|
 Forum and Coliseum
A trip back in time through the Forum which is brought back to life before your eyes, followed by a visit to Rome's imposing amphitheatre, its years of glory and its gradual fall into decline.
Alternate route can include Palatine
San Clemente Time-Machine!
Delve down into the excavations under the church of San Clemente, which allow their many visitors to take a glimpse at Rome’s rich and many-layered history.
Enjoy a voyage back in time thanks to the exertions of the Irish Dominican Father Mullooly, and his companions, who patiently dug through water-clogged trenches to win lasting fame for themselves among the founding fathers of modern archaeology.
Fountain Tour
Rome's many statues and fountains can be a mine of hidden treasures. Search for hidden meanings, as you wind your way through the streets of old Rome. Each statue, each fountain has a story waiting to be told.
Mosaic Walk
Imitating the Audience Rooms of Imperial Palaces, the great Christian basilicas of Rome were decorated with colourful mosaics, whose varied panoply of hues and colours meant to give the faithful a glimpse of the heavenly court of the King of Kings. This walk concentrates on a few of the early basilicas and churches which were decorated in this fascinating medium: visit Santa Maria Maggiore, Santa Prassede and Santa Pudenziana.
Exploring Rome's rubbish heaps
The best way to understand how Rome, its monuments and its inhabitants survived the Middle Ages is to visit the Crypta Balbi; a brand-new museum, set within the ruins of the Theatre of Balbus, not far from Piazza Venezia. Closed Mondays
The Villa of the Farnesina
The wealthiest man in Rome, the banker Agostino Chigi was nicknamed "il Magnifico". His suburban villa, built and decorated by the best artists of his time, explains why! Includes: villa Farnesina, Casa della Fornarina, via della Lungara, Porta Settimiana, all holding memories of Raphael and his lover, the baker’s daughter, the beautiful "Fornarina". Meet v. della Lungara 230 in Trastevere.
Mornings only, not Sundays.
Parco Appio Claudio
Hardly mentioned in official guide-books, the recently remodeled Parco Appio Claudio comprises a vast expanse of land on the eastern outskirts of the city. Its main features are the impressive remains of the Roman aqueducts, the remains of Roman villas and medieval fortified farms, and an unimpaired view of the Castelli hills.
Villa Giulia Museum
A new look at the Etruscan Civilization: the Etruscan Museum and Villa Giulia The splendid, newly restored Villa originally built for Pope Julius III holds one of Italy’s most important collections of Etruscan artifacts. Learn the recent developments of studies concerning one of Italy’s most sophisticated and multi-faceted peoples, by looking at the splendid works of art, and at the humble objects of everyday life. Closed Mondays. Also possible: Cerveteri Museum and Necropolis.
Ostia Antica
The excavations of Rome's satellite town of Ostia are less well known than Ercolano and Pompei . Ostia's longer life-span and lively, cosmopolitan population mainly of the lower middle-class make it one of the most complete sites for the understanding of everyday life in the Ancient world. Closely linked to Rome, as its main commercial port and military base defending the mouth of the Tiber, Ostia flourished especially in Imperial times, when new docks were added, and a new city, Portus, grew around them. The decline of trade and the gradual silting up of the port of Ostia and ensuing malaria caused its abandonment. A city whose population was reckoned at about 100 000 inhabitants was slowly reduced to ruins. Closed Tuesdays
Also possible:
- Villa Adriana and Villa d'Este (Tivoli)
- Capituline Museums (closed Mondays)
- Borghese Gallery (booking necessary, closed Mondays)
- Castel Sant'Angelo (closed Mondays)
- St. Peters' Vatican Museums (closed Sunday and religious holidays)
|
