Morning Tour - If Stones Could Talk

The Coliseum, The Roman Forum, The Campidoglio,
Teatro Marcello, Piazza Mattei, the Pantheon
9:30am - 1:00pm

Most casual tourists photograph the Coliseum by itself, unaware that the stone walkway next to it is the legendary Via Appia Antica.  The stones are uneven and tourists often complain that it is difficult to navigate.

What they may not know is that it was across these same stones that the great generals and emperors carried the spoils of their conquests of the Middle East and Africa.   Much of the marble, exotic animals, and slaves that made the Coliseum great first paraded over these stones before entering the Foro Romano.

Most tourists snap off a picture of the Coliseum not unlike postcards we’ve all seen. But a slight change of angle can bring history alive in one just one captivating image.

Further along on our route we will discover one of the most distinctive examples or recycling stone, the Teatro Marcello started by Julius Caesar around 44 BC. It is the largest theatre ever built in the Roman Empire which continues to serve as a venue for outdoor concerts. More interesting, the structure itself is a conglomeration of diverse architecture spanning more than 2000 years, from its ancient foundations, 15th Century fortress, 18th Century apartments built by the Orsini family, 20th Century restoration ordered by Mussolini, and today by modernized luxury apartments.

On this tour we will make 6 major stops where we will build the key points of our story with interesting observations en route to allow you to personalize the story the way you see Rome!

See the itinerary