A Trastevere that has been flipped inside out, or better still, the B-side that you may not yet know. A Trastevere made up of places and stories off-the- beaten-path; the cultural and working-class theater of “Romanità”, or Roman-ness. Inhabited by Claudio Villa, Alberto Sordi, Sergio Leone and Carlo Verdone, the neighborhood retains its medieval charm. From S. Pietro in Montorio to S. Maria in Trastevere, from S. Francesco a Ripa to finish in the Basilica of S. Cecilia.

The history and role of the three islands in the Rome of yesterday and today, mystical places where it all began. We will start with the imperial splendor of ancient Rome and the great Renaissance transformation of the Campidoglio. Our second port of call will be the Jewish Ghetto, a unique island of Jewish Roman culture, where we will learn of their origins and traditions. The route will end at the Tiber Island, home of Aesculapius and his ancient temple.

Our journey will start on the Capitolium-Campidoglio, the heart of the city, where the mythical Temple of Capitoline Jupiter once stood. Descending on the side of the Tarpeian Rock we will skirt the Roman Forum and the slopes of the Palatine Hill to get to the Lupercal of Romulus and Remus and the Velabrum, where we will find the Arch of the Argentarii and the Arch of Janus. We will enter the Forum Boarium where the Temple of Portunus, Temple of Hercules Olivarius and the Altar of Hercules, now the church of S. Maria In Cosmedin, will transport us back in time to the myths and legends of Archaic Rome. After skirting the Circus Maximus, our walk will continue up the Aventine Hill to the early Christian church of S. Sabina and the panoramic view of the city from the Orange Garden. This itinerary will end in the Piazza of the Knights of Malta, the work of Giovanni Battista Piranesi and an eighteenth-century masterpiece of micro-urbanism.

Starting at the Ponte Sisto we will discover the Horn of Rome, a key point in the city for over 2,700 years, starting from its archaic origins through its Renaissance and Baroque transformations. We will end up at the Sant'Angelo Bridge (or Ponte Elio), the entrance of Papal Rome, along the way discussing the important figures that inhabited the area in the past. We will visit three churches: SS. Trinità dei Pellegrini, S. Maria in Monserrato degli Spagnoli and S. Giovanni dei Fiorentini. Through a combination of recorded history and gossip you will discover the historic palaces of the Farnese, Falconieri, and Sacchetti families, as well as the elusive house of Raphael.

Our journey will start in Piazza Argentina, the theater of Caesar's death. We will skirt the old Agrippa Baths to arrive in front of the Pantheon or S. Maria ad Martyres, celestial ceiling par excellence. We will enter the Pigna district, visiting the most scenic vaulted ceilings of Rome: S. Ignazio, S.
Maria sopra Minerva and the Church of the Gesù, first seat of the Society of Jesus. Our tour ends in the gardens of Palazzo Venezia with a vault from nature, without forgetting the talking statue of Madama Lucrezia and the Church of S. Marco, with its unique wooden ceiling from the 15th century.

The Coppedè district was designed by the architect Gino Coppedè; journeying through its unique streets is like an initiation ritual into the most mysterious and extravagant side of Rome. Esotericism, Freemasonry, religious symbolism, and Gothic and Medieval motifs are all among the ingredients of a cocktail of styles and fantasies.

Villa Torlonia, the youngest of the Roman noble villas, still retains a particular charm due to the originality of its English landscape garden: scattered in the park are temples, obelisks, and a number of buildings and artistic furnishings, such as the recently restored Serra Moresca (The Moorish Greenhouse) or the now famous Casina delle Civette (The Owl House), the Limonaia and the Medieval Cottage. The villa was built as the residence of the Torlonia family; in 1925 it became the residence of Benito Mussolini, and in 1978 it was turned over to the city of Rome and opened to the public.