The tour begins at the Accademia Gallery with Michelangelo’s David (a copy of which is in its original position in the Piazza della Signoria), his St. Matthew, and his Prisoners (or Slaves). The Museum dell’ Opera contains sculptures from the nearby Cathedral, among which is Michelangelo’s Florence Pieta’ (or Deposition), with a bearded figure assumed to be a self-portrait. The Museum also boasts the original panels of Ghiberti’s Baptistry doors, as well as Donatello's rare wooden sculpture of Mary Magdalene the Penitent, from 1453. The Bargello, a former barracks and prison, holds other...
This delightful, relaxing tour begins when your driver-guide picks you up at your hotel in Florence and takes the picturesque roads through the world-famous Chianti region, lying between Florence and Siena and bordered on the east by the Chianti Mountains and the west by the Elsa River. This wine region boasts delightful vistas framing vine-covered rolling hills and ever-present cypresses, along with an unhurried pace of life and charming villages. You’ll visit the celebrated Machiavelli winery for a tour of the vineyard and a sampling of several different types of local wine, followed by a...
Discover some “osterie” in the historical center of Venice, a city famous not only for its beautiful buildings, picturesque canals, and narrow streets, but for its fantastic regional cuisine and local wine! On this delightful 2.5 hour tour, you will taste your way through three different "enotecas" (wine bars) where local Venetians go to drink and mingle. At each stop, you will sample regional wines and prosecco served alongside small appetizer plates, or "cicchetti," made of local specialties such as marinated seafood and polenta.
Before reaching Ravenna, your guide will show you Chioggia, an old fishing city with the canals and bridges of Venice but without its palaces and crowds. Moving back in time, you will tour Pomposa Abbey, an important Benedictine spiritual center near Ferrara begun in the late 800s in a simple Romanesque style; its lack of ornamentation and minimal later additions make it an excellent example of the transition from classical to medieval architecture. Finally, in the Neonian baptistery and St. Apollinare Nuovo Church in Ravenna you will confront the splendor of the Byzantine Empire of the fifth...
The Catacombs, a maze of quarries and tunnels, are ancient underground cemeteries that also provided refuge to Christian communities during the Roman persecution. They offer surprising insights into the emergence of Christianity from Rome’s pagan origins, with frescoes that include the earliest depictions of the Virgin Mary and the Three Wise Men. The medieval basilica of San Clemente, a Catholic church dedicated to Pope Clement I, is built atop a Romanesque church, which was built atop numerous ancient edifices, including a temple to the god Mithras. On this tour, the past becomes tangible...
No name has been as intimately associated with Florence for as long a time as Medici. The family began in the wool trade and rose in status through the ranks of banking, politics, and, finally, royalty. Its glory began in the first half of the fifteenth century under the leadership of Cosimo de' Medici. Despite being expelled from the city twice, the family returned each time more determined than before to leave legacies of their absolute power in the form of the visual image. While they loved art for its own sake, they also loved it because it impressed, persuaded, and intimidated...
Board our cruiser Bora to escape the crowds and explore the most famous Venetian islands: Murano, renowned for its glassblowing; tiny and picturesque Burano, famous for its multi-colored buildings and handmade lace; and Torcello, established in the 5th century and the site of the first human settlement in the lagoon. The major monuments in Torcello are the cozy little Byzantine church of Santa Fosca, with its beautiful portico, and the larger Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, with its famous mosaics that inspired Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy." The canal banks around these small islands...
Find out how a great empire falls and then reemerges in a different form on this tour of the "dark ages": the period between the demise of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Italian Renaissance. The church of San Clemente is a twelfth century church built on the remains of a fifth century church built on the remains of a Mithraic temple and other Roman structures (perhaps the Roman mint that is reputed to have been located in this area). The layers of buildings are amazingly intact and contain wonderful art and artifacts, including a a stone altar to Mithra, vivid apse mosaics, and one...
The medieval Basilica of San Clemente, a Catholic church dedicated to Pope Clement I, is built atop a Romanesque church, which was built atop numerous ancient edifices, including a temple to the god Mithras. On this tour, the past becomes tangible as you walk backwards in time while descending underground layer by historical layer! The ancient Roman houses on the Celian Hill, which have recently been restored and re-opened to the public, offer a glimpse into what life was like 2,000 years ago in one Rome’s wealthier neighborhoods. They contain archeological finds as well as wall frescoes and...
Vicenza and Verona are small cities, but between them is archeological, architectural, and artistic evidence of just about every significant period in Italy's history. In Vicenza, the first stop on this tour, the emphasis is on the elegant and extremely influential work of sixteenth century architect Andrea Palladio, whose rediscovery of the building styles of the ancient Greeks and Roman changed the appearance of Europe forever and greatly affected construction design in the New World, as well. The city's beautiful historical center and environs boast numerous Palladio buildings, including...
Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) helped change the face of the Eternal City. His monumental projects, perfectly-shaped marble statues, and fountains full of fantasy and intricate detail created and defined the Italian Baroque, a period that Rome embodies to this day. He lived most of his life in Rome, and his art is scattered throughout the city: in the fountains he designed in Piazza Navona, Piazza Spagna, and Piazza Barberini; on its buildings, including the facades of Palazzo Chigi and Palazzo Barberini; in its churches; and in the sovereign nation inside Rome that is Vatican City, where...
Join us in Florence's main squares and through its lesser-traveled side streets on a journey through its illustrious past. Making our way through the Piazza della Signoria and its beautiful outdoor sculptures, we will discuss the rise of the Medici, originally modest wool merchants, and learn how the prominence of trade gave rise to tremendous wealth and the development of a flourishing middle class. We will continue to the Piazza della Repubblica with its Column of Abundance which marked the point where the Roman roads, the "cardus" and "decumanus maximi," met. This became in medieval times...
Commissions and acquisitions of masterpieces by Titian, Caravaggio, Raphael, and Bernini made the Borghese family the premier collectors of their day, and their former suburban palace turned private museum is now one of the most important, and certainly one of the most elegant, museums in Rome. Handed over to the Italian state in 1902, the present-day museum covers two floors, with sculpture on the ground floor and paintings on the upper. We will spend equal time in each and will also examine the villa's architecture, grounds, and gardens. Over the course of your two-hour visit (which,...
Your first stop on this private tour of medieval Tuscany will be the Piazza del Duomo in Pisa, also known as the Piazza dei Miracoli. The Duomo is a splendid eleventh century Romanesque cathedral built using fantastic spoils captured in expeditions against the Muslims in Sicily. The marble Baptistery is a majestic circular-plan Romanesque building started in 1153, and the Leaning Tower is one of the most beautiful and famous bell towers in the world. This tower was in trouble from the start; its architect, Nicola Pisano, managed to complete only three tiers before the structure started to...
To Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Charlton Heston, Julia Roberts, and many others, Rome was a backdrop. The fantastic Trevi Fountain was immortalized by Federico Fellini in "La Dolce Vita," while the Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth) played a cameo in "Roman Holiday." Woody Allen shot portions of "To Rome with Love" at the Spanish Steps and Piazza Venezia, and Julia Roberts was seen in Piazza Navona in "Eat Pray Love." The Circus Maximus was the setting of the unforgettable chariot race in "Ben-Hur," and the Pantheon is just one of the spectacular locations used in "Angels and Demons," based...
It will be just you and your personal guide traveling back in time to ancient Rome. You will uncover the secrets locked in Bernini's work, toss a coin in the Trevi Fountain and ensure your return to the Eternal City. Or simply enjoy Rome's charming streets in a leisurely Italian fashion. By the end of the tour, you will realize that your local guide has not only shown you around Rome, but has taught you how to get around Rome. You will know how to travel Rome like a native, where to shop, eat– and enjoy the Dolce Vita with Your Own Italy.
Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to explore a region that for most of its history was an independent republic and didn't become part of Italy until the second half of the nineteenth century. The Republic of Venice began life at the close of the Roman Empire as an outpost of refugees fleeing barbarian invaders; by the early Renaissance, thanks to some strategic looting and a location at the head of the Adriatic Sea, it had become an independent "republic" and one of the richest and most powerful cities in Europe. This tour begins with the beautiful villas built along the Brenta Canal...
The art of the Vatican is among the most recognizable in the world, with masterpieces by Michelangelo, Raphael, and Leonardo. While leading you through the museums, your guide will convey the tantalizing background of these Renaissance masterpieces. In the stunning Raphael Rooms you will see the famous "School of Athens" fresco that depicts influential thinkers of ancient Greece. In the Sistine Chapel, below the largest and most renowned fresco in the world, your tour guide will explain the intriguing history of how this work came to be and the hidden messages Michelangelo painted into it...
You will visit all four of the great patriarchal basilicas of Rome. The Basilica of St. John Lateran, the oldest and most important, has been set aside for use by the Pope as his own parish. The lovely Basilica of St. Mary Major is the largest of the 26 churches in Rome dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and has an exciting history, including a miraculous snowfall on August 4. The Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls is the burial place of St. Paul the Apostle and contains a fascinating series of portraits of every Pope up to the present. Finally, you will be taken to St. Peter’s Basilica and...
At the Colosseum, one of the largest structures of the ancient world, Romans once gathered to watch gladiator games, animal contests, and even reenactments of sea battles. A massive stone amphitheater which seated an estimated 60,000 spectators, it was built in only eight years. Your guide will tell you about its design and construction, political purposes, fighters (both willing and unwilling), and eventual demise as an arena. At the Imperial Roman Forum, you will hear about the myths and religions of ancient Rome as you wander through the ruins of meeting halls and temples, such as that of...
The cities of medieval Italy, of which Siena is an excellent example, come as a surprise to those accustomed to images of the Middles Ages that focus on somber Gothic cathedrals and nasty, plague-ridden, thatched-roofed hamlets. Like so much of Italy, the Middle Ages that comes down to us in art and architecture here seems colorful, gregarious, and even somewhat insouciant. That, at least, is the impression left by Siena, where you will arrive by private car from Florence for an unforgettable tour. Its cathedral, completed in 1263, is among the most exquisite in Tuscany, flaunting a bold,...
Ancient Rome, like contemporary New York City, was a sprawling area of diverse people trying to live and do business together. They were Greek, North African, Sicilian . . . and Jewish, many of whom went to Rome to work but ended up settling among their compatriots, building homes, raising families, and becoming vital parts of the Roman community for centuries. Your tour of Jewish Rome begins on the Janiculum Hill, which offers a breathtaking panorama of the entire city, and where you’ll see the lovely waters of the Fontana dell’Acqua Paola, one of the most remarkable fountains of 17th...
This introduction to Venice begins with a walk around St. Mark’s Square, also known as the "marble salon" for its many cafés and meeting places, where you can admire the outside of St. Mark’s Basilica, with its Byzantine mosaic renditions of scenes from the life of Christ and, in the lunettes of the lateral portals, scenes showing the history of the relics of Saint Mark. Within the Basilica, which is unique in the world for its 4,000 square meters of golden mosaics and marble floor inlays, your guide will introduce you to its many art treasures, including the magnificent high altar, or Pala d...
The city of Venice houses world-class art from the medieval period through the late 18th century. However, hidden within its labyrinth of alleys and canals there is also a rich contemporary art scene. With the first Biennale of 1895 the city opened itself to new trends of the Secession and later European avant-garde movements, attracting artists, collectors, and gallery owners form around the world. The permanent collections and temporary exhibitions of the Peggy Guggenheim collection, Punta della Dogana, and Palazzo Grassi are must-see stops for anyone interest in the latest trends in new...
Italians think, talk, argue, and dream food! In this culinary tour of food shops and markets, your guide will describe the seasonal products on sale, explain their uses and preparation, and tell stories about the neighborhoods you visit. After this "taste of Rome," you will understand what locals look for when choosing food, wine, and restaurants, and will gain a basic understanding of Italy’s food culture that will equip you to make the most of your eating experiences throughout the rest of your trip.
The collections in these museums is among Venice's greatest and range from Byzantine and Gothic paintings through Renaissance masters to the art of the 21st century. The marble facade of the Ca’ Rezzonico Museum faces the Grand Canal. Today this opulent Baroque palazzo houses a museum and historic palace dedicated to 18th century Venice. Highlights include paintings by famous 18th century Venetian painters such as Pietro Longhi, Canaletto, and Francesco Guardi; a collection of Murano glass; and furnishings from an antique Venetian pharmacy, complete with majolica ceramic jars filled with 18th...
Frascati, one of the Castelli Romani, or Roman hill towns, lies near the ancient town of Tusculum, which probably predated Rome itself. Its natural beauty, ancient ruins, and imposing baroque villas have smitten many a visitor, including Goethe, George Sand, and John Singer Sargent. A leafy spot dotted with lakes and hills, offering fresh, clean air and vineyards that produce wine that was Italy's first to receive the DOC appellation, it is nevertheless just a short ride from the capital. The American term "bedroom community" does not do it justice, but the fact is that for the past two...
Breakfast will be served outdoors in the Vatican's famous Pinecone Courtyard, when the Vatican Museums are still closed to the public. Following your meal, you will tour galleries of sculptures, paintings and tapestries before entering the Sistine Chapel to contemplate its masterpieces at your own pace, far from the noise of crowds. Among the great works to admire in St. Peter’s Basilica are Bernini’s baldachino and Michelangelo’s Pietà, as well as the monumentality of the Basilica itself viewed from the stunning St. Peter’s Square.
This walk will take you to one of two illustrious Roman noble residences, depending on opening hours and time of day: the Villa Farnesina or the Palazzo Spada. The Villa Farnesina, designed by Peruzzi and frescoed by Raphael, is located in the Trastevere ("across the Tiber") neighborhood, an area of wonderful small restaurants, workshops, and side streets. The Palazzo Spada, near Rome's historical center, boasts Borromini’s famous trompe l’oeil perspective and the Spada art gallery, one of the few art collections of a noble family in which paintings are displayed in their original position on...
Rome is an entirely different place at night: it glows in the warmth of amber streetlights and shimmers with the golden flames of candles on cafe tables. The stones of ruins and bricks of piazzas take on a surreal and breathtaking quality in the evening that can only be described as romantic. Our leisurely late stroll will include many of the most important sights in the city, and your tour guide will point out their history along the way.
The well-preserved ruins of ancient Ostia, including intact mosaics and an amphitheater that is still in use, offer much of what those of Pompeii offer, in a more accessible form to those based in Rome. Founded in the 4th century BC and abandoned around AD 900, Ostia, thanks to its location as a port close to the capital, was once an important Roman city, inhabited by over 100,000 people. Its main street, the Decumanus Maximus, with its ancient houses, taverns, baths, groceries, and apartments, many of which contain very well-preserved interior decorations, provides excellent insights into...
If you must see Pompeii - and you must - but had not intended on venturing further south than Rome, let Your Own Italy handle the logistics. You will be driven in a private car directly from your hotel to the world’s most well-preserved ancient town. Your guide will lead you through its wealthy dwellings, whose residents enjoyed vivid wall frescoes and airy courtyards, as well as the more plebeian residences, whose inhabitants ate on the go, groomed at public baths, and attended the 500-person amphitheater in the shadow of Vesuvius. Gain additional inspiration from an inspection of plaster...
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio lived in Rome from 1592 to 1606, and his bold, naturalistic style soon became the rage of art collectors of the day. The strong contrast of light and dark, good and evil, both in his art and in his life, make him a compelling figure to modern art lovers as well. The tour begins at the Contarelli Chapel in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi, where the stories of St. Matthew come to life in three splendid, dramatic works by Caravaggio. Also in the church are works of Caravaggio's Roman master, Cesare Allegri, known as the Cavalier d’Arpino, and a chapel with...
Discover the Eternal City in the footsteps of Michelangelo the painter, the sculptor, and the architect. An expert guide will lead you through Rome to view the master's works in situ, and will explain the history and context of his art as well as anecdotes about his life. The tour begins at Porta Pia, a gate to Rome that was one of the genius's last works. The second destination, the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, is a masterful architectural reorganization of an ancient bathhouse into a church. A walk down some cobblestone streets leads to the church of San Pietro in Vincoli, known as...
Cannaregio is the northernmost "sestiere," or neighborhood, of Venice. A pleasant, relatively tranquil part of the city that is off the main tourist track, it nevertheless hosts imposing palaces, important churches, and enchanting canals and bridges. In it lived such famous Venetians as Tintoretto and Titian; it is a picturesque area and enjoys sweeping vistas of the northern lagoon; it played a vital role in the history and economy of the city of which it is part. But perhaps most important to English-speaking visitors, it was home to one of Shakespeare's most unforgettable creations,...
Find out what it takes to make a real Florentine meal! The San Lorenzo market is comprised of two separate markets, but your tour will concentrate on the Central Market ("mercato centrale"), a two-level indoor food market with fresh local produce on the ground floor and restaurants and gourmet shops upstairs. On the other side of town, the slightly smaller market of Sant' Ambrogio retains more of a local flavor. With both outdoor and indoor stalls, it is a colorful place to get a taste of Florentine life any time of year. At both markets, you will enjoy tastings of olive oils, balsamic...
After visiting the stunning Gallery of Tapestries, Gallery of Maps, and Raphael rooms, you will enter the magnificent helical Bramante Staircase, commissioned by Pope Julius II in 1512 and designed by Donato Bramante as an entrance to the Papal apartments that could also accommodate horses. The Niccolina Chapel, a private chapel of the Pope, is closed to most visitors and decorated with delicate frescoes by the early Renaissance master Fra Angelico. In the Sistine Chapel are the famous wall and ceiling frescoes by Michelangelo, among others, and in St. Peter’s Basilica you will see priceless...
Stroll through the galleries of the Vatican museums after dark! On select Friday evenings you can enjoy ancient sculptures, iconic paintings, and centuries of history brought to life by your private guide, and in the former palaces of the Pope you'll have the opportunity to view sculptures from antiquity that inspired Michelangelo almost 2,000 years later.
Your full-day guided trip to Tivoli, a historic town lying east of Rome in the breathtaking Monte Tiburtini hills, begins at the Villa d’Este, a former Benedictine convent considered to be one of the most enchanting villas of the late Renaissance period. Your guide will explain how the building was created as a lavish home for the son of Lucretia Borgia, that scandalous Italian duchess who created so much drama in 15th century Italy. The famous Fountain of Neptune is only one of the the villa’s 500 fountains; its other outdoor delights include stunning gardens, impressive waterfalls, and...
Your driver will pick you up at your hotel and take you directly to Rome's train station to board the high-speed "Freccia Rossa" to Florence, where your tour guide will be waiting for you. Among the sights you'll see before lunch are the Piazza della Signoria and its beautiful outdoor sculptures, symbols of the rise of municipal power, and the Piazza della Repubblica, originally the old Roman forum and later the site of the main markets and Jewish ghetto. The tour will continue to the Piazza del Duomo, the location of the cathedral complex, which includes the baptistery, Giotto's campanile,...
The Uffizi complex was built in 1560 for Cosimo I de' Medici to accommodate the offices of the Florentine magistrates, hence the name “uffizi,” or offices. Cosimo planned to display a series of masterpieces from the Medici collection in one room, but over the years more sections of the palace were recruited to exhibit art, and the museum aspect of the complex took on a life of its own. Open to visitors by request from its early history, the Uffizi has been officially open to the general public since 1765 and is one of the greatest collections of Renaissance art in the world.
A visit to Venice should begin, as this one does, with a walk around St. Mark’s Square and a visit to St. Mark’s Basilica. Decorated on the outside with Byzantine mosaic renditions of scenes from the life of Christ and the history of the relics of Saint Mark, and on the inside with.4,000 square meters of golden mosaics and marble floor inlays, the Basilica is unique in the world, and your guide will introduce you to the many Byzantine art treasures that it contains. The terrace of the cathedral offers a panoramic view of the square, the lagoon, and the world-famous horse statues, looted from...
