Intro:
From the bustling streets of Rome to the mystery and intrigue of the hallowed halls of the Vatican, travel with us as we visit the setting of Dan Brown’s hit book and movie, “Angels and Demons”. You will visit the very sites where the movie was filmed and the book is set in. This tour takes you to some of the most wonderful piazzas in Rome, and also some lesser known places away from tourist areas where pagan symbolism and Christianity intermingle.
Your professional driver will pick you up on the pier at 8:00am and will return you back to the port or drop you off at your hotel around 5:00pm
We start with an easy and comfortable drive to Rome that will take approximately one hour and 10 minutes. During this time, your private driver will point out various points of interest along the way and answer any questions that you may have about your day.

We will first visit the St. Maria del Popolo Church. Santa Maria del Popolo was constructed during the Crusades. It is considered today one of the most important works of the Renaissance. the interior is enriched by an extraordinary chapel, the Capella Chigi, one of Raphael's most important architectonic works. Make sure that you go down the nave and look into the left hand transept inside the Cappella Cerasi where there are two exceptional masterpieces by Caravaggio: the Conversion of St. Paul and the Crucifixion of St. Peter.
Our next visit will be to the St. Maria della Vittoria church, built in 1605 and dedicated to St. Paul. In 1620, it was rededicated to the Virgin Mary. This church has many fascinating aspects. It is the home of famed sculptor, Bernini’s ‘Ecstasy of St. Theresa’. The sculpture depicts a vision that St. Theresa experienced of an angel piercing her heart with a shaft of gold. She claimed that she experienced both pain and great joy during this vision.
After visiting the church, we will journey on to the Pantheon, once the temple of all Roman gods. It then became a church and burial place for kings and artists.
And now we will visit the Piazza Navona. This piazza is virtually filled with light and sculpture. It is exceptionally long due to the ruins that formed it. Beneath the buildings that surround Piazza Navona are the remains of the Circus Domitianus, Domitian's stadium.
Located on the western side of the piazza is the charming church of Sant'Angese in Agone. Legend tells us that it was here that Agnese was exposed naked, but a miracle occurred when she was covered with thick hair appearing to cover her body. The church was commissioned by Pope Innocent X in 1652.
And on we go to the Castel Sant’ Angelo, originally the tomb of the Emperor Hadrian. The ashes of his wife, Sabina, and the ashes of his first adopted son, Lucius Aelius, are also within the Castel.
In the 14th century, the popes converted the structure into a castle. Pope Nicholas III connected the castle to St. Peter's Basilica by a covered fortified corridor called the Passetto di Borgo.
After lunch, you will visit the tiniest country in the world, the Vatican.

Please note that the Vatican museum is closed on Sundays.

Inside the Vatican Museum, you will be amazed and delighted at the vast collection of masterpieces, including the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel. Admission to the Museum is 14 Euros per person and visitors are asked to check-in bags, backpacks or bulky luggage.
If you wish to have a personal tour guide in the Vatican Museum, Stefano Rome Tours can book one for you at a price of 60 Euro per hour. We strongly recommend that you allow us to book a personal tour guide for you inside the Vatican.
It will take two hours to visit the Museum, The Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica.

Please note
Vatican museum is closed on Sundays.

Please note that the order in which we will visit the sites may vary depending upon traffic conditions or other deciding issues. We will be happy to alter the tour to meet your personal desires. The costs for entry tickets are not included in the tour fee, and any entry tickets that we purchase in advance for you will be added to the final bill. The fees for the tours include tolls and parking and are required in Euro funds.