An Introduction to Rome Group Tour

Our itinerary begins in Rome’s most spectacular square: jaw-dropping Piazza Navona. This massive, horseshoe-shaped space has functioned as Rome’s beating heart for centuries. The square’s unusual proportions are inherited directly from antiquity, tracing the outline of the ancient Stadium of Domitian – once filled with cheering crowds and athletic contests. Standing here today, you’re looking at a space that has been continuously reused and reimagined for nearly twenty centuries.

Thanks to the lavish commissions of the Pamphilj family in the 17th century, the piazza was transformed into an astonishing showcase of Baroque architecture where the great rivals Bernini and Borromini competed at the height of their powers. Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers dominates the centre of the square, a daring composition of rock, water, and sculpture that seems to defy gravity. 

Across from it rises Borromini’s church of Sant’Agnese, its curving façade seeming to bend like softest clay. Together, they transform Piazza Navona into one of the most dramatic and carefully choreographed spaces in the city – the perfect place to begin your Roman adventure!

Nowhere speaks more vividly of the majesty of ancient Rome than the Pantheon – without even stepping inside. From Piazza della Rotonda, its massive portico and perfect proportions still look astonishing, a reminder of the grandeur of an empire that once ruled the known world. Your guide will explain how the building you’re looking at was rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian around 125 AD, and why it was such a bold statement of power and ambition – amazingly, it still boasts the largest unsupported concrete dome on earth.

You’ll learn about the incredible journey that the enormous Egyptian columns took to grace its portico, and why Michelangelo believed the Pantheon was so perfect that it must have been crafted by angels. We’ll also explain the one decision that saved the building from destruction: its conversion into a church, which preserved it through centuries when other monuments were stripped or demolished. In a city of ruins, the Pantheon feels like a complete, living piece of history.

The Trevi Fountain is arguably Rome’s most famous landmark, and for good reason. You hear it before you see it – the rush of water echoing through narrow streets – before the space suddenly opens up and the fountain explodes into view. With your guide, discover how the fountain you’re looking at is the result of centuries of ambition, abandoned plans, and Baroque bravura. 

We’ll unpack how an ancient Roman aqueduct eventually found its theatrical finale in the 18th century when Nicola Salvi transformed a cramped urban crossroads into one of the world’s great spectacles. Toss your coin in and experience how the Trevi still manages to feel magical despite the crowds.

We’ll look beyond the postcard image, too, explaining the symbols woven into the complex design:  as water pours from rock, architecture dissolves into sculpture, and Oceanus strides forward with operatic force. The Trevi is the perfect showcase of the Roman Baroque – grand, dramatic, and unapologetically over-the-top.