The Heart of Ancient Rome and Ghetto: half day small group tour | La Vacanza Travel

The Heart of Ancient Rome and Ghetto: half day small group tour

Duration: 3 hours
Destination: Italy, Lazio, Rome
from
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  • 3 hours
  • Rome
  • E-Voucher
  • Lowest Price
  • Not-Cancellable

Overview

Enjoy a walking tour among two of the most iconic districts of Rome: Trastevere, whose name means on the other side of the river “Tevere”, and the old Jewish ghetto. The tour starts from “Piazza Trilussa” and continues with the visit of St. Mary Basilica, one of the few remaining Byzantine churches in the city. Passing through the alleys of the area, you will arrive to the Tiberine island, “Isola Tiberina”, with its two important and well known hospitals and basilicas.
Crossing the river you will see the “Portico d’Ottavia”, located in the old Jewish ghetto. During the Imperial age, the old market was housed in the Jewish district. Walking through the streets of the ghetto, you will discover the beauty of the Turtle Fountain, built by Gianlorenzo Bernini, the church of “S. Carlo ai Catinari” located in the heart of the district.
The tour ends at Giordano Bruno’s square, the renown “Campo dei Fiori”, where today one of the most important and crowded modern open-air market is located.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Piazza Trilussa, Rome Italy

The tour starts from “Piazza Trilussa”, one of the most loved meeting places for young Romans and tourists, thanks to the locals and the welcoming atmosphere that characterize it: located in the heart of Trastevere, in front of Ponte Sisto, between the Farnesina Lungotevere and Lungotevere Raffaello Sanzio, this enchanting little square is dedicated to the great Roman satirical poet Carlo Alberto Salustri, better known as Trilussa.

Here is located the beautiful Acqua Paola fountain, designed by the architects Van Santen, known as Vasanzio, and Giovanni Fontana, commissioned by Pope Paul V Borghese (1605-1620) in 1613, to supply the districts of Trastevere, Borgo, Regola and Ponte . Conceived as a monumental arch with a central niche flanked by two Ionic columns, the fountain has a high attic on which the Borghese family coat of arms towers, with eagle and dragon, and a celebratory inscription dedicated to the pontiff, for having conducted the water also on the left bank of the Tiber.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere, 00153 Rome Italy

The Basilica is probably the first official place of Christian worship in Rome. According to legend, it was built by Pope Callistus I in the 3rd century and was finished by San Julius I in 340.

Rebuilt during the pontificate of Pope Innocent II, it subsequently underwent decorations and restorations, including notable ones promoted by Pope Clement XI (1702) and Pope Pius IX (1870), without however the church undergoing substantial alterations.

Many parts of the church date back to the 12th century; the mosaics are important, especially those on the facade and those in the apse, created by Pietro Cavallini and depicting the "Life of the Virgin". Outside stands the bell tower, with a square base, built in the 12th century.

The portico was remodeled in 1702 by Carlo Fontana and today houses fragments of friezes and ornaments from the ancient basilica, as well as Christian epigraphs, and is surmounted by a balustrade decorated with statues of four popes.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Isola Tiberina, Rome Italy

The Tiber Island, the only urban island on the Tiber, approximately 300 meters long and approximately 90 meters wide, is connected to the banks of the Tiber by two bridges: towards Trastevere by the Cestio bridge, dating back to 46 BC. C. and in the direction of the Ghetto with the Fabricio bridge, built in 62 BC. C., also called Quattro Capi bridge, for the Roman herms that decorate its parapets.

According to legend, the island was born in 509 BC. when, having ousted Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the last king of Rome, the people, as a sign of hatred towards the tyrant, threw the king's enormous grain deposit into the Tiber, which turned out to be so abundant that it formed a small island.

In reality, a compact bank of tuff, similar to that of the nearby Capitoline Hill, constitutes the basic geological element, on which the sands carried by the current have naturally settled.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Fontana delle Tartarughe, Piazza Mattei, 00186 Rome Italy

The Turtle Fountain was built between 1581 and 1588 based on a design by Giacomo della Porta.
The history of the fountain is linked to a romantic legend. It is said that Duke Mattei, a lover of gambling, one day lost the entire family fortune in one fell swoop. The future father-in-law therefore refused to give him his daughter in marriage. In response, the duke had this magnificent fountain built in a single night. The following day he invited his betrothed and her father to the palace to show them the work, and exclaimed: "Here's what a penniless Mattei is capable of creating in a few hours!". In memory of the episode, he had the window from which they looked out to admire the fountain walled up.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Basilica di Sant'Andrea della Valle, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 00186 Rome Italy

The church of Sant'Andrea della Valle is one of the minor basilicas of Rome. It was built at the end of the 16th century, on the site of the small San Sebastiano church and the Palazzo Piccolomini. It is the mother house of the order of Theatine regular clerics.
Among the architects who participated in its construction, we mention Giacomo della Porta, Pier Paolo Olivieri and Carlo Maderno. Maderno widened the transept and designed the dome, which is the second highest in Rome, after that of St. Peter's Basilica.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: The Portico Of Octavia, Via del Portico d'Ottavia, 29, 00186 Rome Italy

The Portico d'Ottavia complex is the only one preserved of the large porticoes that limited, on the northern side, the square of the Circo Flaminio, an area that corresponds to the ancient Ghetto. It was rebuilt by Augustus, in place of the older Portico of Metello, between 27 and 23 BC. and dedicated to her sister Ottavia.

It was subsequently restored and partially rebuilt in 203 by Septimius Severus, after a fire in 191, a period to which the majority of the currently visible remains belong.

The complex, a quadriportico of 119 x 132 metres, included the most ancient Temple of Juno Regina, which was then joined by the Temple of Jupiter Stator, the first in Rome entirely made of marble, two libraries, Greek and Latin, and the Curia Octaviae , a large environment for public meetings.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: The Old Jewish Quarter, Lungotevere de' Cenci, 00186 Rome Italy

Located within the Rione they have significantly inspired traditional Roman cuisine.
Considered among the oldest in the world, it is second only to that of Venice (1516). the Rome Ghetto was founded in 1555 on the orders of Pope Paul IV, the people within it had the obligation to reside there and to always carry with them a distinctive sign of belonging to the Jewish community. Furthermore, they were prohibited from trading and owning real estate.
In 1904, the Tempio Maggiore, the large Synagogue, was inaugurated, a cultural reference point for the entire Jewish community and, still today, together with the Jewish Museum housed inside, one of the main attractions of the area.

Duration: 15 minutes

Inclusions
  • Free Pick up from Hotels, Appartments, Bed&breakfast, accomodations.
  • 3 hours with a professional guide
  • Emergency number also operational via whatsapp
  • Entry/Admission - Santa Maria in Trastevere

Exclusions
  • Drop-off at the Hotels, Appartments, Bed&breakfast, accomodations
  • Tips
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums.
  • Provide the Correct address of your accommodation , hotel, B&B
  • Provide the correct phone number with international country code
  • check that you provide all the details to the agency
  • Without this information we can not guarantee the correct service
  • Emergency number also operational via whatsapp
  • One day before please call to confirm the pick up
  • Time for pick up at the hotel must be confirmed the day before between 10.00 am and 6.00 pm on the emergency phone or whatsapp
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 24 travelers
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Departure Point

Antico caffè del teatro di Marcello, Via del Teatro di Marcello, 42, 00186 Roma RM, Italy


Departure Time

09:00 AM


Return Details

Campo de' Fiori, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Voucher info

You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.

Duration

3 hours


User's Reviews

Ligeia_P

13 Apr, 2024

This was not one of my favorites. Our tour was scheduled to start at 9, Maria arrived at 9:30. The tour of the Jewish area of Rome was great, but she had very little to say about the Trastevere district.

frankn211

29 Feb, 2024

Very knowledgeable and pleasant guide We have been to Piazza Navona dozens of times and never knew the underground existed

JoyceWeiss

29 May, 2019

Mohammed was our delightful tour operator. It rained the entire tour and he did wonders making us forget the weather! His knowledge and passion are obvious. I will recommend him and the tour to anyone! The tour was fascinating and I have the photos to prove it!

marcylee28

08 Jan, 2019

Francesca, our guide was knowledgeable and shared fantastic details of each place we explored for our four hour tour. We learned a lot and can't wait to return to Rome again.

Lucy P

08 Jan, 2018

Hello fellow travelers, My mom and I took this tour, our guides name was Lucilla known as Lucy.

It is a very interesting tour, Lucy is a perfect guide, she told us stories i have never heard before, took us to the hidden gems of Rome. We also visited the Ghetto, it has a sad history and a very rich culture.

Our tour all in all was excellent, I recommend all of you to take this tour.

Thank you Lucy for everything.
Regards,
Lucy and her mom

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