (or Serafina, born in 1248) with a chapel and shrine adorned with frescos by Ghirlandaio in its minor basilica, the Duomo of San Gimignano. 

The walls in this basilica are decorated with 14^th century frescos. Along the left aisle is an Old Testament cycle by Sienese master Bartolo di Fredi, starting with Creation and ending with several scenes from the life of Job. On the right aisle is a New Testament cycle, starting with the Annunciation and ending with four scenes partially or fully destroyed in the 15^th century. Of the two scenes partially destroyed, one depicts the Deposition and another the descent into Limbo. The two scenes no longer extant are said to be of the Resurrection and Pentecost.

The next morning, day eight, the group left San Gimignano on foot just before dawn, bound for Monterrigione, a 19-mile hike to the southeast. The day was forecast to be hot, so it was important to cover as much distance as possible before the heat became a significant factor. Mercifully, at about the 12-mile mark was the Elsa River, with its shady banks and refreshing turquoise pools, affording the grateful crew a welcome respite from the sun and heat. 

Much of the last third of this leg was fully exposed with few shady spots, and the approach to Monterrigione was particularly long and hot. One could see why Siena had chosen this spot to build this outpost as a defense against its rival, Florence, as all avenues of approach from the city were exposed to sight and the blazing sun. The final ascent to the city gates is steep. One sees the large, squat watchtowers of one of Italy’s most preserved walled cities, which evoked for Dante the vision of the ring of giants encircling the inner pit of hell: 

For as, on its round wall, Monterrigione is crowned with towers, so there towered here, above the bank that runs around the pit, with half their bulk, the terrifying giants, whom Jove still menaces from heaven when he sends his bolts of thunder down upon them.
(Inferno, canto XXXI, vv. 40-45)

On entering the walled town, one is struck by its simplicity. It was clear that this was a military outpost with just a small main square featuring three or four restaurants and a stone Romanesque church, the Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta.

On day nine, the crew left Monteriggioni early on foot bound for Siena, 12 miles to the southeast. In contrast to the previous day, this was a comparatively leisurely hiking distance through the rolling Tuscan hillsides, passing through fields of wildflowers, vineyards, and olive groves, although the final ascent into Siena was rather steep. Most made it into Siena well before noon and avoided making the ascent in the heat of the day. But the stragglers did not make the ascent until 2:00 p.m., and so felt the need to stop at a café just outside the walls to refresh before pushing into the city. 

The city was abuzz. Italy was set to play Switzerland that evening in the knockout round of the soccer Euro Cup, but this normally universally watched event was eclipsed in Siena by the assignation of the horses for the July Palio race. The city is divided into 17 districts, or contrade, 10 of which participate in the bareback horse race around the city’s Campo, or main square, which is converted into a racetrack for the event. Another 10 contrade, including the seven not participating in the July race, participate in the August Palio. Both races commemorate Our Lady, with the July Palio marking the feast of Madonna of Provenzano, a civic feast, and the August Palio commemorating the Feast of the Assumption. The Sienese civic pride is a thing to behold. 

Each contrada eats together, processes down to the Campo together singing in unison their contrada’s song accompanied by drums and flag bearers, with all the children taking up the rear of the procession in their contrada uniforms. On the day of the Palio, each of the competing contrade lead their respective horses to the altar of their contrada church, where the priest touches a relic to the horse’s head and pronounces: “Va’, e torna vincitore,” — “Go, and return victorious.” 

The contrada process to the Campo as they have for centuries for the events leading up to the actual race. The parade around the square includes younger contrade members bearing their contrada standards and bedecked in medieval period dress, others in the traditional attire of the city’s nobles, and lastly the carroccio, i.e., a cart containing an altar, a bell, and the standards of the contrada and led by four enormous white oxen with a mounted escort of magnificently caparisoned horses and knights. All this is run up to the race itself. The winning contrada gets bragging rights for the year and the prize, the silk Palio banner featuring the Virgin Mary.

Day 10 was one of transition from Siena back to Rome via Florence. The group had two hours in Florence before they had to catch the high-speed rail to Rome. This was precious little time to see the city, and certainly no time to stand in the long lines to get a glimpse inside the Duomo or Baptistry. Fortunately, there was much to see there that is in the open air, such as the façade of the Duomo and Ghiberti’s bronze doors on the Baptistry, the statues in the Piazza della Signoria, the Ponte Vecchio, and the imposing statue of Dante in the Piazza di Santa Croce. 

Afterward, the pilgrims deposited themselves on the train, admiring the Tuscan countryside, as it sped to Rome at over 150 mph. Once all arrived at Rome’s Termini station, they walked the short distance from to Santa Maria Maggiore, appreciating its beauty and grandeur, before returning to check into their original lodging at San Gregorio and a final dinner at Naumachia Ristorante, followed by a last gelato. The crew convened on the second-level patio at San Gregorio to conclude its pilgrimage and to say goodbye. It was truly a grace-filled experience.