DIGGING THROUGH TIME

Step back in time and relive the astonishing feats and glories of the Roman Empire on a private tour of the capital’s ancient wonders. Accompanied by your expert guide, you will travel down the centuries and find out how this small city-state – by dint of perfectly planned military campaigns, outstanding organisation and technological genius – conquered lands far and wide and spread its influence over vast swathes of the globe, rightfully gaining the title of Caput Mundi – Capital of the World.

Specially designed to provide guests with an overview of ancient Roman history, society and culture, this tour encompasses the most significant and iconic archaeological sites. While you follow a time-worn route, past triumphal arches and majestic temples, your guide will bring the ancient city back to life, conjuring up the epic figures who walked along its streets and the world-shaking events that originated on this very spot. Take a deep breath and what you’ve only read about in books now appears right before your eyes!

Your journey begins as you access the Colosseum, the best-known symbol of the mighty Roman Empire and most visited monument in the whole of Italy. This masterpiece of ancient engineering is evidence of the Romans’ brilliant construction skills and provides an eloquent example of their ingenuity and innovation in the fields of technology, science and architecture, achievements which remained unequalled for centuries. The first stone of the amphitheatre was laid in 72 AD at the request of Emperor Vespasian whose intention was to appease public discontent and control the masses by donating a gift to his citizens and win their support with panem et circenses – bread and circuses. The cruel yet spectacular shows of great popular appeal staged inside the Colosseum were like nothing seen before or since, and included mass executions, warrior fights, wild animal hunts and even naval battles. Here, ill-fated prisoners fought to the death before ecstatic crowds and exotic beasts were butchered in the name of entertainment. While you roam through the ruins of stone walls and bleachers, imagine how a gladiator must have felt as he prepared for combat and awaited his destiny, stirred by the roars and cheers of 60,000 blood-thirsty spectators echoing through the arena.

Next, enjoy the myths and stories that took root in Rome on your climb up to Palatine Hill, the oldest part of the Caput Mundi. According to legend, this is where the baby twins Romulus and Remus are said to have been rescued and raised by the she-wolf and it is here that Rome was founded in 753 BC, after a boundary dispute between the two brothers and a fratricide. For centuries this was the city’s most coveted neighbourhood, owing to the stunning views of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Circus Maximus – Rome’s grandiose chariot-racing stadium – to be admired from the top of the hill. The luxurious villas of the patricians were gradually replaced by the emperor’s awe-inspiring palaces. The impressive remains of the Domus Flavia, the Palatine Stadium and the Baths of Septimius Severus still provide an extraordinary glimpse of the opulent lifestyle and excesses enjoyed by the ancient Roman courts.

Your tour will end with a leisurely stroll through the Roman Forum. Originally the social, commercial and political hub of the ancient city, the Forum was a grandiose district of temples and vibrant public spaces where trials, business dealings and elections took place. The marks of the Roman carriage wheels are still visible along its cobbled streets. As you retrace the footsteps of busy market traders and faithful temple-goers, you will learn about the everyday customs of these city dwellers as well as the rituals and beliefs of their pagan creed. Your guide will certainly point out the Curia Iulia, an imposing building that once echoed with the fierce debates of the senators and the rousing speeches of the great orators. You will also see the Temple of Divus Iulius and find out more about the extraordinary achievements and brutal murder of Julius Caesar, the first Roman citizen to be deified after the mythical founder Romulus. Statues of the priestesses who were tasked with ensuring Rome’s sacred flame remained forever lit still line the hall of the House of the Vestal Virgins. Here, you’ll hear moving stories of their lives and sometimes premature, tragic deaths and discuss the role of women in Roman society. Not to be missed are also the Basilica Julia and the Basilica of Maxentius, the most important courthouses of the ancient city.

What was once a busy centre of Roman city life is now still alive and pulsing with visitors eager to step back into history.

After some free time for lunch enjoy a fun ride through the capital on a private Segway tour. Here’s your chance to cruise around Rome’s best-loved sights aboard the very latest and greenest electric vehicle. What a glorious way to get a close look at the squares and fountains, the monuments and magnificent facades of the city’s favourite buildings as you sail along smoothly and silently on your own personal transporter! A dream experience like this is just too good to miss. Your guide will lead you through the side streets and piazze of the historic centre pointing out important landmarks and relating the true tales that surround them to animate your experience. You’ll have plenty of photo opportunities beside the city’s architectural treasures and gain a real feel for the texture of life in Rome, past and present, in record time.

After a brief orientation session on how to manoeuvre this 2-wheeled easy-to-handle electric vehicle, hop on your Segway and begin your exciting journey through centuries of history. You’ll roll across Neoclassical squares, alongside Baroque fountains and archaeological monuments, while learning about the most significant events in the biography of the city.

Relive the glories of ancient Rome as you wheel past the Pantheon, one of the capital’s oldest, best-preserved and most spectacular buildings. Built by Emperor Hadrian in around 125 AD, it was originally a temple devoted to many gods. With its grandiose colonnade, vast bronze doors and awe-inspiring dome – one of the largest free-standing domes in existence – it still fascinates visitors today, almost two thousand years after its completion. Next, jump forward to the 17th century on a visit to Piazza Navona. Here, while you inspect Bernini’s glorious Fountain of the Four Rivers and the facade of Borromini’s Church of Sant’Agnese in Agone, lend an ear to an account of the contention between famous art champions Bernini and Borromini. Rivalry is one human characteristic that never changes! You’ll also get the chance to stop for photos in Piazza di Spagna, with its elegant stairway of 135 steps leading up to the Church of Trinità dei Monti, and make a wish by the Trevi Fountain for good luck as well as to ensure a return trip to Rome.

Admiring the Caput Mundi‘s well-known tourist attractions and picture postcard locations is only half of the fun. Many of Rome’s fascinating secrets will be unveiled and its hidden wonders revealed on the way. Your guide will share a wealth of stories and anecdotes about Roman celebrities. Ambitious popes, headstrong artists, power-mad emperors and a host of other compelling characters will make their appearance in the colourful canvas that unfolds before your eyes.

After the tour return to your accommodation and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Explore one of the world’s most cherished art collections on an exciting treasure hunt. Secret symbols, hidden meanings, intriguing legends, enigmatic pictures: the Vatican is imbued with mystery. Follow your guide on a stirring trail through centuries of history and enjoy unravelling the riddles.

Over 2,000 rooms display stunning works of art that range from classical sculptures to Renaissance fresco paintings, from Etruscan bronzes to Flemish tapestries, from Egyptian steles to early Christian sarcophagi. Participants will learn about the origins and growth of this five-hundred-year-old collection and how to turn the key that will unlock the meaning of the treasures preserved here. By stimulating their curiosity with hints, clues, puzzles and thought-provoking facts, young visitors will be encouraged to examine paintings and sculptures and search for tiny, fascinating details. Your guide will throw light on the history behind the artworks, entertain you with amusing anecdotes and help you untangle the intricate web woven by strands of art, religion and power.

Adults, too, are bound to be captivated by the stories they will hear and certainly enjoy an enlightening experience. You will dip into the lives of the popes and artists, their ambitions, feats and foibles. No one can fail to be beguiled by the tales and rumours that surround the protagonists of what was once one of the West’s most influential seats of power – and is today the world’s smallest state. Did you know that the Vatican is an eighth of the size of New York’s Central Park? In April 2017 its population was a mere 605! The Vatican is the only existing country to be entirely designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and attracts more tourists than any other place in the world, with over 5 million visitors every year.

Your expedition will lead you to the Gallery of Maps. Can you spot familiar places? Isn’t it astonishing that long before airplanes and satellites were invented, artists drew up forerunners of today’s atlases? Next, prepare for a safari inside the Hall of Animals, followed by an encounter with illustrious Roman characters and mythological gods who await you in the Gallery of Statues. The Sistine Chapel conceals hidden portraits and secret messages left in the frescoes by Michelangelo in the 16th century. Here, with your gaze turned up towards the ceiling, try decoding the master’s enigmas. Your hunt will end inside St. Peter’s Basilica. Its colossal masonry dome is one of the largest ever built and the dimensions of its facade are comparable to that of a soccer field!

Your visit, enriched with fun activities, educational games, tales and curiosities about the protagonists of the Vatican’s history, will certainly be an unforgettable experience for the whole family.

Roll up your sleeves, tie your apron strings and season your Roman experience with a hands-on cooking lesson.

Food has always been central to the hearts and minds of Italians and is an essential component of the country’s culture. Ancient Romans are reputed to have been gourmands as attested by one of the earliest-known cook books, the De Re Coquinaria, containing recipes by 1st century Roman chef Apicius, and paintings of food and banquet scenes uncovered in Pompeii. The “epi-curious” might also like to know that hundreds of Italian expressions, sayings and proverbs in common use are inspired by gastronomy and the act of eating: Che pizza! = What a pizza! (What a bore!); Dire pane al pane e vino al vino = To say bread to bread and wine to wine (To call a spade a spade); Non si fanno frittate senza rompere le uova = You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs (You have to take action, if you want to bring about change); Al contadino non far sapere quant’è buono il cacio con le pere = Don’t let the farmer know how good cheese is with pears (Never show others how much you are interested in something because giving away a secret might hurt your interests).

By teaching you how to prepare traditional dishes this cooking lesson will allow you to dip further into Italian culture and give you a key to understanding the local food-centred way of life.

You will meet your instructor in Trastevere and begin your day with a pleasant walk through this picturesque, lively neighbourhood to Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere where your kitchen caper takes place. En route stop at local food stores to purchase the ingredients needed for the cooking lesson. Under your host’s watchful, friendly eye, you will discover regional recipes, get to know about Roman culinary traditions, try out infallible cooking techniques and have fun creating a delicious lunch. After the experience enjoy the meal you just prepared… compliments to the newly qualified chef!

In the afternoon, following lunch and time at leisure, your chauffeur will pick you up and drive you to the Via Appia Antica where you will experience the thrill of cantering along the Regina Viarum – meaning Queen of Roads – just like the ancient Romans did – on horseback.

Located just ten kilometres from the Colosseum, the Ancient Appian Way offers visitors a breath of fresh air in the lush green area outside the centre as well as a unique opportunity to plunge into the capital’s centuries-old history. As the Latin expression goes Omnes viae Romam ducunt – meaning “all roads lead to Rome”. Have you ever wondered how this saying originated? This is where it all began. Running from Rome to the port of Brindisi, the Via Appia Antica was the earliest, widest and strategically most important road in the ancient Roman Republic. Flanked by extraordinary monuments, including mausoleums, ruins of patrician villas and traces of a thermal complex, today this 2,300-year-old cobblestone path continues to impress visitors and is known to be the best-preserved surviving Roman road.

Appropriate for horse riders with experience at any level, from beginners to seasoned cowboys, this activity is led by an expert instructor who can customise itineraries to suit different ages, needs and skills. The owner of the riding school has worked for twenty years in equestrian tourism and his family has lived on a property bordering the Ancient Appian Way for over a century, a guarantee of his in-depth knowledge of the area.

Enjoy the splendid views the Eternal City has to offer from the saddle. As you ride through history along the Ancient Appian Way, imagine chariots whizzing by and the Equites, the ancient Roman knights, galloping off to defend the borders of far-flung corners of the Empire. Just beyond the 5th milestone, you will come across the stunning archaeological remains of the Villa dei Quintili. Built by two wealthy brothers in the 2nd century AD, this prestigious ancient suburban residence was so spectacular that even Emperor Commodus, one of Rome’s most wicked rulers, was impressed by its grandiosity. Commodus grew so envious that he came up with a plan to claim the villa for himself. He charged the brothers with treason, had them sentenced to death and confiscated the property. As luck would have it, Commodus himself was killed ten years later in a conspiracy on this very spot. The imposing ruins of the villa’s thermal baths can still be admired and stand as a potent reminder: Covet all, lose all.

After the horseback ride return to your hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

If you’ve only seen the Eternal City from above the ground you may have missed half of its treasures. Follow your guide on a trail through its darkest recesses and gain insight into Rome’s origins and development over the centuries.

Nestled beneath the hustle and bustle of this modern day metropolis lies its silent, eerie underground twin city of ancient streets, domus, necropolises and temples. You will be led on a subterranean journey back in time past some of the capital’s most fascinating locations. As you dig deeper into Rome’s hidden layers, your private guide will animate your journey with historical curiosities and explanations. Ancient ruins, mysterious wall decorations and exciting discoveries will be pointed out along the way.

The first stop on your tour will bring you to the impressive multi-levelled Church of San Clemente. Marvel at every step as you uncover centuries of history concealed below ground-level. The present-day 12th century basilica sits atop the remains of an earlier 4th century church, which in turn was built over a 3rd century pagan sanctuary dedicated to the god Mithras and a 2nd century Roman dwelling. Also known as the lasagna church, the Basilica of San Clemente is undoubtedly the best possible place to take in the overlapping layers of Roman history.

Next, explore the underground level of San Nicola in Carcere, an 11th century church that houses Roman excavations. As you look on in awe, your guide will tell the story of the remains of three pagan temples dedicated to Janus, Juno and Hope hidden right here beneath the marble floor. Columns from the temples were incorporated into the church’s structure and are still visible today. Here the past and the very ancient past merge and coexist, offering the present-day visitor a magnificent display of superimposed archaeological eras.

A thrilling descent into the underground maze of a catacomb will follow. Dating back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, catacombs are human-made subterranean tunnels and cubicles used as burial places by Rome’s first Christian communities. Located outside the city, as it was illegal to inter a dead body within the walls, the catacombs were also used for religious practices, such as commemorative services and feasts. Rome’s martyrs were given final rest in these underground sites and it is here that the worship of saints and relics originated. You will listen to stories of persecutions and discover how Christianity managed to survive and thrive in Pagan Rome. Your guide will accompany you through dimly-lit labyrinthine passageways, past funerary chambers and elucidate the meaning of the paintings, carved symbols and inscriptions that decorate the walls.

After some free time for lunch the last stop on your tour will take you beneath the Church of Santa Maria della Concezione to the Capuchin Crypt. Here you will see the skeletons and skulls of 3,700 Capuchin friars arranged in sinister decorative designs. As a reminder of the impermanence of earthly life, one sign proclaims: “What you are, we once were. What we are, you someday will be”.

After the tour return to your hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

About twenty-five kilometres west of the capital lies a fascinating archaeological site. Travel back through time and relive the glories of the Roman Empire on a day trip to the Caput Mundi’s ancient seaport.

You will meet your private guide and driver outside your accommodation and set off for Ostia Antica, the second best-preserved ancient Roman city in Italy. Ostia’s ruins might not be as well known as the excavations in Pompeii – probably because of the latter’s tragic fate – but they are, nevertheless, simply amazing and can still speak volumes about how life was lived in Roman times. Ostia remained mostly untouched until the early 1900s and the excellent state of conservation of its buildings and mosaics allows visitors to gain insight into the daily bustle of this once busy harbour.

Ostia derives its name from the Latin word os or ostium, meaning mouth, which refers to the city’s location at the mouth of the River Tiber. Due to silting, today it is situated three kilometers further inland, within a peaceful, green setting that is sure to please visitors wishing to take a break from the rush of the city centre.

According to tradition Ostia was founded as a colony by Ancus Marcius, Rome’s fourth king, in the late 7th century BC, although some historians and archaeologists claim the very earliest settlement can be dated to the beginning of the 4th century BC. Ostia reached the peak of its splendour during the 2nd century AD when it served as Rome’s main port for goods, including grain, olive oil and wine, transported to and from far-flung corners of the Empire. Trade brought opulence and prosperity to the city as testified by the stunning remains you will see.

Your guide will lead you through the streets of this remarkable ancient settlement and explain how findings that emerged from the rubble have been pieced together to give us an accurate picture of this ancient port town. Although no longer intact we know multilevel homes once stood on this very spot. As the city flourished the population grew to 50,000 inhabitants, leading to an increased demand for lodging. Ancient citizens resolved issues of space by building taller structures. Today only the ground floors remain but to imagine that forerunners of modern skyscrapers were built here is simply astounding. Highlights of your tour include the amphitheatre, the forum, temples, thermal baths and even age-old public latrines! Can you believe that yesterday’s toilets have become an exciting treasure trove for archaeologists today? Your visit, enriched with anecdotes and curiosities about everyday life in Ostia, is sure to be a memorable experience.

After some free time for lunch return to your hotel in Rome and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

After breakfast and check out, which will take place before 10:00 or 11:00 AM, meet your private driver outside your hotel and head for the airport, train station or your next travel destination.