Guided Tours Program

Guided Tours Program
14&15 June 2012, Rome-Italy
Rome Guided Tour Program | Page 1
GUIDED TOURS PROGRAM FOR DELEGATES’ PARTNERS
Attendees’ partners will have the opportunity to discover some sightseeing places in Rome surroundings through
one and a half day guided tour.
Participation in the guided tours is free of charge with compliments of Experian and includes transport from and to
Sheraton Roma Hotel (conference venue), planned meals and ticket visits. Tours are given in English.
The guided tour program is strictly reserved to conference participants’ partners.
Day 1 - Thursday 14 June 10:00-16:30
Full day program in Rome
09:45
10:00
13:00
14:30
15:30
17:00
– 12:30
– 14:00
– 15,30
– 16:30
Meet your guide in the Sheraton Roma Hotel lobby
Visit S. Peter’s square, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter Church with Pietà di Michelangelo
Lunch time
Visit of the Colosseum,
Visit of the Roman Forum and Arco di Costantino.
Return to Hotel
Day 2 – Friday 15 June 10:00-13:15
Mid-day program
09:45
Meet your guide in the Sheraton Roma Hotel lobby
10:00 – 12:15 BAROQUE ROME: Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, Piazza di Spagna and the Trevi Fountain.
12:30 - 13:30 Lunch Time
14:00
Return to the Sheraton Roma hotel
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Day 1 - Thursday 14 June 10.00-16.30
10:00-10:30
Visit S. Peter’s square
The open space which lies before the basilica was redesigned by Gian Lorenzo Bernini from 1656 to 1667, under
the direction of Pope Alexander VII, as an appropriate forecourt, designed "so that the greatest number of people
could see the Pope give his blessing, either from the middle of the façade of the church or from a window in the
Vatican Palace" Bernini had been working on the interior of St. Peter's for decades; now he gave order to the
space with his renowned colonnades, using the Tuscan form of Doric, the simplest order in the classical
vocabulary, not to compete with the palace-like façade by Carlo Maderno
The site's possibilities were under many constraints from existing structures (illustration, right). The massed
accretions of the Vatican Palace crowded the space to the right of the basilica's façade; the structures needed to
be masked without obscuring the papal apartments. The obelisk marked a center, and a granite fountain by Carlo
Madernostood to one side. The “trapezoidal” shape of the piazza, which creates a heightened perspective for a
visitor leaving the basilica and has been praised as a masterstroke of Baroque theatre (illustration, below right), is
largely a product of site constraints.
10:30-12:30
Sistine Chapel and St. Peter Church with Pietà di Michelangelo
Sistine Chapel (Latin: Sacellum Sixtinum; Italian: Cappella Sistina) is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic
Palace, the official residence of the Pope in the Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture and its decoration
that was frescoed throughout by Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino,
Pinturicchio and others. Under the patronage of Pope Julius II, Michelangelo painted 1,100 m² (12,000 sq ft) of
the chapel ceiling between 1508 and 1512. The ceiling, and especially The Last Judgment (1535–1541), is widely
believed to be Michelangelo's crowning achievement in painting.
Michelangelo considered himself first and foremost a sculptor not a painter; His figure of David is an outstanding
work. It was created around 1501 and carved from marble. David as described in the Bible was the young man
who fought the giant Goliath. Michelangelo sometimes characterized his idea for a sculpture as a prisoner inside
the slab of marble. He just needed to take his chisel to free the form.
Pope Julius II wanted him to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican at Rome and Michelangelo
finally gave in to his request. This became his most famous work.
There were also pictures of Old Testament prophets and other figures. In the triangular panels he painted the Old
Testament stories and in the crescent-shaped panels he painted the ancestors of Jesus.
When painting the Sistine Chapel Michelangelo painted directly on the wet plaster which absorbed the colour. He
had to plan ahead and apply only the wet plaster he would be painting that day. If he made a mistake he would
have to pry off the plaster after it dried and start over on that part.
The ceiling was 68 feet above the floor and the size of a basketball court. He built scaffolding and climbed up,
insisting on doing the work by himself. He lay on his back to work. His body ached and paint dripped on his face,
but he persisted until the work was completed. It was an arduous task. He began in 1508 and finished it in 1512.
Years later he returned to the Sistine Chapel to paint a huge fresco behind the altar. He called it the Last
Judgment. When the pope looked at the finished painting he was embarrassed. Michelangelo had painted all the
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people without clothing! The pope hired another painter to paint clothing to cover the figures. Michelangelo was
furious. When the Medici returned to power, he spent nearly twenty years working for them designing their tombs
and the Medici Chapel. Julius II also wanted Michelangelo to carve statues for his tomb. He originally wanted 40
marble statues, but only three were completed.
The next ten years were spent in Rome working for Pope Paul III. It was during this time he painted The Last
Judgment and started the construction of the dome in St. Peter's Church.
13:00-14:00
14:30-15:30
Lunch Time (restaurant to be confirmed)
Visit of the Roman Forum
The Roman Forum (Forum Romanum) was the political and economical centre of Rome during the Republic. It
emerged as such in the 7th century BCE and maintained this position well into the Imperial period, when it was
reduced to a monumental area. It was mostly abandoned at the end of the 4th century.
The Forum Romanum is located in a valley between the Capitoline Hill on the west, the Palatine Hill on the south,
the Velia on the east and Quirinal Hill and the Esquiline Hill to the north. The Velia was levelled in Antiquity.
The importance of the Forum area is indicated by the presence of many of the central political, religious and
judicial buildings in Rome. The Regia was the residence of the kings, and later of the rex sacrorum and pontiff
maximus; the Curia, was the meeting place of the Senate; and the Comitium and the Rostra, where public
meetings were held. Major temples and sanctuaries in the Forum include the Temple of Castor and Pollux, the
Temple of Saturn and the Temple of Vesta. Commercial and judicial activities took place in the basilicas, the two
remaining are the Basilica Aemilia and the Basilica Julia. Due to the political importance of the area there were
also numerous honorary monuments.
15:30 – 16:30
Visit of the Colosseum
The Colosseum, or the Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre is an
elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever
built in the Roman Empire. It is considered one of the greatest works of
Roman architecture and Roman engineering.
Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started in 72
AD under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus,
with further modifications being made during Domitian's reign.The name "Amphitheatrum Flavium" derives from
both Vespasian's and Titus's family name (Flavius, from the gens Flavia).
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Capable of seating 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles
such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on
Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later
reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, and quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a
Christian shrine.
Although in the 21st century it stays partially ruined because of damage caused by devastating earthquakes and
stone-robbers, the Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist
attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads
a torch lit "Way of the Cross" procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum.
17,00
Return to Hotel
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Day 2 – Friday 15 June 10.00-13.15
10:30 – 12:30 BAROQUE ROME
PIAZZA NAVONA
The square is built on the former Domitian's stadium, built by emperor Domitian in 86
AD.
Hence
the
long,
oval
shape
of
the
square.
The stadium, which had a larger arena than theColosseum was mainly used for
festivals
sporting
events.
The stadium was known as 'Circus Agonalis' (competition arena). It is believed that over
time the name changed to 'in agone' to 'navone' and eventually to 'navona'.
In the 15th century the stadium was paved over to create the Navona square, but
remnants of Domitian's stadium are still visible around the area. Guided tours to this
underground monument are available, they start at the Piazza Tor Sanguigna 13.
The main attraction of the Piazza Navona are the three fountains. The central and
largest fountain is the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (fountain of the four rivers). It was
constructed between 1647 and 1651 on request of the Pope Innocent X.
The design of the fountain was first commissioned to Borromini, but it was ultimately
handed to his rival Bernini. The fountain features four figures, each representing a river
from a different continent - the Nile, Ganges, Danube and Rio della Plata. The statues are at the base of a rock
supporting an obelisk, originally located at the Massenzio Circus, near the Via Appia Antica.
The two other fountains on the piazza are the Fontana di Nettuno (Neptune fountain) at the northern end and the
Fontana del Moro (Moor fountain) at the southern end.
Another highlight on the Navona square is the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone. It was commissioned in 1652 by
Pope Innocent X and built on the site where according to legend, St. Agnes was stripped naked, but miraculously
saved from disgrace by extraordinary growth of hair.
PANTHEON
With its thick brick walls and large marble columns, the Pantheon makes an immediate
impression on visitors. But for its time the most remarkable part of the building is the
more than 43 meter high some. It was the largest dome in the world until 1436 when
the Florence Cathedral was constructed.
At the top of the dome is a large opening, the oculus, which was the only source of light.
The front portico has three rows of 8 columns, each one with a diameter of 1.5m. A huge
bronze door gives access to the cylindrical building. Its
Originally a temple for all pagan gods, the temple was converted into a church in 609.
The Pantheon now contains the tombs of the famous artist Raphael and of several
Italian Kings. Its ecclasiastic interior design contrast with the temple's structural design,
but the marble floor - which features a design consisting of a series of geometric
patterns - is still the ancient Roman original.
The most important problem the Romans faced during the construction of the Pantheon
was the massive weight of the large dome. In order to support it without proper reinforcement as it is common
today, the thickness of the walls gradually decreased as the height increased. The Romans also used a different
type of concrete for the dome as for the walls. At the base very thick (6m, 20ft) walls were constructed. At the top
of the dome, a lighter type of concrete was used and near the oculus it is only 7.5 ft or 2.3 m thick. The use of
coffers in the ceiling and the opening at the top also helped reduce the weight of the dome.
The huge, 60 tons weighing columns used for the portico were quarried in Egypt. They were transported all the
way to Rome using barges and vessels.
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PIAZZA DI SPAGNA
Piazza di Spagna or Spanish Square is connected to a French church
(Trinità dei Monti) on top of the hill via a long staircase, known as the
Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti or Spanish Steps. The idea of connecting the
church with the square below originates from the 17th century, when the
French also planned a statue of King Louis XIV of France at the top of the
staircase.
Papal opposition caused the plans to be shelved until 1723, when the
monumental staircase was built without the statue. Pope Innocent XIII
appointed the Italian architect Francisco de Sanctis. He presented a design that satisfied both the French and the
papacy.
The elegant staircase consists of 137 steps over twelve different flights.
It has an irregular albeit symmetric structure. It is especially beautiful in May, when it is decorated with azaleas.
The steps are usually very crowded; it attracts tourists as well as locals who use it as a gathering place.
At the bottom of the Spanish Steps is the Piazza di Spagna or Spanish square. The long, triangular square is
named after the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See. In the 17th century, the area around the embassy was even
considered Spanish territory.
It can get crowded on the steps...At the foot of the Spanish Steps is the Fontana della Barcaccia, a sober fountain
commissioned by Pope Urban VIII and designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The design, a small boat, was inspired
by the flooding of the Tevere in 1598, when a small boat stranded here after the water subsided.The Trinità dei
Monti is a beautiful French church located on a hill overlooking the small piazza della Trinità dei Monti. From this
square, you have an nice view over Rome. At the end of the 15th century, only a small chapel existed on the hill.
In 1495, French King Louis XII commissioned the erection of a new church, replacing the chapel. Construction
started in 1502 and dragged on for decades. It was only consecrated in 1585 by Pope Sixtus V.The gothic church
with a renaissance facade has two bell-towers. Inside, several paintings decorate the different chapels. Among
them are two works by Daniele da Volterra, a pupil of Michelangelo.
THE TREVI FOUNTAIN
The Trevi fountain is at the ending part of the Aqua Virgo, an aqueduct
constructed in 19 BC. It brings water all the way from the Salone Springs
(approx 20km from Rome) and supplies the fountains in the historic center of
Rome with water.
In 1732, Pope Clement XII commissioned Nicola Salvi to create a large
fountain at the Trevi Square. A previous undertaking to build the fountain
after a design by Bernini was halted a century earlier after the death of Pope
Urban VIII. Salvi based his theatrical masterpiece on this design.
Construction of the monumental baroque fountain was finally completed in
1762.
The central figure of the fountain, in front of a large niche, is Neptune, god of the sea. He is riding a chariot in the
shape of a shell, pulled by two sea horses. Each sea horse is guided by a Triton. One of the horses is calm and
obedient, the other one restive.
They symbolize the fluctuating moods of the sea.
On the left hand side of Neptune is a statue representing Abundance, the statue on the right represents Salubrity.
Above the sculptures are bas-reliefs, one of them shows Agrippa, the general who built the aqueduct that carries
water to the fountain.
The water at the bottom of the fountain represents the sea. Legend has it you will return to Rome if you throw a
coin into the water. You should toss it over your shoulder with your back to the fountain.
12:30 – 13.30 Lunch Time (Restaurant: to be confirmed)
13.45 Return to the Sheraton Roma Hotel and end of the program
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Conference venue
Contact
SHERATON ROMA HOTEL &
CONFERENCE CENTER
Viale del Pattinaggio, 100 - 00144 Rome,
Italy
sheraton.com/roma
Maria Katsifi
M: +30.694.8080800
E: [email protected]
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