France: Seen Through Ancient/Medieval Christian Windows
October 1-14, 2026
Open for Registration
The roots of Christianity go down deep in the soil of France. An early Christian tradition holds that the Christian faith spread to the Roman province of Gaul directly after the crucifixion of Christ.
Some disciples, including Lazarus, the Four days Dead; his sisters Mary and Martha; Mary Magdalene; and Joseph of Arimathea, travelled to Gaul after being banished from Jerusalem. Through the missionary activities of these devotees of Christ, Gaul was evangelized and baptized.
‘Eldest Daughter of the Church’
The intertwined history of France and Christianity is so profound that it has left an indelible mark on culture, politics, and spirituality both in Europe and around the world.
Travel through centuries of French history and culture by visiting a rich collection of sites across the country to explore various, time-shaped expressions of the Christian faith.
Tour Highlights
This magnificent, adventurous itinerary includes:
Mediterranean Marseilles to remember the friends of Jesus who came to France in the first century
Roman Lyon 'where the blood of early Christian martyrs was the seed of the church'
Seaside Mont Saint-Michel Abbey, a spectacularly situated monastic centre of pilgrimage
Medieval Carcassonne, Western Europe’s largest walled city inhabited by the Cathars, a Christian sect
Cosmopolitan Paris and spiritually alluring Chartres where iconic cathedrals soared during the age of Christendom
Historically rich Avignon, where the Palace of the Popes recalls the scandalous shattering of Christian unity
An optional extension includes additional days along the French Riviera to visit Monaco and Nice, France.