Be sure to read the Special Notes further down this page for important requirements and restriction.

Board your motorcoach for the approximately 1 1/2 hour drive from Civitavecchia to Rome, enjoying views of the countryside and the Tyrrhennian Sea. Your scenic drive through Rome passes famous landmarks including the Arch of Constantine, the Circus Maximus, the Villa Borghese and the Castel S'Angelo. Disembark near the Colosseum for your walking of the ancient city.

To the Romans, the massive ruin we know as the Colosseum was the Amphitheatrum Flavium, named for the dynasty of emperors who oversaw its construction and completion from 72 - 96 A.D. This enormous arena featured 76 numbered entrances and seating for 50,000 spectators. Gazing down on what was once the arena floor, you can see the Colosseum's subterranean passages where animals and appratus were once housed. The entertainments offered ranged from gladiatorial combats to staged sea battles, historic reenactments and even mass executions. Gladitorial combat lasted until 404 AD, while animal combats endured to the middle of the 6th century. The Colosseum later served as a fortress, prison - even a Christian shrine.

From the Colosseum (where your Guide will provide a full outside explanation) make your way past the Arch of Titus - one of the three Flavian emperors who oversaw construction of the great arena - and see the ruins of the Roman Forum (full outside explanation). Nestled between the Capitoline and Palatine Hills, this small valley was the center of political, religious and commercial life in Ancient Rome. Stroll past the ruins of the Temple of Venus and Roma, the Temple of Castor and Pollux, the basilicas of Maxentius and Constantine, and, near the foot of the Capitoline (today's Campidoglio), the great triumphal Arch of Septimius Severus. The ruins bring home the reality of Rome as a world empire that stretched from the Atlantic to the Persian Gulf.


Passing the great triumphal Arch of Septimius Severus, continue to St. Peter's in Chains. The basilica was first built in the middle of the 5th century to house the relic of the chains that bound Saint Peter while imprisoned in Jerusalem, given to Pope Leo I by Empress Eudoxia (wife of Emperor Valentinian III). According to legend, when the pope held them next to the chains from of Peter's first imprisonment in the Mamertine Prison in Rome, the two chains miraculously fused together. The "Mausoleo di Gulio II," created by Michelangelo, was originally intended as part of a funeral monument for Pope Julius II.

After lunch in a local hotel/restaurant, continue to the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica. The great basilica occupies the spot of St. Peter's reputed martyrdom; Constantine the Great, who made Christianity the state religion of the empire, built the first church here. The Basilica and its superb colonnaded square are one of the glories of Western art and architecture. The greatest talents of the Renaissance labored for decades on St. Peter's, the list of great masters includes Bramante, Michelangelo, Raphael and Bernini. Inside of the basilica stands Michelangelo's greatest masterwork, the Pietà.

After your visit, enjoy time to browse for souvenirs and religious articles before the return trip to Civitavecchia.