Vanity Fair Travel,
April 2006
 Our man in...
When it comes to the ultimate travel experience, it’s not what you know, but who you know. From the Sistine Chapel to the South Pole, there are secret agents ready to take you places far from the madding crow. VICTORIA MATHER blows their cover.
John Fort
John is the man who can get the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum closed for private visits. It’s worth spending some £2,000 to be able to lie on the floor and marvel at Michelangelo’s ceiling without your view being impaired by Australian backpackers.
Maria Luisa Gagliardi
Particularly good with children, Maria Luisa will bring the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum to life for them. She’s also a demon shopping guide in Naples, and has a fabulous sense of humour.
Franca Zanchi
This Venetian resident takes guests to St Mark’s Basilica after it has closed (you arrive to the sound of soft organ music). She can also take you backstage at the newly renovated La Fenice opera house.
Go to Bellini Guides...
Lord Charles FitzRoy
The house and garden wizard leads trips to private estates throughout Italy (and also, this year, Sweden) to which one would otherwise not have access. He covers horticulture and architecture in depth – no tree or painting goes unperused – and he can do private trips to Lake Como’s gardens, with guru Robin Lane.
Call +44 (0)20 7437 8553, or go to finearttravel.co.uk
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