In the Labyrinth of the Eternal City

What to Expect

Raphael, Caravaggio, and Julia Roberts
You will see the masterpieces of wall painting by the 'divine' Raphael and the first public canvases of the temperamental and passionate Caravaggio, whose appearance in painting was likened to the coming of the Antichrist. You will walk through the filming locations of the Hollywood movie 'Eat Pray Love' starring Julia Roberts. I will tell you an interesting, almost anecdotal story about the tower known as the Monkey Tower. You will also observe the equally strange facade of the Roman palace of the Falconieri family, adorned with images of falcon heads, but for some reason with female breasts. You will encounter this building as you stroll along Julia Street, named after the Roman Pope Julius II, who initiated the reconstruction of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican at the beginning of the 16th century.

The Most Delicious Coffee in Rome
On the square of St. Eustace, where we will stop to enjoy a cup of the most delicious and aromatic coffee according to the Romans themselves, stands the church of the same name with a somewhat unusual sculptural decoration for a Christian temple - a deer's head with a cross in its antlers. Unusual because in Christian art, the image of a deer implied pagans. From this square, you will see one of the most beautiful 'dancing' baroque bell towers, designed by the brilliant architect of his time - Francesco Borromini.

Authentic Alleyways and Secrets of the 'Field of Flowers'
You will stroll along a street where crowns of roses were once sold to pilgrims heading to St. Peter's Basilica, and today there are numerous antique shops. You will walk along Pilgrim Street, as well as Hat and Jacket Streets, visit the market square 'Field of Flowers,' where until the end of the 15th century, daisies, forget-me-nots, and scarlet poppies actually grew, until this area became the business center of the capital and numerous inns and taverns sprang up around the square. You will learn the history of the most debauched and amoral prelate among the immoral popes-patrons of the 16th century. You will also see the place where the 'Holy Inquisition' department held public executions of heretics, and on February 7, 1600, in front of a large audience, the Italian Dominican monk, philosopher, and Renaissance thinker Giordano Bruno was burned alive.