“Healing is an art. It takes time, it takes practice. It takes love.” — Maza Dohta.
The Cathedral of Santi Donato e Pietro in Arezzo, Tuscany
On 1 November 2026, I shared a Facebook post chronicling day 3 of our visit to Arezzo, Italy. At the time, I said the visit had a backstory, which I'll explain in more detail here.
Tauck tour Day 3 - On this day, we traveled to the town of Arezzo, where I found an unexpected treasure. On our way there, I kept seeing signs for San Donato, which I knew wasn't a common name.
When we arrived, I asked our tour guide about San Donato. She said, "I will tell you all about our patron Saint of Arezzo when we visit the Cathedral." It became clear this was the first time our tour director had worked with this guide, as they had no clear line of communication about the timeline for our day's itinerary.
A discussion between the two ensued. Our director had pre-scheduled a coffee stop before the walking tour began. The guide was adamant that we needed to visit the Cathedral before our coffee break. She said, "If they do not visit the Cathedral first, they will not see much of Arezzo." After a short debate, our tour director gave in and changed our break time. It was a blessing that our guide stood her ground; otherwise, I would have missed this unexpected treasure in Arezzo.
Suffice it to say, San Donato was the bishop of Arezzo who sacrificed his life in the Lord's name. This was a special day for me, as St. Donatus Parish in Blue Island was where I was baptized and went to kindergarten and first grade (before they closed the school). 30 years ago, on 5 October, Judy and I were married in this church. This recent trip was our anniversary gift to each other. My grandparents and uncles immigrated from Ripacandida, Italy (along with many others) and settled in Blue Island, where they built and dedicated a small chapel to San Donato in 1908.
Inside this Cathedral (dedicated to St. Peter and San Donato), San Donato's mortal remains lay behind an altar at the center of the church. Another artifact housed in the Cathedral was the pillar used to behead San Donato on 7 August 362. After we toured the Cathedral, we headed to the cafe for our mid-morning drink.
Beyond these doors lie the mortal remains of San Donato
Judy and I talked about the opportunity to visit the Cathedral of San Donato. This experience was unexpected, and I can't help thinking that Mom guided us this way. You see; we did not book this trip until after her death last year. I looked at Judy and said, "This one is for Mom," and I cried. I never thought healing could happen even 5,000 miles away from home. Until next time -
Namaste,
Tim