ROME GUIDED TOURS

31 August - 3 September 2009

PRICES FOR GUIDED TOURS: PER PERSON: € 26,00 (for 2,5/3 hour-tours) REDUCED: € 18,00 for young participants aged between 14 and 18 years old FREE for children aged between 6 and 14 years

Prices do not include costs for possible entrance tickets, which are indicated for each itinerary.

TIME: MORNING (2,5-3 hours, hrs 10.00 am): itineraries n. 1 and n. 4 AFTERNOON (2-3 hours, hrs 3.00 pm): itineraries n. 2 (hrs 2.15 pm) and n. 5 WALKS (2 hours, hrs 9.00 pm): itineraries n.3 and n. 6

EOS CONTACTS Associazione Culturale EOS - Via S. Grattoni 1, 00185 Roma Ph. +39 06 86907230 - Mobile: +39 349 6732734 [email protected] - www.eoscultura.it

1st ITITINERARY

The heart of the Empire: the Imperial Forums, the , the

The road which departs from to reach the Colosseum crosses the entire area of the Imperial Forums and the Traiano Market, which constitutes the largest archaeological city in the world. From the Monument of Victorio Emanuele II (Alter of the Fatherland), along the one comes across the ruins of the and the Temple of Venere Genetrice, commissioned by Caesar prior to the battle of Farsalo; the Traiano Forum with the remains of the Ulpia , considered to be the largest of ancient ; the 40 meter high Traiana Column which depicts salient episodes from the military operations of Traiano against the Daci; the , which commemorates the victory of Filippi and is dedicated to Marte Ultore. In the middle of the Via dei Fori Imperiali one arrives at the entrance of the Roman Forum. It was the center of life in imperial Rome, evidenced by the many remains of triumphal arches, temples and . Here, triumphal processions took place, elections were held and the Senate assembled. The itinerary ends at the Colosseum, the most famous monument from ancient Rome.

Its building began in 75. A.D. and was opened in 80 A.D., an opening celebrated with a full of bloody games during which, according to legend, five thousand animals were killed. This was a gruesome leisure activity for the ancient Romans: prisoners condemned to death were torn to pieces by ferocious beasts, animals were killed by archers and there were fights to the death between “professional” gladiators. The surface area of the Colosseum, which totals about 19,000 square meters, was arranged into four sections, each of which could hold up to 70,000 spectators. The Emperor’s box was placed in the center from where he could decide the gladiators’ fate with a simple hand gesture. In 438 A.D., the games were prohibited and the Colosseum was gradually abandoned. In the Colosseum is possible to see the exposition dedicated to Vespasian, one of the most illustrious members of the Flavian dinasty, the builders of the Colosseum.

TICKET: € 12,00 REDUCED: € 7,50 for European Union members between 18 and 24 years old FREE ENTRANCE for persons under 18 and over 65 years old from the European Union

2nd ITITINERARY - THE

The

These museums, one of the largest and most impressive museum complex in the world, contain hundreds of works of art commissioned and collected by the over the centuries and created by the most famous artists in history. Following the route from the entrance it’s possible to visit the Gallery of the Candelabra, the Gallery of the Tapestries, the Gallery of Maps, the Rooms, the Borgia Apartment decorated by Pinturicchio, the , magnificently decorated by Michelangelo and Perugino, Botticelli, Signorelli, Ghirlandaio and many others painters, that represents the largest and the highest single concentration of wall- painting made in .

The Basilica of San Pietro

With an area covering 22.067 square meters on 186 meters length, the Basilica of San Pietro is the most imposing work of art in the Vatican City and the undisputed symbol of Rome. The Basilica of San Pietro was enlarged over the centuries with the contribution of artists such as Michelangelo, Baldassare Peruzzi, Donato Bramante, Raffaello, Antonio Sangallo, . It was completed in 1614 and opened in 1626. The , 136 meters high with a diameter of 42, was the work of Michelangelo while the elliptic external piazza with flights of steps on three levels, and the quadruple colonnade connected to the basilica by two arms, is the work of Gianlorenzo Bernini. The interior is divided in three principle naves with a series of chapels, including the Chapel of the Relics, the Gregorian Chapel and the Chapel of the Column where the famous "Pietà" by Michelangelo can be found. The apse houses the spectacular bronze pulpit created by Bernini.

VATICAN MUSEUMS TICKET: € 14,00 REDUCED: € 8,00 for Children and young people aged between 6 and 18 years, Students aged not more than 26 years on presentation of valid a International Student Card, a student identity document or other documentation stating their registration to a university or institution of higher education. AUDIORECEIVER: € 3,00 per person

3rd ITINERARY

Rome by night: from hill to hill. A walk from Piazza del Campidoglio to the Aventino Hill

The Campidoglio, or Capitol, was the smallest but most famous of Rome’s Seven Hills. It was the seat of power, the city’s religious hub and thus for many centuries, the heart of the civilized world. Piazza del Campidoglio, a majestic piazza designed by Michelangelo for Emperor Charles V’s triumphal entry in Rome in 1536, presents the equestrian statue by Marco Aurelio at its center, transferred here in 1538 from the Laterano as requested by Paul III. In Piazza del Campidoglio one finds Palazzo Senatorio, work of Giacomo Della Porta and , in which Rome's County Council meets; Palazzo Nuovo, built by the Rainaldi Brothers; Palazzo dei Conservatori, the construction of which was initiated by Michelangelo Buonarroti and completed by Giacomo Della Porta. By walking, is possible to reach from here the Church of S. Maria in Cosmedin, a lovely medieval church best known for the Bocca della Verità, and finally the Aventino Hill, reach of history and old monuments like S. Sabina, founded in the 5 th century. On Aventino Hill is possible to see one of the most impressive views of the Roman skyline across the . The visit ends in Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta, designed in the 18 th century by the engraver Giovanni Battista Piranesi, monumental entrance to the Priorato di Malta, the residence of the Grand Master of the Knights of Malta.

NO TICKETS

4th ITINERARY

Discovering

Our visit starts from the Tiber, big artery of the town situated in the heart of Rome and from the little island on the river: the Isola Tiberina. It was the original landing- place for the city and its centre. Its characteristic shape (the form of a ship’s bow) and the legend of its foundation are just two of its attractions that fascinate visitors. On the little island we’ll find the Church of San Bartolomeo, built on the remain of the Temple of Asclepios, the god of the medicine. Reached the right bank of the river crossing the old Ponte Cestio, one the the ancient bridge of Rome, the walk continues in the heart of Trastevere, one of the city’s most charming areas and one of the better defined districts. The first stop is for visiting one of the smallest but interesting medieval church of Rome, San Benedetto in Piscinula, built on a Roman house owned by the family of St. Benedict, the founder of Western Christian monasticism, who live in this place for a short while at the end of the 5 th century. The second church is Santa Cecilia in Trastevere where are kept many masterpieces like the luminous 9 th century mosaic of the apse, the beautiful fresco with the last Judgement by Pietro Cavallini (1293), the magnificent Gothic baldacchino by Arnolfo di Cambio (1293 c) and the interesting Roman remains below the church. The itinerary ends in Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere, one of the most beautiful of the city. The church of Santa Maria in Trastevere, founded in the 3 rd century in a club for veterans of the Roman army, is the first to be dedicated to the Virgin and is one of the most important centres of early . Completely rebuilt by Innocent II in Romanesque style (12 th century), the church presents in the apse beautiful medieval mosaics and the precious painting on table called Madonna of Clemency, a remarkable work dated 6 th century.

TICKETS FOR THE CHURCH OF SANTA CECILIA IN TRASTEVERE (Cavallini and Roman remains below the church): € 5,00

5th ITINERARY

A walk in Middle Age: from the Basilica of S. Giovanni in Laterano to the Basilica of

Before the Popes established their residence in the in the Vatican after their return from exile in Avignon they lived mainly in the Lateran; and St John Lateran has remained the episcopal church of the Pope. Various additions and alterations were carried out in the 5 th , 8 th , 10 th , 13 th and 15 th centuries, and in the 16 th and 17 th centuries the church was almost completely rebuilt. The west porch, the interior and the main facade were entirely refashioned at this period. During medieval times the church was put under the patronage of St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist. The basilican plan of the church, with its porch, narthex, five-aisled , apse, presbytery and apse, was established in the original Constantinian church and respected in the Baroque rebuilding. The wide facade with its huge statues by Alessandro Galilei (c. 1735) is a masterpiece of late Baroque . The interior, 130m/427ft long, was refashioned by Borromini on the occasion of Holy Year 1650, with massive piers along the nave and tall figures of Apostles (4.25m/14ft high), by various sculptors, in the niches. The magnificent timber ceiling dates from the 16th c. Above the Papal altar (Altare papale) is a tabernacle-like baldachin in which the heads of the Apostles Peter and Paul are preserved. Not far from here there’s the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore the largest of the Roman churches dedicated to the Virgin. It is also one of the four patriarchal basilicas (coming after San Giovanni in Laterano, San Pietro in Vaticano and San Paolo fuori le Mura) and one of the seven pilgrimage churches (the patriarchal churches together with Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, San Lorenzo fuori le Mura and San Sebastiano). It is the only church in Rome in which mass has been celebrated every day without interruption since the fifth century. From the square with the obelisk (14.80m/49ft high), from the an imposing flight of steps leads up to the entrance at the chancel end of the church. The main entrance (facade by Ferdinando Fuga, 1743) is reached by way of the column from the Basilica of , now crowned by a figure of the Virgin. This principal basilica was built by Pope Liberius who had a vision of Our Lady during a miraculous snowstorm that took place in the height of summer. The triumphal arch and facade were built in the 18th century. The Pauline Chapel and Sistine Chapel were beautifully built by Flaminio Ponzio and . The interior is perhaps the finest and most majestic church interior in Rome; 86m/282ft long, three- aisled, with 36 marble and four granite columns, mosaics (fourth or fifth century, the oldest in Rome) on the upper part of the walls, work in the floor (mid 12th century) and a coffered ceiling by Giuliano da Sangallos (15th century). In the on the canopied high altar, by Ferdinando Fuga, is a much venerated image of the Virgin (the "Salus Populi Romani"), a 13th century work.

TICKETS: € 5,00 AUDIORECEIVER: € 3,00 per person

th 6 ITINERARY

Rome by night: from the Renaissance to the Baroque

Between the 16 th and the 17 th century the city of Rome became the consummate statement of Catholic majesty and triumph expressed in all the arts. Renaissance and Baroque architects, artists and urban planners so magnified and invigorated the classical and ecclesiastical traditions of the city that it became for centuries after the acknowledged capital of the European art world, not only a focus for tourists and artists but also a watershed of inspiration throughout the Western world.Specially four energetic popes, Sixtus V (Felice Peretti, r.1585-90), Urban VIII (Maffeo Barberini, r. 1623–44), Innocent X (G. B. Pamphilj, r. 1644–55), and Alexander VII (Fabio Chigi, r. 1655–67), charged the versatile talents of Domenico Fontana, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and with commissions meant to monumentalize and beautify areas all over Rome. All the popes used the official residence in the Vatican, but they also lavished attention on their own palaces in other parts of the city. Innocent X, for example, developed the , commissioning Borromini to design facades for the Church of Sant’Agnese in Agone and for his palace next door, and engaging Bernini to create the spectacular Fountain of the Four Rivers, whose gushing waters, colossal sculpture, and crowning obelisk form the centerpiece of the square. The introduction of fountains and monumental stairways throughout the city induced pedestrians not only to move easily from place to place but also to linger in beautified transitional spaces. This itinerary, that departs from the Piazza Venezia, will reach some of the most beautiful and magnificent monuments and sites of the Eternal City, like the first baroque church in Rome:, the Gesù Church designed and built by Vignola and than by Giacomo della Porta, the Church of Sant’Ignazio, the Piazza di Santa Maria sopra Minerva, the Pantheon, the Church of Sant’Ivo, Piazza Navona, the Church of S. Maria della Pace, Piazza Campo de’ Fiori and , where the night walk ends.

NO TICKETS