Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for faith-based tourism
A Norwegian Pilgrimage
By Linda Tancs
A network of nine pilgrimage routes, St. Olav Ways trace the legacy of St. Olav, king and martyr. Devotion to the saint, a Viking king credited with consolidating Christianity in Norway, began with his death in battle in 1030. The final stage of the trek is Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway’s third-largest city. Built over the burial site of St. Olav, the cathedral is Europe’s northernmost medieval cathedral. Of all the routes, many pilgrims choose Gudbrandsdalsleden, a journey spanning nearly 400 miles from the capital of Oslo to Trondheim. Taking around a month to navigate, it’s the longest pilgrim way in the country and was the main road to Nidaros (now Trondheim) during the Middle Ages. Regardless of the route chosen, though, you’ll encounter stunning Nordic landscapes, rich history and deep spiritual tradition.
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Catacombs in Washington
By Linda Tancs
The Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America has been named one of the top five places most tourists miss when sightseeing in Washington, D.C. Created as a facsimile of the Holy Land in place of international travel, it features full-size replicas of the Mount Calvary and Holy Sepulchre shrines in Jerusalem as well as reproductions of the Nazareth Annunciation and Bethlehem Nativity grottos. Below ground is equally compelling, though. That’s where you’ll find three interconnected passages recalling early Christian burials in the catacombs of ancient Rome. Cast from aggregate cement, they were built by Franciscan monks at the turn of the 20th century. Book in advance; the catacombs are only accessible via guided tour.
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Matisse’s Final Masterpiece
By Linda Tancs
The Rosary Chapel (also known as the Matisse Chapel) in Vence, France, is the final masterpiece of French artist Henri Matisse. His involvement arose out of a friendship with his private nurse who later became a Dominican nun. The nuns were in need of a true chapel, and Matisse was persuaded to not only decorate but also design the entire chapel. Completed in 1951, he designed features like the candelabras, crucifix, altar and liturgical vestments. The Matisse Museum in Nice has important works linked with the chapel, including several maquettes (models or sketches) for vestments, the chapel, stained glass windows and murals.
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Watching Over the White House
By Linda Tancs
Located across from the White House, St. John’s Church at Lafayette Square has welcomed every U.S. president to worship in its sanctuary beginning with James Madison. A National Historic Landmark, it features a bell tower with a bell cast by the son of Paul Revere. Consecrated in 1816, it has borne witness to many events in American history, such as the first State Funeral for President William Henry Harrison, the signing of the Webster–Ashburton Treaty and the baptism of former First Lady Dolley Madison. Tours take place after the last Sunday service, free of charge.
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The Ulysses Riviera
By Linda Tancs
Named for its mythological origins, Italy’s Ulysses Riviera is a coastline running from San Felice Circeo to Minturno that’s known for its natural beauty and archaeological sites. One of its beautiful seaside towns is Gaeta, which dates to Imperial Rome. Not surprisingly, it boasts a protected area with Roman ruins, which is set within Monte Orlando Park. Its most stunning attraction is arguably the Sanctuary of the Split Mountain—an 11th-century Benedictine monastery built into the cliffs and grottoes of the park. Its appearance today reflects renovations dating to the 17th century that incorporate Neapolitan and Spanish baroque styles. Popes, kings, bishops and saints have been counted among its visitors. You can reach the sanctuary from the city center of Gaeta going through Via Munazio Planco and following the indications along the road.
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A Norman Masterpiece in Sicily
By Linda Tancs
Built between 1170 and 1189, the Norman cathedral in Monreale is one of Sicily’s key attractions. Among its treasures are the 12th-century Byzantine mosaics, estimated to have been made with nearly 5,000 pounds of gold. They depict scenes from both the Old Testament and New Testament as well as the lives of saints. King William II of Sicily (William the Good) lived just long enough to see the completion of his commissioned church. He’s the last of the Norman kings to be buried there. Monreale is a few miles from the center of Palermo; there’s regular bus service from Piazza Indipendenza.
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Cave Churches in Türkiye
By Linda Tancs
A highlight of any Cappadocian itinerary in Türkiye is Göreme Open Air Museum, a treasure trove of ancient cave churches. A brief walk from Göreme’s village center, the UNESCO World Heritage Site boasts a cluster of rock-cut churches with stunning frescoes. The most famous of them (commanding a separate entrance fee) is Dark Church, so named because it received little light through a small window in the narthex. As a result, its frescoes are vibrant and well preserved and include scenes such as the Annunciation, Journey to Bethlehem, Nativity, Baptism, Raising of Lazarus, Transfiguration, Entry into Jerusalem, Last Supper, Betrayal of Judas and the Crucifixion. Buckle Church, the oldest of the cave churches, is located outside of the open-air museum complex but does not require a fee.
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Autumn in Gougane Barra
By Linda Tancs
Gougane Barra is a scenic valley and forest park in the Shehy Mountains of County Cork, Ireland. There’s a tiny island at the edge of the lake at the entrance to the forest park where Saint Finbarr, the patron saint of Cork, founded his early Christian monastery in the 6th century. You’ll find a network of trails that wind through the woods and around the lake, one of many things to enjoy while the foliage undergoes its autumn transition. September 25 is the saint’s feast day; the closest Sunday is known in Cork as Gougane Sunday, when a steady stream of pilgrims gather at the saint’s hermitage.
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A Presidential Church in Rhode Island
By Linda Tancs
St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church is the first Catholic church in Rhode Island, but it’s perhaps better known as the venue where Jacqueline Lee Bouvier was married to then-Senator John Fitzgerald Kennedy (later the 35th president of the United States). The Newport church is now open to the public Monday through Friday, year-round, in addition to regularly scheduled Mass times. Tourists flock there to see the site of the famous wedding along with the kneelers used during their nuptials. When in town, the couple sat in pew #10. Arguably one of the most stunning churches in New England, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
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A Gem of a Church in Minnesota
By Linda Tancs
The practice of using vertical posts, or staves, to construct massive wooden buildings is what sets stave churches apart from the others. Stave churches were built in and around Scandinavia from the waning years of the Viking Age (the 11th and 12th centuries) to the early 16th century. One of the oldest- remaining stave churches in Norway is Hopperstad in Vik, built in 1130. You’ll find a full-scale replica of it in Moorhead, Minnesota, located along the boundary with Fargo, North Dakota. A symbol of Norwegian heritage so prevalent in the Red River Valley, the Moorhead Stave Church offers guided tours from April to December.
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