Itinerari Romani
di Giovanni Giammei

A panoramic tour by car of Rome is a great way to have a synthetic and meaningful idea of the city.

Spectacular architecture, green terraces overviewing roofs and domes, winding streets with unexpected artworks behind the corner, memories of a long long history everywhere: this is Rome!

Thanks to the drive we will be able to see all its major sites while re-enact the history, events and characters behind them.
 We’ll make several stops in the best places to enjoy the beauty of the sceneries and to have an in-depth look of the complex and fascinating urban planning of Rome, so that at the end of the tour the Eternal City will be more familiar to us.

In this tour we are going to see: the Coliseum from the outside, the Capitoline square, the Circus Maximus, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Piazza del Popolo, Plaza Navona, the Pantheon, the Victor Emmanuel’s monument, the Janiculum hill. Bring your camera!

Downtown Rome has always something special to tell you: shops, palaces, ancient monuments, fountains. All the streets are like an open air museum and behind every corner there’s a surprise!

The walk in downtown is a proposal to experience the various atmosphere of the Eternal City, to capture the essence of its long history and to see what makes it one of the most theatrical city in the world.

We’ll enjoy the elegant design of Piazza del Popolo, the Fountain of the Rivers by Bernini in Plaza Navona, the Trevi Fountain where you are supposed to toss a coin to make your wishes true, the Spanish square with its glorious Steps and famous shops, the perfect geometry of the Pantheon.

Our pace will be slow and relaxing in order to do a promenade where the as-it-comes inspiration has its way, so that every footstep in this tour will be fun.

The Coliseum is the most iconic architecture of the pagan Rome, so imposing and technically amazing it became model for many current stadiums. Built to entertain the people with cruel shows which were performed in the arena by gladiators and wild animals still today is one of the reasons to visit Rome and one of its most exciting monuments.

Also utterly interesting is the huge area, called Ancient Rome, that is part of this tour: this area includes the Palatine hill, the Roman Forum,  the Circus Maximus.
Here we find the Arch of Constantine, the Arch of Titus, the remains of the Cesar’s Palaces, the Roman Senate, the Altar of Julius Caesar.

No less than the Coliseum, the visual legacy of these monuments will take us back to the times Rome was the belly of the empire.

This fundamental tour is focused on the most popular Vatican City’s attractions: the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, the St. Peter’s Basilica, the St. Peter’s square.

The Vatican Museums are fulfilled with sculptures, tapestries, painted walls, marble floors, we’ll be enchanted by the beauty and the history spread everywhere. A particular comment will be paid to the Sistine Chapel in order to outline its deep significance.

After the Sistine Chapel we explore the St. Peter’s Basilica: the tomb of the saint, real pillar of the Catholic Church, is under the main altar. The Basilica is one of the most fascinating buildings ever, memorable for its stunning ornamentation, for the spectacular dome and for the famous Michelangelo’s Pietà, first masterpiece of the artist.
The tour will conclude in the celebrated porticoed square designed by Bernini and ornamented with 150 statues.

We’ll visit the Borghese Gallery, famous to be the world’s greatest private collection of baroque art, housed in an elegant small palace with grounds and gardens built in 1610 by the Cardinal Scipione Borghese, Pope’s Paul V nephew.
Although the Gallery houses famous paintings we will focus mostly on the sculptural masterpieces carved by Bernini, the celebrated portrait of Napoleon’s sister Paolina Borghese, the decor of the rooms and the personality of the Cardinal Scipione Borghese, mastermind of the collection.
After (or before) the visit to the Gallery we’ll take a walk through the splendid Borghese Park: its gardens as they are now were remade in the early nineteenth century and offer memorable views of fountains and statues perfectly integrated into the landscape.
This tour will take us back to the times when the aristocracy reigned showing openly splendor, wealth, power.

During the high season the Borghese Gallery gets easily sold out, so it’s necessary to book it 2/3 weeks ahead of time.

Due to the fact that in its millenary life Rome was often destroyed and rebuilt in the same place, we can say that the modern Rome is built on top of the ancient one.
Everywhere we walk in the city put our feet above the remains of previous human activities: mosaic floors, fresco paintings, statues, columns, inscriptions, tombs. We don’t see them, but they are there, buried beneath the sediment of the time.

Below I listed a few archeological sites, excavated last century, which show very well evidence of the hidden growth of the city. You can pick two or three of them and do an incredible journey back in time through the centuries!

The S. Clemens’ basilica, a church upon a church upon pagan buildings;
The Catacomb of S. Sebastian, where you can see the switchover from a pagan necropolis to a christian cemetery;
The Catacomb of S. Callisto, the first official christian cemetery where a few of the early popes were buried;
The Crypt of the Capuchin Friars, known for its decorations made from the bones of more than 3,700 deceased;
The Roman houses, stage of martyrdom of two saints and for that foundation of the church of SS Giovanni e Paolo;
The Vicus Caprarius, an underground lagoon where is possible to touch Rome’s millennial stratification;
The Domus Aurea, a small gorgeous sample of the residence of the emperor Nero.

We are going to explore the Appian Way, also known as “the queen of roman roads”, the most famous long distance road built by the Romans. At that time it was the main connection to Naples and to Greece and Eastern Mediterranean Sea, and after the end of the Roman Empire, in the Middle Ages, it was long used by pilgrims and crusaders en route to the Holy Land.

Source of inspiration for countless artists, we’ll re-enact the scenery of this fascinating road when along its sides private residences, working activities, tombs and cemeteries followed one upon the other; exploring the imposing ruins of spectacular monuments perfectly situated in a romantic setting we’ll immerse ourselves in a reality linked to times past: the burial monument of Cecilia Metella; the chariot-racing of the emperor Massenzio; the massive Wall to resist the barbarian invasions; the arches of the aqueducts…

We’ll gain a special experience, really off the beaten path.

The Trastevere district looks like a medieval village with authentic folksy atmosphere that fascinate for the variety of colors, sounds and shapes.
It’s a picturesque area that combines the beauty of the humble architecture to the variety of the little shops in the streets and where pizza places, restaurants and coffee bars follow up likewise a merry go round.

Besides the magical atmosphere of the neighborhood we are going to see also extraordinary least-visited masterpieces of art by entering churches and noble mansions: the Galatea by Raphael, the Tempietto by Bramante, the basilica of S. Maria in Trastevere.

The Janiculum hill will be included in our tour as well: plenty of several patriotic monuments, the romantic view from the top encompasses all of the historic center of Rome and it’s one of the most breathtaking of the Eternal City.

A special tour off the beaten path, dedicated to a different Rome, less majestic, more intimate, very human.

We’ll visit three main basilicas which relevance is second only to S. Peter in the Vatican: St. Paul outside the wall, St. John in the Lateran, St. Mary the Major.

They were built long time ago with imposing architecture and with precious materials, and still today are splendid churches where art and faith are visibly interlaced.

We start exploring St. Paul outside the wall: for centuries it had been the largest roman basilica. The holy tomb of Saint Paul, who was never a pope, is preserved under the main altar surrounded by medallions with the portraits of all the popes to this day.

Soon after we enter the basilica of St. John in the Lateran, this was the official pope’s church for a millennium and is considered the mother church of all churches in the world; the most beautiful statues of the apostles ever carved in marble are here.

Last but not least St. Mary the Major, the main basilica in Rome dedicated to worship Mary Mother of God: it was built 431 A.D., its interior is one of the richest and best preserved in Rome.

Rome’s Jews first arrived in Rome in the second century B.C., but, although they are the oldest Jewish community in the world outside the Holy Land, because of various events happened most of all last century nowadays the visible memories of their bi-millennial presence in Rome are mainly concentrated in the area around “Via del Portico d’Ottavia” where in 1555 the “Ghetto” was set and still today many Roman Jews live and meet.
Over the years the area has grown into a beautiful neighborhood that combines jewish culture with the grandeur of Roman architecture.
To re-enact the long history of the Rome’s Jews we’ll take a walk in this area focusing on the signs and evidences of the Jewish past and present and in order to learn more we’ll visit the beautiful Great Synagogue: of orthodox cult, built in eclectic style in 1905, it includes the small but very rich Museum that houses many memories of the hebraic tradition, art and artisans.

We’ll go to Cerveteri, a little village an hour drive north of Rome, to learn about the Etruscans, a pre-Roman population who had a great influence on the Ancient Rome.

We’ll explore the necropolis whose tombs, mirroring the homes of the inhabitants, reveal the social organization of the etruscan society. This perfectly preserved ‘city of the dead’, shaped in volcanic stone, has been declared Unesco World Heritage because it’s one of the most unbelievable example of archaic cemetery.
After the necropolis we enter the little etruscan museum which is housed in a medieval fortress: we’ll see the items that were found in the tombs, handmade artifacts that are featuring many aspects of the everyday life: urns, jewelry, potteries, ceramics, carvings of bronze and marble.
This mysterious and fascinating civilization that existed 25 centuries ago still communicates with us today!

Lunch in a restaurant on the sea or back to Rome soon after the visit.

An hour drive from Rome we see Tivoli, a little hill side town in the Rome’s surroundings with an intact medieval core and two major sites: the ancient villa of the Emperor Hadrian and the renaissance gardens of Villa D’Este.

We’ll visit the impressive ruins of Hadrian’s Villa, where natural beauty and architectural creativity blend together in a magic place designed by the emperor first and then by the time.
Then we’ll go ahead to the center of the town to have a walk through the winding middle ages streets and visit Villa D’Este, built by a cardinal who had great aspiration to become a pope, and famous for its amazing gardens ornamented with more than 200 fountains, nothing less than a feast for the senses.

Optionally, to those that like trekking, I warmly suggest to include the walk through Villa Gregoriana as well, with waterfalls, caves, ancient ruins and wild views, one of the most romantic gardens in Italy!

Stop at your choice for a light lunch or a drink to make a perfect relaxing excursion.

Let’s drive south-east of Rome to explore the area called Roman Castles: it’s a green volcanic complex with two lakes where since the days of Ancient Rome well-to-do Romans have had summer homes. Emperors first, then popes, cardinals, princes.

The volcano ahead, the arches of the aqueducts to the side, in 30 minutes we’ll see the lakes, a few small villages spread around, renaissance villas, gardens, vineyards. Among the many sites my favorite is Castel Gandolfo, summer resort town of the popes since 1600′. I think this village is a must-see and definitely suggest to visit the Papal Residence opened to the public for the first time by Pope Frances. Hopefully Pope Leo will keep it public as well.

The area is definitely famous for its traditional cuisine and local wine, so that a lunch of your choice or a wine tasting can be easily included.

Ostia followed the same destiny of Rome either in its greatness and in its decadence. Important colony because of the salt flats first, then main sea-trade harbor of the empire, in the Middle Ages totally abandoned, covered by the mud for a long time, until last century was beautifully excavated.

Ancient Ostia is today one of the best examples of an ancient Roman town in all of Italy, second only to Pompeii and Herculaneum. It’s located less than an hour driving outside Rome.

Being a port town, Ostia accommodated people, maybe 50.000, from all over the known world and in our tour everything will take us back to the daily life of a rich cosmopolitan seaport.

Wandering among the ruins we’ll discover shops, houses, thermal baths, warehouses, the amphitheater, a forum with temples, a bakery and more than this, learning a lot of the Ancient Rome.

Magical site, really off the beaten path, the visit is one the most amazing archaeological scavenger hunt.

Rome shore excursion departs directly from your cruise ship at Civitavecchia where your english speaking driver will meet you.
The schedule of the day will be customized together, optimising the time to keep the tour smooth and relaxing;  of course, if you are first time visitors, my suggestion is to consider to focus on one of these tours:

A – The Vatican to see the Sistine Chapel and the Saint Peter’s Basilica.

B – The Ancient Rome to see the Roman Forum, the Coliseum, the Pantheon.

C – The Panoramic tour of the city and his Downtown Highlights as the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, the Plaza Navona, the Spanish Steps and many more.

Alternatively, if you prefer to stay far from the action of the city, have a look at the section “Rome Surroundings”, from Civitavecchia those villages are easy to reach and they would be perfect to spend your day “off the beaten path”.

We are going to see Orvieto, one of the most striking, memorable, and enjoyable hill towns in central Italy.
The drive is smooth and interesting because of the various landscape sceneries: wide valleys, hill side towns, green countryside, woodlands and well-maintained fields. On the way we’ll stop off to see Civita di Bagnoregio: built atop a peak rising high above a vast canyon it looks unreal and really worth of seeing.
Soon after the hill town of Orvieto will show sitting majestically on a cliff of volcanic rock.
We’ll enjoy here visiting the fantastic cathedral that has a vivid façade and a must-see chapel inside, strolling around monumental buildings and medieval houses, narrow street and alleyways, discovering least visited masterpieces of art.
We’ll do window-shopping and enjoy a light lunch, of course tasting the local wine.

The visit of Orvieto could be easily included in your transfer by car between Rome and Florence.

The Umbria-Tuscany countryside spreads between Rome and Florence with enchanting hill towns and spectacular landscapes.
Do a round-trip from Rome to explore this famous region, or better, if you transfer by car between Rome and Florence plan to do some stop on the way. 
It’s a unique area famous for the sceneries, art, architecture, food and wine….I’m sure you know here you find many farms to do wine tasting!
My favorite towns, really worth seeing for their unique atmosphere: Orvieto because of its Gothic Cathedral, Siena celebrated all over the world because of the Palio, the spectacular horse race that take place in Piazza del Campo, S. Gimignano well-known for its tower-houses, Pienza because is a perfect example of “ideal renaissance city”.

Ask for more details if you want to explore the Umbria-Tuscany countryside, I will be happy to work together in order to customize either your daily excursion or your transfer by car.

About two hours drive north of Rome, a jewel of the medieval hill towns, Assisi is where San Frances and Saint Claire, messengers of poverty and simplicity, were born, lived and died in the early 13th century.
The little city has narrow streets full of art crafts shops and art galleries, its houses and monuments are built with soft pink marble, everywhere there is a serene atmosphere.

We’ll see the Basilica of Saint Clare with her tomb, the Porziuncola’s church where Frances accepted his vocation, the Basilica of San Frances where we’ll enjoy the Saint’s life painted by Giotto on the wall, masterpiece of the Middle ages frescoes, and eventually we’ll visit the crypt that houses San Frances’s body, the target of countless pilgrims for centuries.

A light lunch with local food will make the excursion perfect.

Note that the visit of Assisi can be easily included in your transfer by car between Rome and Florence.