Day tour from Rome from Rome by private car with English speaking driver guide in the countryside near Rome - Day tour from Rome to Tivoli and Subiaco - Day tour from Rome to Tivoli and Ostia Antica - Day tour from Rome to Castel Gandolfo, Nemi and Ostia Antica - Day tour from Rome to Tivoli, Castelgandolfo and Nemi - Day tour from Rome to Fiuggi, Trisulti, Fumone and Anagni - Day tour from Rome to Sermoneta, Valvisciolo and Ninfa - Day tour from Rome to Ceri, Cerveteri and Tarquinia - Day tour from Rome to Ciociaria - Day tour from Rome to Agro Pontino - Day tour from Rome with olive oil tasting - Day tour from Rome with wine tasting – Day trips near Rome
Full-day tours and excursions
Combine two of the half-day tours in the surroundings of Rome to
have a really delightful day in the countryside. In one day you
can visit:
vTivoli
and Subiaco, the frugal monastery of St. Benedict
perched on the cliff of a mountain and the Villa D'Este, one of
the most luxurious residences in Italy.
vTivoli and
Ostia Antica, Tivoli is on the mountains north-east
and Ostia is on the coast west of Rome therefore besides
visiting interesting sites you get to see a nice portion of the
country.
vNemi, Castel Gandolfo and Ostia Antica,
from the coast to the hills and lake. Visit of the ruins of the
ancient Roman port and Rome's wine producing country.
vTivoli, Castelgandolfo, and Nemi,
visit Villa D'Este and then enjoy the scenic drive between olive
groves, vineyards and out-of-the way hilltop towns.
You've already visited the above
mentioned sites? Than why
not travel a little further from Rome and see sites that the
average tourist doesn't get to see?
vFumone, Trisulti and Fiuggi:
Anagni, the so called city of the Popes, Trisulti Abbey, an
isolated monastery in the mountains, Fumone with its still
inhabited thousand-year-old castle .
vSermoneta and Valvisciolo Abbey
the perfectly preserved medieval town with its fortress and
Valvisciolo Abbey, founded in the 8th century and owned by the
famous Knights Templar in the 13th century.
vTarquinia,
Ceri and Cerveteri, you may want to travel along the
coast north of Rome to the land of the mysterious Etruscans and
visit the remains of their civilization.
vTuscia and Umbria,
travel north from Rome to visit the enchanting Orvieto and the
medieval towns of Tuscania and Montefiascone.
We will always stop for a great authentic lunch in a typical
restaurant along the way to enjoy the local food and specialties
and, if time allows, we can also stop to visit an oil press
and/or a winery .
You can be sure to have a memorable tour!
Choose your own combination and enjoy another great day in Italy!
It's not
always easy to talk people
into going to these places 'cause though they
are fantastic they're not famous, it's not as easy as saying "let's go to
the Colosseum" but anybody I took there,
after we did the trip, they always said they
were happy I
convinced them to go!
Full day
tour to
Tivoli and Subiaco
Full day excursion to Tivoli and Subiaco.
Wine wine and olive oil tasting tour. 8 hours
Not on Mondays !
Spend an
unforgettable day in the country visiting two of the most
famous sites in Italy, each unique in its kind!
A full day
tour to one of the most impressive ancient monasteries in Italy, the
"Sacro Speco" founded by St. Benedict of Norcia, combined with a
great lunch and the visit of Villa D'Este, the outstanding Villa
built for the Cardinal Ippolito II D'Este in the 16th century and its
famous park decorated with many spectacular fountains.
Tivoli, the castle
Tivoli, Villa D'Este
Subiaco, St. Benedict
Short
description of the itinerary for the excursion to the Roman Castles,
4 hours:
We meet
at your hotel in Rome any time between 8:00 and 10:00 am and drive to Subiaco,
where we visit the incredible labyrinth of chapels in the monastery
of St. Benedict. If you like, we have lunch in the in a lovely
little restaurant housed in the cellars of the Borgia Castle and in
the afternoon we drive to Tivoli. In
Tivoli we'll walk through the medieval town and visit Villa
D'Este. At the end of the tour you'll be driven back to your
hotel.
More about this tour:
We will be driving on the motorway towards Subiaco and
reach it in about one hour. Subiaco is famous for being the location
of two important monasteries: St. Benedict's, called "Sacro Speco"
and St. Scolastica, but also for having been the birth place of two
of the most famous Italian women: Lucrezia Borgia and Gina
Lollobrigida! It's the "Sacro Speco" though the real attraction in
Subiaco. This incredible monastery built and decorated between the
12th and 13th century is really unbelievable. Built on the cave
where St. Benedict lived, it consists in a labyrinth of chapels all
beautifully decorated with frescos, and one of the frescoes is a
portrait of St. Francis made when he was still alive and before he
received his stigmata. It's in fact the only picture of the Saint
without the stigmata and the halo!
After visiting the "Sacro Speco", before we move to
Tivoli to visit Villa D'Este, we can stop for lunch in Subiaco, in a
little family run restaurant housed in the cellars of the Rocca
(castle) of the Borgias where the famous Lucrezia was born.
Once in Tivoli we'll stroll
through the streets of the medieval town to get to the Villa D'Este
and visit the place. Built in the 16th
Century for the Cardinal Ippolito D'Este (son of the famous Lucrezia
Borgia) when he became the governor of Tivoli, the beautiful villa
is world known for its astounding garden decorated by hundreds of
artistic water fountains.
Time permitting, on the way back to Rome, we will
stop to look at the marble quarries at the foot of the hill on the
way to Tivoli
Rates per vehicle for this shore
excursion: sedan (1/4 persons) 530
Euros;
minivan (4 persons) 550 Euros;
minivan (5/6 persons) 600 Euros;
minibus (7/8 persons) 650 Euros.
Driving time:
Rome/Subiaco: 1 hr
Subiaco to Tivoli: 30'
Tivoli to Rome: 45'
These rates include:
4 hours of touring (including
pick up and drop off)
in the requested vehicle conducted by experienced driving guide and
VAT (value added tax).
Rates do not include
entrance fees or meals and drinks.
Full
day tour to
Tivoli and Ostia
Full day excursion to Tivoli and Ostia
Antica. 8 hours
Not on Mondays !
The most visited places outside of Rome: Ostia Antica
and Tivoli. You'll
go back in history to the the days of the glory of Rome in Ostia and
you'll see the pomp of Papal Rome in Villa D'Este. While Ostia
rivals with Pompeii, Villa D'Este in Tivoli rivals with Versailles
in France. Both places have a unique charm and you have the
possibility to see the both in the same day. Your choice to have a
nice lunch by the sea or on the mountain of Tivoli, fish or meat,
but in any case it'll be a great one!
Tivoli, Organ fountain
Tivoli, Owl fountain
Ostia, the Pope's castle
Short
description of the itinerary for the excursion to the Roman Castles,
4 hours:
We meet
at your hotel in Rome any time between 8:00 and 10:00 am and drive to Ostia. In
Ostia we'll visit the excavations site and then drive to Tivoli.
Lunch can be in Tivoli or Ostia. We'll tour around Villa D'Este in
the afternoon. At the end of the tour you'll be driven back to your
hotel. The itinerary could be reversed, Villa D'Este in the morning
and Ostia Antica in the afternoon.
More about this tour:
Located at
the mouth of the Tiber river, only a half-hour drive from Rome,
Ostia Antica (Ancient Ostia) offer a unique opportunity to learn
more about the Ancient Romans. Founded in the seventh century B.C.,
as a military fort, called Castrum, that guarded the river mouth
against sea borne invasions, Ostia later gained prominence as the
domestic landing for cargo boats. Ostia is easily comparable to
Pompeii: you walk through the ruins of a city that was abandoned in
the fifth century A.D., but you'll not have the company of thousands
of tourists like in Pompeii because it's not nearly as well known.
Ostia was for 1500 years a ghost town, covered by marshy swamp and
infested with malaria. In the early the Italian Government ordered
the first systematic archaeological excavations in the beginning of
the 19th Century, and to this day, not all of Ancient Ostia was dug
out. Driving from Ostia to Tivoli, we'll have
to skirt Rome driving on the freeway the belts the city and then get
on the motorway. On the way to Tivoli, time permitting we will stop to look at the marble quarries at the
foot of the hill. Once in Tivoli we'll stroll through the streets of
the medieval town to get to the Villa D'Este and visit the place. Built in the 16th
Century for the Cardinal Ippolito D'Este (son of the famous Lucrezia
Borgia) when he became the governor of Tivoli, the beautiful villa is
world known for its astounding garden decorated by hundreds
of artistic water fountains.
Rates per vehicle for this shore
excursion: sedan (1/4 persons) 530
Euros;
minivan (4 persons) 550 Euros;
minivan (5/6 persons) 600 Euros;
minibus (7/8 persons) 650 Euros.
Driving time:
Rome/Ostia: 30'
Ostia to Tivoli: 1hr
Tivoli/Rome: 45'
These rates include:
4 hours of touring (including
pick up and drop off)
in the requested vehicle conducted by experienced driving guide and
VAT (value added tax).
Rates do not include
entrance fees or meals and drinks.
Full
day tour to
Ostia, Castelgandolfo and
Nemi
Full day excursion to Ostia Antica,
Castelgandolfo and Nemi.
Wine tasting tour. 8 hours
Not on Mondays !
Some
interesting places outside of Rome: Ostia Antica and the Alban
Hills. You'll
go back in history to the days of the splendor of the Roman Empire
in Ostia, similar to Pompeii, yet different. In Castelgandolfo, a
charming town overlooking a beautiful volcanic lake and seat for the
Papal Summer Residence, you'll se the pomp of Papal Rome. Not too
far from there, another quaint little town called Nemi, overlooking
another volcanic lake, will conquer your heart.
Tivoli
Castelgandolfo
Nemi
Short
description of the itinerary for the excursion to the Roman Castles,
4 hours:
We meet
at your hotel in Rome any time between 8:00 and 10:00 am and drive to Ostia
Antica. In
Ostia we'll visit the excavations site and then drive to
Castelgandolfo. Lunch can be in Nemi or Castelgandolfo. We'll tour
around Castelgandolfo and Nemi in the afternoon. At the end of the
tour you'll be driven back to your hotel.
More about this tour:
Located at
the mouth of the Tiber river, only a half-hour drive from Rome, the
visit of Ostia is like the visit of Tivoli and the Roman Castles: a
relaxing trip. Ostia Antica (Ancient Ostia) was founded Ostia in the
seventh century B.C., as a military fort, called Castrum, that
guarded the river mouth against sea borne invasions. Ostia later
gained prominence as the domestic landing for cargo boats. Ostia is
easily comparable to Pompeii: you walk through the ruins of a city
that was abandoned in the fifth century A.D., but you'll have the
company of thousands of tourists like in Pompeii because it's not
nearly as well known.Ostia was
for one thousand and five hundred years a ghost town, covered by
marshy swamp and infested with malaria. In the early nineteen
hundreds, the Italian Government ordered the first systematic
archaeological excavations, and to this day, with every unearthed
stone, they add to our knowledge and understanding of a city that
once stood next to Rome in grandeur. Driving
from Ostia to Castelgandolfo we'll be go through the vineyards that
produce the famous white wine of the "Castelli Romani". You may have
tried the most famous one "Frascati". They call this area the
Castelli Romani (Roman Castles) because the towns in this area originated from the castles the Roman nobles built
for themselves here.
Over the years the people built their homes outside
the castles and so that's how the towns were formed. In the
Renaissance, those castles were made into villas where the nobles
went to spend their summers away from the heat of Rome. The location
and the climate are ideal for cultivating grape vines and the area
has always been known for producing wonderful white wines. Wines
usually named after the town that produces them, so Frascati wine is
produced in the town of Frascati. We'll visit Castelgandolfo, famous
for being the seat for the Papal Summer Residence, and later we
proceed, driving on the beautiful "Via dei Laghi" (the road of the lakes), to
Nemi. The road climbs the hills between the woods of the Alban Hills
and offers breath taking panoramas of the towns and the lakes. Nemi
is a lovely little town overlooking the homonymous lake and known
for producing special strawberries. The Papal Residence cannot be
visited, but the Palace can be seen from the outside. In
Castelgandolfo are also shops that represent the local wineries, so
you can go wine tasting. Wine tasting can also be arranged at one of
the local wineries.
Rates per vehicle for this shore
excursion: sedan (1/4 persons) 530
Euros;
minivan (4 persons) 550 Euros;
minivan (5/6 persons) 600 Euros;
minibus (7/8 persons) 650 Euros.
Driving time:
Rome/Ostia: 30'
Ostia to Nemi: 45'
Nemi to Castelgandolfo: 30'
Castelgandolfo/Rome: 30'
These rates include:
4 hours of touring (including
pick up and drop off)
in the requested vehicle conducted by experienced driving guide and
VAT (value added tax).
Rates do not include
entrance fees or meals and drinks.
Full day
tour to
Tivoli,
Castelgandolfo and Nemi
Full day excursion to Tivoli,
Castelgandolfo and Nemi.
Wine tasting tour. 8 hours
Not on Mondays !
You'll certainly enjoy visiting the Famous Villa
D'Este and its fountains as much as the drive through the olive
groves and the vineyards as we'll go from Tivoli to Castelgandolfo.
Castelgandolfo, a charming town overlooking a beautiful volcanic
lake has been the site for the Papal Summer Residence for the past
400 years. The Popes always loved the place and so will you! Not too
far from Castelgandolfo is another quaint little town called Nemi.
Overlooking another volcanic lake, Nemi is today known for its
tasty, little strawberries.
Tivoli
Castelgandolfo
Nemi
Short
description of the itinerary for the excursion to Tivoli and the Roman Castles,
8 hours:
We meet
at your hotel in Rome any time between 8:00 and 10:00 am and drive to Tivoli. In
Tivoli we'll walk through the medieval town and visit Villa
D'Este. After the tour of the villa we drive to Castelgandolfo on a
beautiful road through the olive groves first and vineyards then.
Willingly we can stop for lunch in a little out-of-the-way
restaurant. We'll then tour around Castelgandolfo and Nemi in the
afternoon. At the end of the tour you'll be driven back to your
hotel.
More about this tour:
We will be driving on the motorway towards Tivoli and
reach it within 45 minutes. Time permitting we will stop to look at the marble quarries at the
foot of the hill on the way to Tivoli Once in Tivoli we'll stroll
through the streets of the medieval town to get to the Villa D'Este
and visit the place. Built in the 16th
Century for the Cardinal Ippolito D'Este (son of the famous Lucrezia
Borgia) when he became the governor of Tivoli, the beautiful villa is
world known for its astounding garden decorated by hundreds
of artistic water fountains. Once we return to the car, we
drive to Castelgandolfo on a beautiful road taking us through the
olive groves that Tivoli is famous for and, once down from the
mountains we'll be driving through the vineyards that produce the
famous white wine of the "Castelli Romani". You may have tried the
most famous one "Frascati". They call this area the Castelli Romani
(Roman Castles) because the towns in this area originated from the castles the Roman nobles built
for themselves here. Over the years the people built
their homes outside the castles so to and that's how the towns were
formed. In the Renaissance, those castles were made into villas
where the nobles went to spend their summers away from the heat of
Rome. The location and the climate are ideal for cultivating grape
vines and the area has always been known for producing wonderful
white wines. Wines usually named after the town that produces them,
so Frascati wine is produced in the town of Frascati.
We'll visit Castelgandolfo, famous for being the seat
for the Papal Summer Residence, and later we proceed, driving on the
beautiful "Via dei Laghi" (the road of the lakes), to
Nemi. The road climbs the hills between the woods of the Alban Hills
and offers breath taking panoramas of the towns and the lakes. Nemi
is a lovely little town overlooking the homonymous lake and known
for producing special strawberries. The Papal Residence cannot be
visited, but the Palace can be seen from the outside. In
Castelgandolfo are also shops that represent the local wineries, so
you can go wine tasting. Wine tasting can also be arranged at one of
the local wineries.
Rates per vehicle for this shore
excursion: sedan (1/4 persons) 530
Euros;
minivan (4 persons) 550 Euros;
minivan (5/6 persons) 600 Euros;
minibus (7/8 persons) 650 Euros.
Driving time:
Rome/Grottaferrata: 30'
Grottaferrata to Nemi: 30'
Nemi to Castelgandolfo: 30'
Castelgandolfo/Rome: 30'
These rates include:
4 hours of touring (including
pick up and drop off)
in the requested vehicle conducted by experienced driving guide and
VAT (value added tax).
Rates do not include
entrance fees or meals and drinks.
Full
day tour to
Trisulti, Fumone and Fiuggi
Full day excursion to Tour to Trisulti,
Fumone and Fiuggi. 8 hours.
A
wonderful excursion off the beaten path to discover places that are
unimaginable for most tourists. This tour takes you to the region
called Ciociaria, an area just about
50 miles south-east of Rome uncontaminated by mass tourism yet. You
will experience visiting a perfectly preserved medieval walled in town, the silence
of an abbey isolated in the mountains, the silent panoramas with grazing
sheep and goats and hilltop medieval villages. Enjoy an authentic meal
prepared only with local product and eventually visit a winery or an
oil press.
A few miles in distance but a few centuries
back in time!
Anagni
Bakery in Fumone
Trisulti
Short
description of the itinerary for the excursion to Ciociaria to visit
Anagni, Fiuggi, Fumone and Trisulti,
8 hours:
We meet
at your hotel in Rome any time between 8:00 and 9:00 am and drive to
Fiuggi. After a short break to enjoy the city and the famous
"biscotti Amaretti", we continue to Trisulti to visit the "Carthusia"
monastery. We will then continue to Fumone where we'll stop for an
outstanding meal at the "Baron's Tavern" and visit the thousand-year
old castle (optional). On the way back to Rome we'll stop to visit
Anagni.
More about this tour:
You’ll not find many tourists in these places. The
area is called “Ciociaria” and the name comes from the special shoes
called “cioce” that the locals used to wear. Best is to leave Rome at 8:00 a.m.and drive
directly to
Fiuggi, lovely little town renown for its mineral water that helps
the melting of kidney stones and which was made famous by people
like Michelangelo and Pope Boniface VIII. We look
around and taste the famous "biscotti Amaretti" with some coffee. Than we'll drive up the mountains to reach
the medieval Abbey of Trisulti, which operated as a pharmacy, where
the monks still make excellent liqueurs, honey and chocolate that people from the
villages all around buy from them. Than we go back down from
the mountains and drive to the little (60 inhabitants!) medieval
town of Fumone where we can have an incredible lunch in a medieval
tavern than seems to be the set for a historical movie but is real.
Time permitting, on the way to Fumone we stop in Alatri to look at its incredible walls made of
stone boulders so large that the legend says they were built by the Cyclopes.
They are officially dated around the fifth century B.C. but more
recent theories date them back to the ninth or tenth century B.C.or
even further back. On the way back to Rome we'll drive by Lake Canterno
and make a stop at Anagni to visit this historically important
medieval small town which was Papal seat before Avignon.
I moved out of
the city of Rome some 20 years ago when my wife got pregnant and
we decided that it would have been a lot better for our son to grow
up in a little town in the country rather than breathing the smog of
the big city. The little town where I live is called Segni and it’s
one of those in this area that predate the foundation of Rome by at
least a couple of hundred years. Of course as we moved here I
started to explore the place and showing it to my friends who were
visiting me from Rome and they were simply enchanted by it! So
I decided to see the effect on the tourists from overseas and took
the first American couple there many years ago: they loved it! They
said that it was their best day in Italy though they had spent here
three weeks and went everywhere!
Rates per vehicle for this shore
excursion:
sedan (1/4 persons) 560 Euros;
minivan (4 persons) 600 Euros;
minivan (5/6 persons) 640 Euros;
minibus (7/8 persons) 660 Euros.
Driving time:
Rome to Fiuggi: 1hr
Fiuggi to Trisulti: 35’
Trisulti to Alatri: 20'
Alatri to Fumone: 10'
Fumone to Anagni:30'
Anagni to Rome: 1hr
These rates include:
4 hours of touring (including
pick up and drop off)
in the requested vehicle conducted by experienced driving guide and
VAT (value added tax).
Rates do not include
entrance fees or meals and drinks.
Full
day tour to
Sermoneta, Ninfa and
Valvisciolo
Excursion to Sermoneta, Ninfa and
Valvisciolo. 8 hours
Not on Mondays !
Travel a few miles out of Rome and a few
centuries back in history with me. Come to see these places!
Sermoneta is an enchanting town where time stopped in the middle
ages and visiting its castle you'll see for real how they lived in
those days and how they had to think of defending their town.
Fascinated by the Knights Templar? Come and visit one of their
abbeys with the formula for creating gold painted on the wall! See
a medieval abandoned town, Ninfa, and try the famous
prosciutto in Bassiano!
Sermoneta
Valvisciolo
Sermoneta
Short
description of the itinerary for the excursion to the Agro Pontino,
8 hours:
We meet
at your hotel in Rome any time between 8:00 and 9:00 am and drive to
More about this tour:
We leave Rome around 9:00 am, but earlier would be
better, heading for
Sermoneta. This is one of my favored places in the area and in
all of Italy. Perched on top of a hill dominating the valley which
extends all the way to the sea, it is topped by the fortress built
originally by the Annibaldi family in the 11th century and later
owned by the Borgias. You walk
into the city though one of the gates in the medieval walls and walk
its cobble stone paved streets to reach the fortress that in the
15th century was also inhabited by the famous
Lucrezia Borgia. We will visit the castle with the help of the
local guide who unfortunately doesn't speak English, but don't
worry, I'll translate for you. After visiting the castle, we will
leave Sermoneta for the nearby Valvisciolo Abbey. This abbey, which
was founded in the 8th century, was taken over by the
Knights Templar in the 13th
is a beautiful sample of medieval art which guards one of the
mysterious palindromes which people have been engraving or painting
on walls, but no one could ever translate, the so called "sator
square" which in this unique case has a round shape! Leaving
Valvisciolo we'll head for Bassiano which is a lovely little town
known especially for its production of
Prosciutto! Hopefully we'll have lunch there and try it. I'm
saying "hopefully" because the restaurants in Bassiano are only open
for lunch during the high season.
As an alternative we can have
lunch in Sermoneta.
Rates per vehicle for this shore
excursion:
sedan (1/4 persons) 560 Euros;
minivan (4 persons) 600 Euros;
minivan (5/6 persons) 640 Euros;
minibus (7/8 persons) 660 Euros.
Driving time:
Rome to Sermoneta: 1hr
Sermoneta to Valvisciolo: 10’
Valvisciolo to Ninfa: 20'
Ninfa to Rome: 1hr
These rates include:
4 hours of touring (including
pick up and drop off)
in the requested vehicle conducted by experienced driving guide and
VAT (value added tax).
Rates do not include
entrance fees or meals and drinks.
Etruscan tour,
Full day tour to
Tarquinia, Ceri and
Cerveteri
Excursion to the Etruscan sites:
Tarquinia, Ceri and Cerveteri. 8 hours
Not on Mondays !
This tour takes you around the area of the mysterious Etruscans, a
culturally and technologically very advanced populace. They
colonized the area north of Rome before Rome was founded. Later they
were absorbed by the Romans, so we only know about them from their
tombs and that's what we go see. Don't worry though, I'm not
taking you to some sort of funeral! You will enjoy visiting the
excavations, the medieval towns of Tarquinia and Cerveteri and the scenery
while we drive. But most of all, I'm sure love Ceri and the food and
wine you'll be served there!
Tombs
Cerveteri
Ceri
Short
description of the itinerary for the excursion to the Roman Castles,
4 hours:
We meet
at your hotel in Rome at the time you like and we drive to
Tarquinia, about 50 miles north of Rome on the coast.. Then we go to
Ceri, where we'll have lunch. In the afternoon we drive to
Cerveteri to visit the little town itself and the
Etruscan necropolis in the nearby locality
called “Banditaccia”.
More about this tour:
We will leave Rome at 9:00 a.m. and drive to
Tarquinia a lovely medieval town just 50 miles north of
Rome, on the coast. In Tarquinia we stroll around its attractive narrow
streets and visit the Etruscan Museum
(optional) Later we will drive to the location were some of the most
interesting Etruscan tombs have been found. Those tombs are famous
for the quality of their fresco paintings. After visiting the tombs
we drive to Ceri. Ceri
is a little medieval town still conserving its
original aspect, nothing was ever built outside the city walls!
Practically a castle with the palace of the nobles, the
Torlonia's, dominating the main square
and a little church were a Pope who lived in the 5th Century is
buried, Saint Felice II, who was
martyred in a grotto nearby. This would be the ideal place for a
lunch break there are two restaurants
there and they both serve very good food and
wine for a very moderate price. In the afternoon we drive to
Cerveteri to visit the little town itself and the
Etruscan necropolis in the locality
called “Banditaccia”. A place one must
see. A unique atmosphere. The Banditaccia necropolis brings you back
to the days of the Etruscans. Visiting it is very emotional
experience. The place is like a city for the dead just carved out of
the “tufah” stone. Each one of the cylindrical tombs has been
sculpted like a house of stone.
The diameter of the tombs is between 30 and 90 feet.
Inside you find a hall and bedrooms for the master, his descendants
and even for the slaves. The domed roofs are built using tufah (tufo) blocks up to 3 feet
of length, result of the carving of the cylinder.
The
room inside was decorated like a rich home, with paintings and
bas-reliefs.
When these tombs where found they contained the items
that we can now see in the museums: arms, jewels, pottery, statues,
mirrors etc.The
Etruscans were mysterious people who populated central Italy
long before the days of Rome's greatness, People far advanced in
civilization the Etruscans (apparently they called themselves
Tyrrhenians) rose to prosperity and power, then almost disappeared
from history, leaving behind themselves unsolved questions about
their origin and culture. A common theory is that they came from
Asia Minor and they would be the Lydian's described by the Greek
historian Herodotus who left Asia because of famine and colonized
northern and central Italy. They commenced with the Greeks, the
Phoenicians and the Egyptians and they were obviously influenced by
those cultures. They tried to overrule the Romans by merging with
them rather than trying to conquer them; the last three of the
“seven kings of Rome” were in fact Etruscan. It seems that the
Romans changed from kingdom to democracy just to get rid of the
Etruscan kings. The Etruscans were than expelled by the Romans who
later conquered and absorbed them, finally adopting many of their
advanced arts, customs and institutions.
Little remains of the Etruscan literature and their
language has been only partially deciphered. The knowledge we have
of the Etruscans only comes from studying the remains of their city
walls, houses, monuments, and especially their tombs. The tombs in
fact contained weapons, exquisite jewellery, coins; statues of
stone, bronze and terra-cotta. Plus their famous black pottery
(bucchero). Grecian and Oriental influences are seen in the style of
their pottery.
Rates per vehicle for this shore
excursion: sedan (1/4 persons) 530
Euros;
minivan (4 persons) 550 Euros;
minivan (5/6 persons) 600 Euros;
minibus (7/8 persons) 650 Euros.
Driving time:
Rome to Tarquinia: 1hr 20'
Tarquinia to Ceri: 35’
Ceri to Cerveteri: 20'
Cerveteri to Bracciano: 20'
Bracciano to Rome: 45'
These rates include:
4 hours of touring (including
pick up and drop off)
in the requested vehicle conducted by experienced driving guide and
VAT (value added tax).
Rates do not include
entrance fees or meals and drinks.
Full
day tour to
Umbria and Tuscia
Tour to Orvieto, Montefiascone,
Tuscania and Tarquinia. 8/9 hours.
An
excursion off the beaten path. Ideal for those who already visited
Rome and want to see something different. Or if who simply want to
have some relaxing time in the country, away from the crowded
touristy areas. This tour takes you in the countryside north
of Rome, mainly the area called Tuscia (name deriving from Etruscan)
and some of Umbria (name deriving from umbra=shade), the shady heart
of Italy.
Tuscania
Montefiascone
Orvieto
Short
description of the itinerary for the excursion to Orvieto,
Montefiascone, Tuscania and Tarquinia. 8 hours:
We meet
at your hotel in Rome around 9:00 am and we drive to Tuscania where
we have a look around the town and then we drive to Montefiascone.
After taking pictures of Lake Bolsena and strolling around the town,
we head for Orvieto. Lunch can be in Orvieto or on the way there.
After visiting the Duomo (Cathedral) and walking around the streets
of Orvieto we head for for Rome where we should arrive by 5/6:00 pm.
More about this tour:
The tour I suggest includes Orvieto, the most famous
of the towns in this itinerary, and other charming little towns such
as: Tuscania, Montefiascone and, time permitting, Civita di
Bagnoregio. I have done this tour several times and the people I
took always enjoyed it very much. Leaving Rome at about 9:00 am, we
make the first stop in Tuscania. Founded by the Etruscans, it became
a Roman colony in the 3rd Century b.c. and it appears today as a
charming little medieval town. Unfortunately it was badly damage by
an earthquake in 1971 and they haven't finished refurbishing the old
buildings yet. Going there on a Saturday or a Sunday you may run
into some Italian or German tourists, but if you go there any other
day of the week you feel like the city is yours! We can also use the
local coffee shop for facilities and buy a drink from them just to
return the courtesy. Continuing towards Orvieto we stop briefly at
the town of Montefiascone, another town founded originally by the
Etruscans. Built right on top of a hill overlooking the lake Bolsena
about 1800 ft a.s.l. it appears today as a really charming medieval
town. We will stop there shortly just to admire the view from the
hilltop, but we might end up finding the time to wander around the
typical streets for a little while. Montefiascone is known also for
its production of white wine which they call "Est! Est!! Est!!!"
(meaning it is! it is!! it is!!!). They say it was named that after
the German traveler Defuk who, not speaking Italian but only a few
words in Latin used that exclamation to show his appreciation for
the local wine. He ended up dying in Montefiascone and he's buried
in the local church of St. Flaviano. He died from drinking too much
of that wine they say... Another place we will can eventually visit
before Orvieto, time permitting, is Civita di Bagnoregio. This
charming little town was also founded by the Etruscans around 2500
years ago on top of a hill formed by "tufah" stone The area must
have been really different in those days. The natural erosion and
earthquakes have in fact changed the town a lot less space on top of
the hill than it originally had. In 1794 one of those earthquakes
destroyed the sort of natural bridge that linked Civita to the
bigger nearby town of Bagnoregio. The natural erosion hasn't stopped
and the sides of the hill keep crumbling down and therefore they
call Civita "the dying city". It really is a place to see! We will
approach Orvieto, the largest of the towns in our itinerary, from
the West and it will appear to us from the distance sitting on its
plateau formed by the volcanic "tufah" stone. A great view! We
should be arriving there around 1:00 pm. Time for lunch! The people
here have their main meal in the middle of the day after which they
like to nap. Shops in fact don't re-open any earlier than 3/4:00 pm.
It's the famous Italian tradition of the "siesta". You can choose
between a light lunch at the wine shop on the main square (weather
permitting you can eat outside) and some local cuisine in a typical
restaurant housed in the caves that the people of Orvieto dug in the
tufah stone underneath the city. After lunch you'll have the time to
visit the magnificent Cathedral, one on the most beautiful in Italy.
After visiting the church you can stroll down Orvieto's quaint
narrow streets crammed with colorful shops selling beautiful
ceramics. Orvieto produces one of the most famous Italian white
wines and the wine shop on the square offers the opportunity to
taste some of the local wines and to eat some of the prosciutto,
salame and cheeses locally produced. They will also let us visit the
cellar which, as it was commonly done in Orvieto in the old days,
was dug in the stone underneath the building. As an alternative and
time permitting, you might want to have a more substantial meal and
taste some of the region's renowned outstanding foods at a proper
restaurant.
Rates per vehicle for this shore
excursion: sedan (1/4 persons) 530
Euros;
minivan (4 persons) 550 Euros;
minivan (5/6 persons) 600 Euros;
minibus (7/8 persons) 650 Euros.
Driving time:
Rome to Tuscania: 1hr 20'
Tuscania to Montefiascone: 30'
Montefiascone to Orvieto: 30'
Orvieto to Rome: 1hr 20'
These rates include:
4 hours of touring (including
pick up and drop off)
in the requested vehicle conducted by experienced driving guide and
VAT (value added tax).
Rates do not include
entrance fees or meals and drinks.