Rome at Twilight Among the Piazzas and Fountains: Evening Semi-Private Walking Tour

We will begin our journey into the atmospheric heart of the Eternal City in one of Rome’s most iconic public spaces: Piazza Navona. Its long and distinctive shape has been part of the city’s urban fabric for nearly 2,000 years, beginning life as the ancient Stadium of Domitian, whose shape is still obvious today. And yet at the same time, we are in the heart of the Roman Baroque: all around are spectacular optical illusions and theatrical buildings, signs of a revolutionary new approach to architectural space.

Here we’ll confront the geniuses of Bernini and Borromini, the two greatest rivals of their age and opposites in every respect. Bernini’s marvelous Fountain of the Four Rivers is the piazza’s centrepiece, a pyramidal structure that incorporates an obelisk and culminates in the flight of a dove. Dominating the skyline above is Borromini’s curving facade and bell tower of the church of Sant’Agnese, where stone takes on the malleability of softest clay.

The magnificent Pantheon will transport us to another era, and this portion of our walking group tour is all about the grandeur of Imperial Rome. Innovative ideas, technologies, and various cultures blend to make an artwork of extreme power and poetry, a design so perfect that Michelangelo considered it to be the work of angels. The history of the area is no less fascinating: it was originally a marshland subject to the floods of the Tiber, then a military training ground devoted to Mars, the god of war. The temple that dominates the piazza was first built by Agrippa for his son-in-law Augustus, before a restoration by Hadrian in 126 AD created the magnificent building we know today.

According to medieval legend, the central oculus in the huge dome was created by the explosive crash of pagan demons fleeing the building at the moment of its conversion into a church in 609 AD. The Pantheon also houses the tombs of Raphael, who died prematurely in 1520, and the first King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele, who died in 1878. We will of course still visit the piazza and admire the great edifice from the outside.

To complete your exploration of the magnificent remains of the ancient city, be sure to check out our in-depth tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.

Here we will let ourselves be lulled into tranquility by the magical song of the waters, immersing ourselves in this wonderful piece of theatrical architecture that recalls the great buildings of Ancient Rome. The main structure of the Trevi Fountain is a triumphal arch, taking its inspiration from classic examples such as the Arch of Constantine. With the help of your guide, you’ll decipher the legends depicted in the sculptures of the arch, from where the god Ocean advances with his Tritons and winged horses to celebrate an ancient festival of water with us. You will also learn about the origins of the fountain in an ancient Roman aqueduct, as well as its history through the centuries.