TOURS IN ROME

• VATICAN TOUR - Duration 3 hours Leave the state of Rome and enter the smallest sovereign city state in the world, The Vatican. With a population of only 1000, and an area of a mere 110 acres, it is home to an immense wealth of art and architecture by the greatest artists of all time… Michelangelo, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Raphael and a host of renaissance talent. Experience the wonders of the Vatican Museums, with the Papal collection of art and sculpture, through the ages. The vivid beauty of The Sistine Chapel will remain in your mind, long after your holiday memories have faded. Walk down the corridor from the Sistine Chapel to the world famous Cathedral of St. Peter. You will be awed by the incredible proportions, symmetry ,architectural perfection, mosaics, the magnificent dome, and The Pieta by Michelangelo. Visit the tombs of the Popes, in the sacred Grotto beneath the Cathedral. You will never believe the wonders of The Vatican, unless you see them for yourself! If you would like a guide to take you through this fascinating tour, it will be at an extra cost. • STARLITE ROME - Duration 4 hours Rome, a city of a thousand facets, is incredibly different by day and by night. Stone monuments come to life, with subdued lighting. Streets with churches and palaces, squares with resplendent lighted fountains and towering obelisks all speak of life in the eternal city through the aeons of time. Relax with a glass of wine at a side walk cafè, enjoy a plate of Fettuccine or a Pizza in a quaint traditional restaurant, rubbing shoulders with the Romans,or treat yourself to a “Gelato” as you stroll the narrow streets with ancient buildings around you. The cost of dinner is not included. • RENAISSANCE AND BAROQUE ROME - Duration 3 hours The Renaissance, meaning “re-birth”, marks the transition period between Medieval and Early Modern Europe. Commissioned by the Popes of this era, artists and architects such as Michelangelo, Raphael, Bramante and Leonardo da Vinci, to name a few, beautified Rome, leaving behind them incomparable works of art and architecture. The first museum, of the period is on the Capitoline hill and can still be visited. The Cathedral of St. Peter, with the Pieta , The Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo, the paintings of Raphael in The Vatican Museums bear evidence to the splendour of this period. The Baroque period, began in the 17th Century. It is synonymous with an elaborate and intense style. Bernini was the master of this new architectural form. The Ponte San Angelo, The Spanish Steps, The Piazza Navona with the Fountain of the Four Rivers, the famed Trevi's fountain, are legacies of this period. See it all in 3 hours from the comfort of your chauffeur driven air-conditioned Mercedes Benz vehicle in the company of your English speaking driver. An authorized guide is provided at an extra cost. • ANCIENT ROME - Duration 3 hours Rome… The city of kings, emperors, myths and legends! Take a trip through the aeons of time, visit the Colosseum, the largest amphitheatre constructed more than 2000 year ago, to provide the Roman population with entertainment in the form of violent sport, gladiator battles and animal battles. Tread the paths of Ancient Rome through the Roman Forum, where you will find yourself surrounded by the ruins of Temples, including the Temple of the Vestal Virgins, Ancient Basilicas, Triumphal Arches of victorious Emperors, the Rostra or speakers platform from where the famous orators of the era expounded their opinions to influence the common masses. Visit the Theatre of Marcellus, and the Great Circus Maximus, the famed site of the chariot races… Bringing to mind the epic film Ben Hur! Capture your memories on film and video with the backdrop of the awesome ruins of the Palatine Hill. Step into the largest and most well preserved pagan temple, The Pantheon. It’s enormous proportions and architectural perfection will remain in your mind’s eye forever. Drive by the Castle of Angles, the only fortress in Rome… connected to the Vatican by a secret passageway. • A TOUR OF THE JEWISH GHETTO This tour can be combined with a tour of Ancient Rome. A good part of this tour is done on foot. Dating back to Imperial Rome, a large Jewish community lived and worked in the area of Trastevere. The community dwindled during the years, and in the year 1555 Pope Paul IV confined the remains of the community to a 7 acre area, surrounded by high walls, this was called The Jewish Ghetto. Visit the remains of this Ghetto, walk down the narrow streets where you will find Kosher restaurants, bakers and butchers. Step into the New Synagogue, built in the short span of three years, in 1904, and decorated in typical Art Nouveau… it is to this very Synagogue that Pope John Paul II made his historical visit. Take memorable pictures at the Portico D'Ottavia, the gateway built by the Emperor Augustus in honour of his sister Octavia. This tour can be reserved along with "The Ancient Rome Tour" - Duration 5 hours • THE CHURCHES OF ROME - Duration 4 hours The city centre of Rome boasts of nothing less than 400 churches! Built during the renaissance, when the power and wealth of the papacy knew no bounds. Large and famous, tiny and off the beaten track, each one of them have a unique history and beauty. Decorated with mosaics and frescoes that continue to stand the test of time, you can visit these spectacular buildings of worship on a tour of The Churches of Rome. The famous churches on our itinerary are St. Peter’s Cathedral in the Vatican, The Basilica of St. John in Lateran, The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Saint Pauls outside the Walls. Touching the core of Christianity is the church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, which contains fragments of the holy cross and the clone of the Sacred Robe. If you have any preferences, let us know, and your private chauffeur will be happy to take you there! • THE CATACOMBS A twenty minute drive out of the city, on the Appian Way, are the ancient underground burial chambers of the Christian and Jewish Community. Started in the 2nd Century, miles of tunnels were cut into the tufa and thousands of burial niches were created. The largest and most well preserved are the catacombs of San Callisto, with a network of tunnels about 19 kilometres long and 20 metres deep and includes the crypt of the Nine Popes. St. Domitilla is the oldest of the catacombs, with a 2nd century fresco of The Last Supper. Tours are conducted in groups, with guides specializing in the Catacombs only. Guided tours are in English, Spanish, French and German. This tour can be reserved along with "The Churches of Rome Tour" - Duration 5 hours • OSTIA ANTICA - Duration 5 hours If you have been to Rome before, and your appetite for history has been wetted, then a visit to the ancient harbour town of Ostia Antica is a must! Twenty four kilometers from Rome is Ostia, the harbour town at the mouth of the River Tiber. Archaeologists, place the founding of the ancient town in the 4th century B.C. Originally a military harbour in the 7th and 6th Century B.C., it became one of the most lucrative commercial harbours towards the end of the Republican Era. The Emperors, aware of the importance of Ostia commissioned elaborate buildings, spacious ware houses, an amphitheatre, aqueducts and public baths, shopping areas and temples… In short, a complete urban center was constructed. The remains of Ostia Antica, are a vivid example of ‘ LIFE’ in the Imperial epoch. One feels the atmosphere of a thriving business and residential area, seeping through the brick work of the ruined structures. Your English speaking chauffeur will drive you to the ancient ruins and back to Rome. He is not permitted to enter the ruins with you, so if you would like a guide, this can be provided at an extra cost. • TIVOLI - Duration 5 hours If you have been to Rome, and are saturated with monuments and museums, it is time for a taste of nature! Approximately fifty minutes drive time from Rome is Tivoli, the terraced hilltop town at the foot of the Simbourini mountains. It had the honour of being the favourite holiday resort of the nobility during the Republican era. Several luxury villas were built during this period, one of the most famous being the Villa Adriana, commissioned by The Emperor Hadrian during the 2nd Century a.d. The Villa covers an area of twelve hectares and has been declared a UNESCO Heritage Monument. Designed by the Emperor himself, it is a combination of Hellenistic, Persian and Greek architecture. The remains of the Villa are splendid… Palaces, Baths, swimming pools, Temples, Squares, Libraries, The unique Maritime Theatre (a miniature villa, where the emperor withdrew for privacy), Banquet halls, barracks for his guards and soldiers, slave quarters and an amazing underground next work of passages that gave access to every building in the Villa, are still visible today. While the Villa Adriana celebrates a fusion of the genius of man and the beauty of nature, The Villa D’Este celebrates the triumph of the genius of man over nature. A complete contrast to the Republican Villa of Hadrian is the 16th Century Villa of Cardinal Ippolito D’Este. Reconstructed from the 12th Century Benedictine Convent, the architect Pirro Ligorio, has created a haven of beauty, known as the Valley of pleasure. The apartments of the Cardinal are a feast of mannerist frescoes, extremely well preserved. The gardens are a riot of more than one hundred fountains, operated on special devices to produce the sounds of an organ and bird song, and to regulate the flow of water into artistic forms of spray. A great place to spend a hot summer day! • Castelli Romani - Duration 5 hours This tour is recommended for our clients who have visited Rome several times and would like a different experience! A trip to the hills surrounding Rome, famous for their scenic beauty, cuisine, and more importantly "Wine"! The Castelli Romani are situated south east of Rome, at the base of the Alban Hills. The Volcanic soil is fertile and conducive to flourishing agriculture, and the growth of grapes and olives. It is occupied by two famous volcanic lakes, Lake Nemi and Lake Albano. A few of the famous towns in The Castelli Romani Hills are: Frascati, famed for it’s white wine, and Villas. Grottaferrata, Rocca di Papa, the Rock Castle of the Pope Eugene III. Nemi famous for it’s strawberries in late spring and early summer, the sparkling volcanic lake which held the hidden treasures of the sunken ships of the Emperor Calligula, and the famous Castello Ruspoli of the 10th century. Castel Gandolfo, the summer residence of The Pope. Resplendent in it’s natural beauty, it is also home to the Vatican Observatory. We can book a wine tour for you…this will be a new experience! You will tour the winery and discover the process of wine from the picking of the grapes, to the packing in the bottle. You can also make purchases directly in the wineries. Taste the famous wines of the region, along with roasted meats, traditional home made biscuits, breads and fresh olive oil. Spend the afternoon, basking in the sunshine in a traditional open air restaurant on the banks of a volcanic lake, with the summer palace of The Pope looking down on you… Indulge in a traditional lunch… pasta or the fine crisp pizzas of the region. Have we tempted you? We hope so! The wine tour is at an extra cost. The cost of lunch is not included.