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Itinerary

Arrival in Rome Antonio will contact you at you hotel in the evening and, if time and opportunity allows, will be happy to meet you to talk about the itinerary and share a glass of wine.

Day 1 - Rome  We'll begin the tour at St. Peter's Square. This is one of Rome’s greatest sites, visited by millions of tourists and faithful. The splendid square and colonnade, Bernini's finest work, form a superb entryway to the greatest church of Christendom, dominated by the magnificent Dome of Michelangelo.

It's a short walk from the St. Peter's Basilica to Castel Sant'Angelo. Constructed by the Emperor Hadrian (117-138) as a mausoleum for himself and his successors, the Emperor Aurelia rebuilt the ruins into a fortress that was eventually connected to the Vatican by a safety passage that runs along the top of the encircling wall of the Vatican. Henceforth, it remained under the control of the Popes who used it as a fortress until modern times. Now it is a museum.

Next, we'll cross the Bridge of Angels to the other side of the Tiber River. This bridge is adorned by some of Bernini’s most beautiful and interesting statues, and leads to the true Centro Storico - The Historic Center of Rome. We'll wind our way through cobblestone streets to Piazza Navona.

Piazza Navona is a marvel of light and sculpture, it is exceptionally long and owes its shape to the ruins that formed it, for under the buildings that surround Piazza Navona are the remains of the Circus Domitianus, Domitian's stadium - a part of which can still be seen. The piazza features many fine old buildings, a beautiful church and three stunning fountains

In the center of the piazza is Bernini's most spectacular fountain, la Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Four Rivers) erected in 1651. Piazza Navona is an extremely lively place with open-air cafes around it. During the summer, numerous artists draw or paint members of the public for a fee. The place is crowded each day and there are often buskers and sometimes mimes to entertain.

Time to enjoy a fabulous Italian meal! We have reserved a special place at one of Rome's finest and quaintest trattorias, Antica Taverna. Your host, Paolo, will serve you a bubbly prosseco champagne even before you find your table. Get ready for the treat of a lifetime! Paolo and his chefs have a very special meal planned for you, complete with the finishing touches of espresso or the Italian specialty, grappa. You'll be talking about this feast for months to come!

After lunch, we'll take a long stroll through Campo dei Fiori and Trastevere, just across the Tiber River.  The Campo dei Firoi, or Field of Flowers, gets its name from the open flower market that adorns the piazza everyday. It also hosts one of Rome's busiest open markets where Romans buy everything from tomatoes to sunglasses.  In the middle of the piazza is a statue of Bruno, the infamous "heretic" who was burned to the stake for inciting riots among the youth of his time.

Across the Tiber River is one of the oldest and quaintest sections of Rome, known as Trastevere.  In ancient times, all non-citizens of Rome (mainly Jews and foreigners) were required to live "Across the Tiber", outside of the then city limits.  Today it is becoming a popular artistic and cultural center, and offers a great opportunity to photograph one of Rome's oldest and most photogenic locales.

The evening is yours to wander and explore Rome. Tony can suggest several excellent places to have dinner in one of Rome's many good restaurants and trattorias.    top of the page

Day 2 - Rome   The Coliseum is one of the world’s most famous landmarks and tourist attractions. Although it survives only as a ruin, it is one of the finest examples of Roman architecture and engineering.  Although it is said that Christians were put to death here, this is doubtful.  The arena was used for sports, gladiatorial events, and re-enactments of famous Roman sea battles – and was designed to be flooded into a small lake.  It seated 35,000 spectators (50,000 standing) and  covered by a huge canopy that could be retracted by ropes.

The Roman Forum  was the center for commercial, political, and civil activities and contained markets, prisons, statues, entertainment areas, temples and monuments built by various emperors. Perhaps more than any other Roman ruin, the Forum gives us a glimpse into the architectural and political power of Rome during the time of the emperors.

The Campidoglio sits at the end of the Roman Forum, a truly remarkable square and an urban masterpiece designed by Michelangelo. At the center of the square stands the great bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius.  From there, we'll walk down the great steps, across the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II and down the Corso to the famous Trevi Fountain.

The Trevi Fountain is known the world over as the fountain where Anita Ekberg cooled off at night in Fellini's film "La Dolce Vita."  It is also famous as the setting for the popular romantic film "Three Coins in a Fountain." and derives its name from its position at the intersection of three roads (tre vie). It is one of the world’s most photographed monuments is unrivalled as a spectacular aquatic structure. It is a popular meeting or gathering spot for Romans and visitors alike.

Finally, we'll end the afternoon at the Pantheon, which was begun in 27 BC by the statesman Marcus Vispanius Agrippa. It fell into ruins but was completely rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian sometime between AD 118 and 128. Its dome was the largest built until modern times. It was dedicated in AD 609 as the Church of the Santa Maria Rotonda, or ad Martyrs, which it remains today. The tomb of Raphael is found inside.

Twilight Photography  Rome after sunset is magical and we would be remiss if we didn't include a special Twilight Photo Session, not only because the light is magical, but also to learn new techniques required to capture this special kind of light.    top of the page

We will begin again at St. Peter’s Square, giving you the opportunity to return to make photos under completely different lighting conditions.  Twilight in the piazza is the perfect time to capture the beauty of natural and artificial lighting that will come on just at dusk. The sky will still be deep blue and you will capture extraordinary images of the façade and dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, and the artfully lit fountains in the square.

Then, we’ll head up the Tiber River toward Castel Sant’Angelo.  We’ll move around a bit, from one side of the Tiber River to the other, capturing the fleeting light as it gives way to the artfully designed artificial lights that bathe the "Castello", as well as the Bridge of Angels adorned with more than a dozen famous statues by Bernini.

We'll finish our twilight tour in Piazza Navona.   A marvel of light and sculpture, it is exceptionally long and owes its shape to the ruins that formed it, for under the buildings that surround Piazza Navona are the remains of the Circus Domitianus, Domitian's stadium - a part of which can still be seen. The three fountains which adorn this wonderful space are especially photogenic at dusk and into the night.

Although large tripods are generally forbidden in Rome, a small table-top tripod will be just perfect for this session, so be sure to bring one along.  But don't worry if you forget,  Rome is full of “perfectly placed” tripods.  We'll show you an easy way to shoot at night without the use of a tripod.

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Prices include tour fee, instruction, and assistance by our travel expert in securing accommodations.  Hotel accommodations, tips/gratuities, drinks/food,  Air/train tickets to/from Rome, and Mr. Boccaccio's expenses are not included in the price. Children under 13 years old not allowed on tour without prior permission.  We reserve the right to make changes in the itinerary if circumstances beyond our control occur.