Italy and Religion

There are two official religions in Italy. The Roman Catholic Church is one and soccer is the other. Officially, however, Catholicism is virtually the state religion. The great majority of Italians are baptized Catholics, and until recently, all children were named after a Catholic Saint.

While all of our tours inevitably visit important Catholic sites, these tours are especially well suited to those who want time to discover the meaning of religion in Italy:

• 10 Day Vesuvius
• 14 Day North Classic

Worship During Your Trip

More than 80 percent of the Italian population is Catholic, so finding a Catholic Church is easy. Finding a mass in English, on the other hand, is something you might need our help with.  You may attend Sunday Mass anywhere in the country; in more important churches, there might be a mass each day of the week. Almost all functions are in Italian, but some churches celebrate mass in English:

In Rome: St. Patrick's Church in Via Boncompagni San Silvestro's Church in Piazza San Silvestro

In Venice: Basilica of San Marco offers Mass in Latin; Church of San Zulian, in Campo San Zulian, San Marco district, offers Mass in English from about May 5 to Sept 29.

Here are some useful phone numbers for agencies to help you to find a house of worship, or to locate other religious functions:

• Jewish - Unione delle Comunita' Ebraiche Italiane (Union of Italian Jewish Communities) Lungotevere Sanzio n. 9, Rome - Tel. 06 580 36 70
• Muslim - Centro Islamico Culturale d'Italia (Islamic Cultural centre of Italy) Viale della Moschea, Rome - Tel. 06 808 22 58