Rome Matters Tour March 5-11, 2027

The Cords of Rome series is set in Rome, beginning with "Oliver and Henry" and followed by sequels "A Roman Spell" and "Love Unearthed."  The books include Vatican intrigue and visits to iconic sites at St. Peter's and throughout the city.  We will visit many of them!

"Our Roman Pasts" is an artist's love letter to Rome, where Julian and Bruno have more in common than their love of all things Roman.  We will visit many of the sites described in the romance novel.

Hartwig's recent titles - "Man By the Pool" and "The Accidental Italian" include romantic interludes in Rome and will be showcased in the itinerary as well.

Participants will make their own flight arrangements in order to arrive in Rome today. They will make their way to the designated hotel in the city center (Albergo Santa Chiara).  Check-in is customarily at 3 PM, but if rooms are ready earlier, participants can get settled in (otherwise, they can leave luggage with hotel front desk and explore the neighborhood). The tour manager will be at the hotel around 12 noon to facilitate check in and/or make recommendations for food or casual visits.

3:30 PM - Guided walking tour of the historical center, including Santa Maria Sopra Minerva (Michelangelo's Nude Christ + site of Galileo's Trial), the Pantheon (2nd century Roman temple intact), Piazza Navona (Bernini's Four Rivers Fountain), San Luigi dei Francesi (Caravaggio), and Hadrian's Column. 

7:00 PM - Welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

Breakfast at leisure in hotel.

Today we begin at the Capitonline Hill overlooking the Roman Forum. We will tour the Forum with a local guide/archaeologist, exploring the various monuments (some of the restricted ones, too), learning about Rome life, customs, institutions, and pivotal historical moments. We will also visit the Palatine Hill, location of imperial palaces and excavation of ancient Roman huts from the time of Romulus and Remus. 

We will enjoy a lunch at a local restaurant near the Colosseum and then visit the Colosseum (time/interest permitting) as well as the new Metro C station that includes newly excavated Roman ruins.  

We walk back to the hotel past several imperial fora, including one where Trajan's column stands.

Evening is at leisure.

Breakfast at leisure at hotel.

This morning, we will visit the Ara Pacis, the Altar of Peace, dedicated to Augustus. It is considered one of the great artistic works of the classical period, depicting the imperial family offering sacrifice. The figures are actual representations of family members.  On the outside wall of the complex is the Res Gestae - a proclamation of the good deeds of Augustus (a kind of Gospel of his accomplishments).  Early Christian writers compare and contrasted Jesus to Augustus.  Augustus claims to have forged the Pax Romana - a moment of peace and civilization.  Christian writers wanted to depict Jesus as the Prince of Peace, a peace not forged out of war and violence but out of justice, compassion, and love. 

We continue then to St. Peter's Square for the Sunday noon blessing of the Pope.  It is a favorite Roman tradition and affords an opportunity to witness some of the pomp and ceremony associated with the Papacy (certainly a carryover from Imperial times).

We walk back to the historical center and hotel with time for people to get something to eat on their own before a tour at 3 PM to the Borghese Gallery - one of the most sumptuous museums in Rome, filled with Bernini and Canova sculptures and important paintings.

This evening, we will enjoy a pizza dinner at a local pizzeria.

Breakfast at leisure at hotel.

This morning, we will visit the excavations under St. Peter's that were conducted, in secret, during World War II.  (The visit is subject to confirmation.)  Archaeologists discovered a Roman cemetery (filled with mausoleums) and evidence of St. Peter's grave, where early Christians gathered to pay him homage. Constantine built a massive basilica over the site in the early 4th century. After the Scavi tour, we will visit St. Peter's Basilica, a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture.  

We will have a nice lunch at a local restaurant in the Borgo neighborhood before a tour of Castel Sant'Angelo, originally Hadrian's tomb converted into a fortress used by Popes.  It was where the Vatican had a dungeon as well as kept its treasury.  It is a fascinating structure with great views of Rome.  (For those who want more leisure time, you can always opt out of the tour.)

Evening is at leisure.

Breakfast at leisure at the hotel.

There are two options today (included in the tour package).

1. The Culinary Heritage of Rome - includes a visit to Roman food sites with sampling of products, a visit to the market, and then a cooking class that includes lunch.

2. Early Christian Rome - a visit to the monumental basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls - built over the tomb of St. Paul, a visit to the catacombs (ancient Christian burial chambers with early Christian art), lunch on the Via Appia Antica, and then a visit to the Basilica of San Clemente (a site with three layers of construction, one dating to the 1st and 2nd centuries.

This evening is at leisure.  

Breakfast at leisure at the hotel.

Today we will enjoy a guided visit to the Vatican Museums.  We will visit the Pio-Clementine section (filled with ancient Roman sculptures unearthed during the Renaissance), the Raphael Rooms (masterpieces of Raphael that decorate Vatican palace rooms), and the Sistine Chapel. 

There will be time for people to get something to eat at the Vatican Museum cafeteria.  For those who have more stamina and curiosity, the tour will continue to the Pio-Christian section of the museum that includes early Christian sarcophagi - the earliest artwork in Christianity.  It is a fascinating collection.  We will also see the larger-than-life mosaics of ancient Roman athletes from the Baths of Caracalla.  

This evening, we gather for a festive farewell dinner at a local restaurant.  

Breakfast at leisure at the hotel.

Our program concludes.

Depending on interest, we may organize some optional extensions - either to Naples (to see things like the archaeological museum - or to Florence to visit many of the notable museums there including the Ufizzi, the Academia, and others.