RomeNaplesSorrentoRome's Historic Center
<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Rome's tangled historical center is packed full of some of the most fascinating and incredible sights. Explore elegant squares and piazzas, centuries-year-old churches, and baroque fountains and wander at leisure the labyrinth of ancient Roman cobbled lanes. Highlights include the Baroque grandeur of Piazza Navona and the great and endlessly copied Roman Pantheon.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Piazza Navona<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Stand in one of the most beautiful squares in Rome, home to the famous Fontana dei Fiumi Fountain by Bernini. <span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Pantheon<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Visit this iconic former pagan temple converted into a Christian church.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Column of Marcus Aurelius<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Column formerly dedicated to Emperor Marcus Aurelius; a statue of St. Paul now stands in place of his.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Via del Corso<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>One of the main streets in Rome.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Vatican City
<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Rome is unique in the world in that it contains an independent country within its city limits - the Vatican City, from where the Pope administers the Catholic Church. The symbolic center of Catholicism is St Peter's Basilica, the second-largest Catholic church in the world and among the most beautiful. The Vatican Museum contains one of the greatest collections of art in existence, including <span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Michelangelo's jaw-dropping Sistine Chapel<span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>. <span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>The popes had a bigger influence on Rome than just the collection of art. The Pope's title is actually Bishop of Rome, and popes administed the city for centuries, shaping its architecture & public spaces. Rome was re-built to be an example of urban beauty, and the Vatican was meant to be the showcase within the showcase. Their success is evident from the throngs of visitors who flock here even today.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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St Peter's Square<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Stand in the middle of this famous square in which the faithful gather to hear the Pope give audiences and celebrate mass.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Sistine Chapel<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Gaze up at the world's most famous ceiling, the masterpiece of Michelangelo. <span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Vatican Museums<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Book early if you want to see the Vatican Museum's monumental works of art from the greatest Italian artists of the Renaissance. <span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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St Peter’s Basilica<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Explore the gigantic and incredibly beautiful church known as <span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>"the greatest of all churches of Christendom".<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Vatican Gardens<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Escape the crowds in this oasis of green hidden behind the walls of the Vatican.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Dining in Piazza Navona
<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Arguably the most beautiful of all the piazzas in Rome, Piazza Navona is particularly stunning at night. As one of the largest and most romantic piazza squares in Rome, it is a great spot to spend the evening, with a whole host of restaurants, bars and entertainment on offer. See its three impressive fountains illuminated by night, sip on an Aperol Spritz, take an evening stroll or simply sit on a bench with an ice cream. When night falls, this is the place to be. <span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Castel Sant'Angelo
<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Designed and built by Emperor Hadrian as his own mausoleum, the great circular hulk of Castel Sant'Angelo provides one of the best routes to the Vatican and St Peter's via the Ponte Sant'Angelo bridge. Appropriated by the popes, the mausoleum was turned into a fortress and attached to the Vatican with a passageway for the popes to use as a refuge in times of siege or invasion - this is where Pope Clement VII sheltered during the Sack of Rome in 1527.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Mausoleum of Hadrian<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Visit this iconic 2nd Century Castle built as the <span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Mausoleum For Emperor Hadrian.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Ponte Sant'Angelo<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Walk across this pedestrian bridge that was built in 134 A.D. by Emperor Hadrian.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Spanish Steps
<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>The streets spreading out from grand Piazza del Popolo (People's Square) form a trident that hosts some of the most popular shopping and tourist sights in Rome. These include the Spanish Steps, the adjacent Keats-Shelley House where Keats died of tuberculosis in 1821, Trevi Fountain where Anita Ekberg jumped into the water in the famous scene from Frederico Fellini's La Dolce Vita, and the Mausoleum of Emperor Augustus.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Spanish Steps<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Take a scenic walk up the 18th-century stairway where Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck set out on their Roman Holiday.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Keats-Shelly House<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Visit the last residence of poet John Keats, now a memorial museum. <span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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The Trevi Fountain<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Admire one of the most iconic sights in Rome, made famous by Anita Ekberg in La Dolce Vita.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Mausoleum of Augustus<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Visit the tomb of the first Roman Emperor and his family, which is finally being restored after more than a millenium of neglect.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Piazza del Popolo<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Take some time to admire this elegant square that once served as an impressive main entry point into the city of Rome. <span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Piazza Venezia
<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>The Piazza Venezia is not only the central hub of Rome, but is also located at the foot of the Capitoline Hill, which is the ancient heart of Rome. Thus it was chosen as a fitting space for a memorial to the first king of modern Italy, Victor Emmanuel II, who led the unification of the Italian states in the 1860s. The gigantic monument now overlooks the Piazza Venezia in overwhelming marble glory, standing as an unmissable symbol of Italian unity. The open space and dramatic setting were used to great effect by Mussolini, who staged rallies here.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>However, the monument is just one of the several sights that can be found around Piazza Venezia, an area often overlooked by tourists who pass from the historic center directly to the Colosseum further down the street. For instance, just below it you'll find Trajan's Forum, containing some of Rome's most notable ruins, and just above it on the Capitoline Hill, an elegant square designed by Michelangelo. <span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Vittorio Emanuele II Monument<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Visit this grand monument and ascend to the roof through an elevator at the back for the wonderful views of the Roman Forum and Colosseum.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Capitoline Square & Capitoline Museums<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>See the square Michelangelo designed to mark the spot of Rome's legendary origins.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Markets of Trajan <p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Take a look around the world's first shopping mall.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Trajan's Column<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Relive a saga of war and conquest on this carved frieze as it winds its way up a 140-foot high ancient column. <span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Ancient Rome Guided Walk
<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>On this 3-hour private guided tour, you will explore the imposing remains of ancient Rome. Your guide will explain the extraordinary history of the birth of Rome, life in the city and everything about the fall of the Empire. Visit the Colosseum, the monumental ruins of the Roman Forum, and end the tour on the Capitoline Hill, the smallest and most important of the seven hills of Ancient Rome.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Colosseum<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Ancient Roman Ampitheater<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Naples Old Town
<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Slightly dilapidated and chaotic, but always energetic and effervescent, Naples's historic center has plenty of historic buildings and narrow alleys to keep you busy for several hours. Neapolitans often keep their front door open directly onto the street, exposing everyday life and family routines to passersby, making the experience all the more memorable and authentic. <span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Starting out from the Piazza del Gesù, with its fanciful Baroque plague column, y<span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>ou can cut right through the heart of old Naples on the crowded, chaotic Spaccanapoli. This straight, narrow main street was first built as the main thoroughfare of the original Roman town. Spaccanapoli is actually not an official street name but a popular term that literally means the "Naples splitter". <span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>It's full of life and noisy motorpeds at most times of the day, with some of the best street food on offer in Naples. It gets very crowded at certain spots in the evenings when the student population descends upon its favorite outdoor cafes and bars. <span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>But of course you'll want to wander into the warren of narrow lanes on either side of the Spaccanapoli, where you'll discover amazing churches, tiny little squares, and an abundance of restaurants, pubs, and cafes.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Sansevero Chapel Museum<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>See for yourself why the Veiled Christ is the most famous and celebrated sculpture in Naples.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Napoli Sotterranea<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Discover ancient Greek and Roman ruins in the labyrinth of underground tunnels located 130 feet (40m) below street level.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Via San Gregorio Armeno<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Walk down this picturesque street to shop where the <span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Neapolitans do when they create their<span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span> beloved Christmas nativity scenes.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Duomo<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Admire this lavish 13th-century Gothic cathedral which contains miraculous vials of blood<span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span> of the patron saint of the city, San Gennaro.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Naples Waterfront
<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>As you walk along the historic Neopolitan waterfront you'll encounter two imposing yet stately medieval castle-fortresses. Built by Naples' former Spanish rulers, they command glorious views out over the Bay of Naples and Mt Vesuvius beyond. There's also the grand Palazzo Reale, a <span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>palace erected<span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span> by the Bourbon kings that faces the monumental square of Piazza del Plebiscito on one side and the famous San Carlo Theater on the other. <span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>You can cut right through the heart of Naples on the <span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Spaccanapoli, a straight, narrow main street that has been that way since it was first built in Roman times is the straight and narrow main street that traverses the old, historic center of the city of Naples, Italy. The name is a popular usage and means, literally, "Naples splitter". TBut of course you'll want to wander of the many side streets amazing churches, and chaotic.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Piazza del Plebiscito<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Visit the city's most iconic square and its most popular gathering spot. <span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Castel Nuovo<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Wander a medieval castle which is one of the city's most famous monuments. <span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Royal Palace (Palazzo Reale)<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Discover the lavish former home of Naples' Kings and Queens inside this restored historic palace. <span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Castel dell'Ovo<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Enjoy amazing views as you stand on the ramparts of this imposing fortress jutting out into the sea. <span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Dining Out in the Historic Quarter
<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Naples is rightly famous for its street food, the people's version, that of the “mangiamaccheroni” (pasta eaters), with its corner shop windows. But then there are also the more up-market recipes of the monzù (derived from the French word monsieur), the professional chefs who used to work for the lower nobility aristocracy in the more bourgeois parts of the city. You get can get to know both worlds using our detailed map and list of dining recommendations in the city's historic quarter.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Da Michele Pizza<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Taste the most famous pizza in Naples at the pizzeria featured in Eat, Pray, Love.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Sea Front Pasta Bar<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>One of the best pasta places in Naples.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Sorrento Old Town
<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>The <span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>center<span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span> of Sorrento is quite compact and closed to traffic. Its grid-like layout makes the old town of Sorrento easy to navigate on foot and a joy to explore. Spend time pottering around its pedestrian lanes and streets, home to a number of interesting sights, little tourist boutiques, limoncello tastings and restaurants. <span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Piazza Tasso<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Check out Sorrento's main square surrounded by colorful architecture and five-star hotels. <span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Sorrento Cathedral<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Step inside this beautiful Roman Catholic Cathedral known for its exquisite ceiling paintings. <span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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Sorrento's Men's Club<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>See the beautifully painted walls and dome of the historic Men's Club in Sorrento, that is, if you are a man yourself.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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San Francesco Church<p><span class="gre-latexized text" style="display: none;"> </span>Take a peaceful walk around the 14th Century Church and Cloister of San Francesco.<span class="gre-latexized paragraph" style="display: none;"> </span></p>
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