The Vatican Museums and the Basilica of St. Peter are monuments of tremendous importance to the history, culture, art, and religion of the Western world and we know that visitors to Rome do not want to miss them. While this vast place cannot be understood without context, we also understand that certain visitors have time constraints and thus we offer this three and a half hour tour; it is the shortest visit possible, and we still recommend a proper five-hour visit.

Description: A voyage into history to comprehend and appreciate wonderful works of art, to discover the infinite beauty of the most famous masterpieces to encounter the artists who created them and the popes who commissioned them, and the variously surprising lives of the one and the other. The numerous palaces of the museums in fact were the heart of the Pontifical State in the past, which until 1870 extended over the entire city of Rome and some of the regions of central Italy. The revival of the city, promoted by the popes from the beginning of the 15th century, was founded on their intent to bring Rome back to the ancient splendor of the caesars and to reinforce the political role of the Church on the chessboard of Europe. The greatest artists of the time converged upon the city at the behest of these popes, creating masterpieces that form the highlight of our visit. These include the surprising frescoes of the Sistine Chapel in which Michelangelo recounted the biblical story of humanity with the incredible dash and vigor of his genius and the beautiful Stanze (rooms) of Raphael whose grand themes the master painted with perfection and ease. In addition, the major events, the ideas, and the rivalries that created the political and cultural context of that wonderful season of the Renaissance will be addressed with a passion in our guided visit. We will include the classical statues beloved by the Renaissance artists, including the Laocoon and the Apollo Belevedere, along with the myths the statues recount, and a careful selection of other fundamental works.

Likewise in the basilica of St. Peter there will be religious and historical themes to be explored: from the fire of 64 AD to the first medieval basilica, dismantled beginning in 1506 in order to give way to the new one; from the sacred reliqueries of objects that touched the body of Christ to the bronze baldachin over the altar; from the immense dome that had to wait decades to be completed to the surprising piazza conceived in the exuberant baroque style of the great Bernini. One last great masterpiece, the Pieta', completes our journey through centuries of art and history. The intimate emotion the sculpture elicits and the soft forms the young Michelangelo knew how to impress in the hard marble will conclude the essential experience to which we invite you.

As a matter of intellectual honesty, and knowing that often a visit to these sites happens only once in a lifetime, we strongly believe that you might make the most of it with a special experience. Our 5-hour guided visit is designed precisely with this objective in mind. The great success of this tour over the past 12 years (see comments) gratifies us and renews the enthusiasm we share with you every day in the inexhaustible richness of these places.