Venice & Mestre March 29-30

Approaching Venice by boat.

Along one of Venice’s canals.

Street performers in Venice, the home of the famous Carnevale.

Venice’s St. Mark’s basilica, where the a cappella choir sang on March 29.

The a cappella choir warms up in the courtyard of St. Mark’s basilica in Venice.

The orchestra performs at the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Mestre. The cloistered nuns in residence there sat behind the metal grille.

Locals arrived on foot and by bicycle to hear the orchestra perform in Mestre.

A visit to a glass artists’ studio in Venice.

A residential area of Venice.

Florence March 31- April 1

The Duomo (cathedral) topped by Brunelleschi’s dome, towers over the city of Florence. The Duomo was consecrated in 1436, 140 years after it was started.

Exploring the side streets of Florence.

The choir sings at the Duomo, Florence.

Florence at dusk, between the choir’s performance at the Duomo and the joint choir & orchestra concert at Santa Maria dei Ricci.

The orchestra tunes up for its concert at the church of Santa Maria dei Ricci in Florence.

Orvieto April 1-2

The view from the Umbrian hill town of Orvieto.

The cathedral in Orvieto. Perched atop a hill of volcanic rock between Florence and Rome, the picturesque town is known for its white wine and handpainted ceramics.

On the cathedral steps in Orvieto.

Aboard the funicular that runs up the hill to Orvieto.

Rome April 2-3

A local guide shows students the sights of the Forum in Rome.

Past, present, and future on the Roman skyline.

Exploring the Colosseum.

A photo op at the Pantheon in Rome, a 2000-year-old marvel of engineering.

Bernini’s 17 th -century Fountain of the Four Rivers in the Piazza Navona. The sculptures represent the major rivers of the continents then known to Europeans: the Danube, the Ganges, the Nile, and the Rio de la Plata.

A neighborhood in Rome along the Tiber River.

News of the Pope’s death dominated the headlines in Italy.

The map room in the Vatican Museum. The museum and the Sistine Chapel were closed shortly after the Shaker group’s visit due to the Pope’s death.

Thousands of Catholics from all over the world gathered in St. Peter’s Square as the Pope’s condition deteriorated. The papal apartment is at the upper right.

The choir enters St. Peter’s Square to make its way into the basilica.

Inside St. Peter’s, the choir waits to enter the choirloft to sing at a Mass the day after the Pope’s death.

Services at St. Peter’s, April 3.

Three thousand people were present in the church for the Mass on April 3 and an estimated 150,000 more filled the square and adjacent streets outside.

As dusk descended, preparations were being made for the public events to follow in St. Peter’s Square.