United States President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush will arrive in the Italian capital from Poland on Friday evening.
They will spend the night at the American ambassador's residence, Villa Taverna, which the Italian government donated to the US in the 1950s.
On Saturday, the President will begin his official visit with his wife at the Quirinale Palace for a meeting with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano at 10am.
At 11am, Bush will tbe at the Vatican for his audience with Pope Benedict XVI. The pontiff will meet first with the president before the First Lady joins them.
This will be followed by a meeting between the American president and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, at around 11.50am.
At 12.30pm, the president will go to the medieval neighborhood of Trastevere for a visit to the Santa Maria in Trastevere church.
This will be followed by an encounter with the Community of Sant'Egidio, a Catholic organisation known for its mediation efforts in international conflicts, which has its headquarters behind Santa Maria.
At 2pm, President Bush will go to the office of Italian Premier Romano Prodi for a working lunch and talks. They will be joined by Italian Foreign Minister and Deputy Premier Massimo D'Alema.
The president and premier will hold a joint press conference after their talks.
At 5pm, the President and First Lady, who will have had a separate luncheon with Prodi's wife Flavia, will return to Villa Taverna to meet with American embassy staff.
He is also set to meet at the residence with former premier Silvio Berlusconi. The two are close friends.
President Bush and the First Lady will leave Italy for Albania on Sunday morning, the next to last stop on their European tour before Bulgaria.
