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Categoria: Museum tour

Borghese Gallery Private Tour

Bernini: an artwork mentioned on the tourThe Borghese Gallery was undeniably one of the most important places in all of Europe in the 1600’s .

Even today, the gallery houses a smaller and way more elite collection than the Vatican Museums and offers the rare opportunity to see some of the world’s most impressive masterpieces in their original setting. With works by Bernini, Canova, Caravaggio, Raphael and Titian it has a billing to rival the Louvre. Join us on a relaxed exploration of the Borghese Gallery. With an expert, English-speaking tour guide, you’ll delve into the Borghese collection.  Your guide will reveal to you the hidden and intriguing stories behind the paintings and sculptures.  You will also hear how the incredibly powerful and flamboyant pope’s nephew Scipione Borghese, managed to acquire so many masterpieces, previously destined for other clients…..

 

Get ready to be amazed!!!!

Some of the Artworks included in the Tour

  • Caravaggio’s Paintings: “David with the Head of Goliath”, “The Virgin Mary & the Snake” “Saint Jerome”, “Young Saint John the Baptist”, “Sick Bacchus”
  • Bernini’s Sculptures: “Apollo & Daphne” “David” “Rape of Persephone”
  • Titian’s Painting: “Sacred and Profane Love”
  • Raphael’s Paintings : “Young Lady with Unicorn”, “Entombment of Christ”
  • Canova’s Statue: “Paoline Bonaparte, Napoleon’s Sister”
  • …and more…

National Museum Palazzo Massimo Tour

If you love antiquities, there is no such museum to visit as the Palazzo Massimo. The best and most unique antiquities in Rome’s history are preserved right inside of this structure, in a very elegant and sophisticated way. Did you know that Emperor Caligula had a Naval Floating Ship? Yes, you understood correctly! Inside Palazzo Massimo one of the rarities you can see is a representation of what the naval floating ship would have looked like and your English Speaking guide, will draw your attention over to the bronze remains that, back in the old times, would decorate it with such bizarre magnificence! Many great ancient world’s masterpieces make Palazzo Massimo a museum to visit, like for example the frescoes removed from the Villa of the First Lady Livia, wife of Emperor Augustus. You will be completely dazzled by those well preserved frescoes, which were meant to represent a “Paradise”: hence a prefect garden. Palazzo Massimo is also the ONLY place where you can admire a 2nd century BC painted Calendar, which is the only piece of evidence of a Lunar Calendar of the ancient world, first before Julius Caesar and much later Pope Gregorius, would adjust the reckoning of time for the modern society we live in!
In the rooms on the ground floor are exhibited splendid Greek originals discovered in Rome throughout the centuries, such as the Boxer at Rest, the Hellenistic Prince, as well as portraiture of the Republican and Imperial ages, culminating in the statue of Augustus Pontifex Maximus (High Priest).

 

What’s Included:

  • 2nd Century BC Ancient Roman Lunar Calendar; the only one in the World
  • 2nd Century AD Grottarossa Mummy; the only one in the World
  • Bronze Statue of the Boxer at Rest
  • Villa of Empress Livia, her original Dining Room
  • Julia daughter of Emperor Augustus; a few bedrooms and rooms from her villa
  • Bronze remains from the Naval Floating Palace of Emperor Caligula

Private Vatican Museums Tour with Sistine Chapel & St Peter’s Basilica

Get ready to be blown away by the many masterpieces housed inside one of the most important and visited museums in the world; the Vatican Museums.

Let your English-speaking tour guide reveal to you the stories, anecdotes, and fun facts related to the most significant works of art in all the history of Western civilization.

We follow a carefully planned route through the Museums, visiting the most famous rooms including the Sistine Chapel, plus a wide variety of galleries full of ancient magnificent pieces which will make it a jaw-dropping experience. You’ll learn about the characters that walked these corridors before you as artists, Cardinals, and Popes and the dramas that unfolded here. On our private tour, we will skip the line with a direct entrance to the museum, saving you hours of waiting in line on busy days – so your Vatican visit will be as enjoyable and hassle-free as possible.

The last highlight included in this tour is the skip-the-line entrance directly into St. Peter’s Basilica, so we can visit the stunning masterpieces held within. Built over St. Peter’s tomb, the basilica is one of the world’s most important Christian sites. It’s also one of the world’s most striking architectural spaces. We’ll see Michelangelo’s ‘Pieta’ and the incredible Bronze High Altar made by Bernini and eventually conclude our private tour in St Peter’s Square.

If this is a return visit for you to the Vatican Museums you can customize your tours to include off-the-beaten-path areas of the museums. For example visit the Pinacoteca Painting Gallery, the Pope’s Carriage Museum, and the Raphael Rooms. Have you ever heard of the Borgia family? How about visiting their private apartments?

Important notes

St. Peter’s Basilica and other religious sites may be subject to unscheduled closures for religious ceremonies. When this occurs, we will provide guests with an extended tour of the Vatican Museums, or an appropriate alternative. Please note that appropriate dress is required for entry into some sites on this tour. Knees, shoulders, and backs must be covered.

Every Wednesday morning St Peter’s Basilica is closed.

In alternative, we offer an extended tour of the Vatican Museums.

Keep this information in mind, if booking a tour on a Wednesday morning

 

What’s Included:

  • Skip the Line Entrance in the Vatican Museums
  • History of the Vatican City
  • Pinecone Courtyard
  • Gallery of the Tapestries
  • Gallery of the Geographical Maps
  • Sistine Chapel
  • Skip the Line Entrance in Saint Peter’s Basilica
  • Saint Peter’s Basilica

Nighttime Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel Tour

Experience the Vatican Museums in a different light when you enter after regular closing time on our Vatican night tours. For short periods during the spring and summertime only, the Vatican Museums open late to the public, allowing us to wander its corridors and examine artworks like Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes with cooler temperatures and a more intriguing atmosphere.

In a more elegant setting, your English speaking tour guide will lead you through the highlights of the museum where you can snap great photos of St Peter’s dome at dusk, and where you can wander through the Pinecone Courtyard while some musicians are performing and entertaining the guests.

In a usually less crowded setting, the Vatican Museums gives this special night opening only on Friday evenings, which is a good chance to cool down from Rome’s very hot temperatures at day-time.

Learn about Michelangelo and the Popes’ at nighttime, while strolling through world-wide-famous galleries such as the Map Gallery and the one of the Tapestries, being surrounded by over two millennia of art and history to take all in, at your own pace. Walk by famous statues such as Apollo Belvedere or the 1st Century BC Laocoon, then awe at Nero’s red-marble-bath-tub and also the the huge  statue of Hercules made of bronze, which still looks flawless after 1900 years… keep going and snap a photo at the statue representing an ancient roman charioteer “Auriga”and hear of the chariot races as you walk down, along the “Gallery of the Candelabra” being surrounded by ancient roman statues which are two thousend years old, to say the least.

At last, your nighttime walking tour of the Vatican Museums finishes inside the Sistine Chapel.

By the time that you step inside of it, your tour guide will have covered its history already, and in this way you will relax inside the Michelangelo’s best known work for practically as long as you want, up until the closure of the museum.

What’s Included:

  • Skip the Line direct entrance into the Museum
  • Pinecone Courtyard
  • Pio Clementino Gallery
  • Candelabra Gallery
  • Tapestry Gallery
  • Raphael’s Rooms
  • Sistine Chapel (end of the tour)

 

Edward S
Edward S
2024-04-26
Super Super Tour Massimo led a tour of the Colosseum, the Palatine Hill and Forum. This tour was the highlight of our stay in Rome. When we return we will take more tours with Massimo. He puts the long and complicated history of Rome in context and makes it interesting. Above all he is warm and caring.
Lina B
Lina B
2024-04-11
Massimo is the Greatest Storyteller My family and I spent few memorable days in Rome and truly enjoyed the enchanting stories about the Roman Emperors, the Colosseum and the history of Rome told by Massimo with "Storytelling Rome Tours & Walks" The history and the stories that Massimo told us we will always remember and talk about for the days to come. Even our 12-year-old twins, who in a regular day are attached to the social media and their phones were captivated by Massimo and are still talking about the greatest Emperors of Rome. Massimo's stories will make us definitely return to Rome for more.
David C
David C
2024-04-10
Scarlet ladies Rome, amazing experience! This was simply a phenomenal tour, one of the best we have ever done! The stories were incredibly well researched and very interesting indeed! It gave a superb insight into the social history of Rome in the centuries around the Renaissance. Massimo is a gifted and engaging storyteller and also incredibly knowledgeable.
Vallie85
Vallie85
2024-03-26
Vatican museums as you have never seen them Tour of the Vatican museums for a friend's birthday. Interesting, captivating, curious. I am wary of audio guides that are flat and monotonous in their explanations. With this tour we discovered gems that no audio guide tells you about. Then the modality, Massimo's stories that overwhelm you and excite you and are at times very friendly! There is so much care in telling and explaining. I recommend it to anyone who might think a visit to the museum is boring.
David A
David A
2024-03-23
Discovering the Vatican Museums! Thanks to Massimo's friendliness and competence we discovered the most beautiful stories and works of the Vatican Museums! An exciting and engaging tour together with an exceptional guide! Thanks Massimo!!
Alfred_super_star
Alfred_super_star
2024-03-03
Incredible experience Discovering Rome through story telling was an experience of mine. The narration is excellent and the level of attention is always high thanks to a careful and very knowledgeable guide. Absolutely recommended
paolapask
paolapask
2024-03-03
Third tour!!! I'm on my third tour with Massimo! And this time I chose it to give a gift to my friends! They all got out Enthusiastic and enchanted. Because Massimo not only tells you about ancient Rome... he drags you into it with irony and culture. Highly recommended!!!
JUDY S
JUDY S
2024-02-20
Touring Rome With A Great Guide I have been to Rome 4 times with friends and we mostly toured on our own. Once we had a guide for the Coliseum and the Vatican but they were crowded and not very interesting. A friend told me about Massimo and his story telling tours. We had 6 family members in our group and his tours were the highlight of our trip. He made it so very interesting with his stories and facts about the places we visited. I learned things I had never heard before. We never felt bored with just getting facts, but enjoyed the story format of the tour. He also went over and above his job as tour guide and made dinner reservations for us and gave us many helpful hints about taxis and times to go places when it wouldn't be so crowded. I'm going back in July with grandkids and can't wait to hire him again. He is like a family friend to me now.
Angela P
Angela P
2024-02-19
Great tours with Massimo The tours were great. Massimo was a wonderful guide. He was informative and fun. He also made us lunch reservations and helped us with transportation. Would highly recommend.
Lori M
Lori M
2024-02-15
Colosseum/Rome city tour Great experience!! Excellent tour with a lot of entertaining anecdotes. Well worth the cost. Your guide also helped with restaurant reservations & recommendations.