VATICAN CITY
The world’s smallest country is home to one of its finest collections of art, the largest archeological collection, and to the world’s largest church. Negotiating the labyrinth of the Vatican Museums we will weave a narrative which begins with the martyrdom of St. Peter in the Vatican field, and which takes us through Constantine’s legalization of Christianity, through the violence of the Middle Ages, and into the glorious reign of Julius II, the building of new St Peter’s, and into the theatricality of the Baroque.
ANCIENT ROME
From the legend of the city’s foundation by Romulus, to the expansion of Rome across the Mediterranean and beyond, and ultimately the implosion of Empire, traces of the city’s history lurk around every corner. Explore Rome’s ancient history with these itineraries. Explore sites which are both world famous and those which are less well known, all of which offer a fascinating insight into the thousand years and more which we call “Ancient Rome”.
VATICAN CITY
The world’s smallest country is home to one of its finest collections of art, the largest archeological collection, and to the world’s largest church. Negotiating the labyrinth of the Vatican Museums we will weave a narrative which begins with the martyrdom of St. Peter in the Vatican field, and which takes us through Constantine’s legalization of Christianity, through the violence of the Middle Ages, and into the glorious reign of Julius II, the building of new St Peter’s, and into the theatricality of the Baroque.
ANCIENT ROME
From the legend of the city’s foundation by Romulus, to the expansion of Rome across the Mediterranean and beyond, and ultimately the implosion of Empire, traces of the city’s history lurk around every corner. Explore Rome’s ancient history with these itineraries. Explore sites which are both world famous and those which are less well known, all of which offer a fascinating insight into the thousand years and more which we call “Ancient Rome”.
MEDIEVAL ROME
Unravel the history of Jewish Rome with a visit to the Jewish Ghetto and walk the medieval streets of Trastevere to visit the medieval churches of Santa Cecilia and Santa Maria in Trastevere, and their gleaming mosaics.
RENAISSANCE & BAROQUE ROME
The Galleria Borghese is an elegant jewel box filled to bursting with gems of ancient, Renaissance and Baroque art. Works by Raphael, Bernini, and Caravaggio exemplify the decadence of Rome's Renaissance and Baroque past.
OUT OF TOWN
From Tivoli to the ancient port of Ostia Antica, voyage outside of Rome to explore all that Lazio has to offer. Whether a full-day excursion or half-day visit, these tours are perfect for first time and repeat visitors.
The Baker’s Tomb at Porta Maggiore
Tweet In front of the Porta Maggiore, of which I wrote in my last post, is the tomb of an Augustan era bread magnate. Built about 30 BCE, on the cusp of Republic and Empire, it predates the aqueduct (of which the Porta Maggiore is part) by eighty years. The master...
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Porta Maggiore: a tangle of ancient and modern
Tweet A couple of posts ago I finally got round to mentioning the largest ancient Roman monument in the city: the Aurelian Wall, which manages somehow to be simultaneously both ever present and elusive. The closest point of the Wall to my apartment is one of its most...
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The “Protestant” Cemetery at Testaccio.
Tweet “The English burying-place is a green slope near the walls, under the pyramidal tomb of Cestius, and, as I think, the most beautiful and solemn cemetery I have ever beheld.” (Percy Bysshe Shelley) Nestling between Monte Testaccio, Rome’s ancient...
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