BASILICATA, ITALY
      17-28 SEPTEMBER 2007     
    

 Full board/ensuite: £1,200
Retreat-giver: Dom Gervase Holdaway,OSB,MA
Oblate Director, Douai Abbey, Berkshire

Basilicata(ancient Lucania and part of Magna Grecia) is the in-step of Italy.Lying between two seas amid lakes and mountains, it offers a rich variety of prehistoric,Greek,Roman and medieval sites.This is the wild country to which Carlo Levi(1902-1975),author of “Christ stopped at Eboli”was exiled and more recently,Mel Gibson’s film “The Passion of the Christ” used Matera for its outside scenes.The scenery is stunning,and the Regional Parks filled with ancient cave churches.
We shall be staying at the Casa di Spiritualita Sant’Anna, the retreat house of the Archdiocese of Matera,in the centre of the city,with 30 comfortable ensuite rooms,Chapel,Conference Hall and garden.
In addition to a full programme of talks and liturgies, we shall enjoy excursions to:

• Matera,famous for its Sassi (caves),dating back to 1500 B.C. and recognised in 1993 by UNESCO as a world heritage site.The caves are divided into Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano.The Sassi were abandoned in the 1950’s,when its inhabitants were moved to the modern neighbourhoods.
• Santuario di Picciano     
• Metaponto, the Greek city on the Adriatic coast
• Viggiano ,in the neighbouring Province of Potenza,famous for its Madonna
• Pietrapertosa
• Melfi, famous for its Norman heritage
• Irsina        
• Altamura
• Montescaglioso and its former Benedictine Monastery of St.Michael

The price includes:

• return flights from London Stansted to Bari with Ryanair
• depart Stansted Monday 17 September,Flight 1905, at 17.15,arrive Bari 21.05
• depart Bari Friday 28 September Flight 1906 at 21.30,arrive Stan. 23.30
• return coach transfers from Bari airport to Casa Sant’Anna,Matera
• full board accommodation with en-suite facilities at Casa Sant’Anna

NO SINGLE-ROOM SUPPLEMENTS

• full retreat programme of talks and liturgies
• full excursions programme with restaurant meals as appropriate
• services of Italian-speaking resident retreat organiser through                   

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