Rome and the Renaissance: A Tour from the Vatican City to Piazza di Spagna

If Florence is the cradle of the Renaissance, then Rome is its nursery. It’s here that the cultural movement took form, and some of its greatest works were realised.

On this Rome walking tour from St Peter’s Square in the Vatican City to Piazza di Spagna, I’ll show you traces of the movement’s evolution through artists like Leonardo Da Vinci, Bramante, Michelangelo and Bernini. Ancient Rome will jump out at us around every corner, and we’ll delve into the city’s more distant past too. After all, one key characteristic of the Renaissance was a love of antiquity. You’ll see this side of the movement classically represented throughout the city, in monuments like the Mausoleum of Augustus and, towards the end of our tour, in the famed Villa Medici.

Along the way, you’ll have a chance to:

• Take in the Spanish Steps, Trinità dei Monti, and Ara Pacis (the Altar of Augustan Peace) as you walk through the city centre
• Follow in the footsteps of the Robert Langdon character, from Dan Brown’s book Angels and Demons, in his adventures in St Peter’s Square and Piazza del Popolo
• Gaze upon St Peter’s Basilica, commissioned by Julius II, regarded as a driving force for the Renaissance in Rome and central Italy
• Discover a few of the city’s quirks, including a miraculous travelling painting, the story of a parrot invasion, and the pope’s secret escape route (known as Passetto di Borgo) from St Peter’s to Castel Sant Angelo
• See Chiesa Sacro Cuore del Suffragio, the church that claims to have evidence of the souls in purgatory communicating with our world
• Stroll down Via Babuino, a street named after a very ugly statue

By the end of this two-hour tour of Rome, you’ll have a greater appreciation for the city, its rich cultural heritage and lesser-known stories.