The Gazeta Polska Clubs have launched the Great Trip to Italy. The first coaches carrying participants have already set off on a nine-day journey, culminating in anniversary commemorations at Monte Cassino. President Karol Nawrocki is expected to attend the ceremonies on May 18, where he will pay tribute to the Polish heroes buried at the military cemetery.
On May 13, the Great Trip to Italy organized by the Gazeta Polska Clubs officially began. Participants departed by coach on a nine-day pilgrimage and historical tour covering sites connected both with Polish history and with some of the most important Catholic shrines in Italy.
The central point of the trip will be the anniversary commemorations of the Battle of Monte Cassino, accompanied by prayer at the Polish War Cemetery, where soldiers of General Władysław Anders’s 2nd Polish Corps are buried. These troops captured the monastery in May 1944 after one of the most significant battles involving Polish forces during World War II.
President Karol Nawrocki will participate in the May 18 ceremonies. The information was confirmed by the head of the Bureau of International Policy.
“The President is traveling to Italy. On May 18, he will be at the cemetery in Monte Cassino, where he will pay tribute to Polish heroes,”
the head of the Bureau stated.
The itinerary also includes a visit to Assisi, entry to the tomb of Saint Francis of Assisi, and a Holy Mass in a chapel located within the basilica complex. Participants will also tour Rome and Vatican City, including St. Peter’s Basilica and the tomb of John Paul II.
The program additionally features a visit to the monastery at Monte Cassino Abbey and a Holy Mass at the Military Cemetery. Organizers emphasize that the trip has both patriotic and religious dimensions to jointly commemorate Polish soldiers who fought in Italy during World War II.
