Rome: Enjoy Hidden Gems with Wine Tasting, Full Day Private Tour

San Giovanni in Laterano is the oldest of the four main basilicas of the eternal city. It is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Pope. San Giovanni in Laterano is the first of the four major basilicas in Rome and the oldest in Christianity. The Basilica, which stands near Mount Celio, was built on the same site as the basilica built by Constantine, around 314, on land already owned by the noble Lateran family, from which the whole area takes its name.

On the slopes of the Celio, below the Basilica of Saints John and Paul, there is the extraordinary archaeological complex which contains over four centuries of history and testifies to the passage and coexistence between paganism and Christianity. Access opens from the Clivo di Scauro, an ancient Roman road and main axis of the Celio, which has preserved part of its original route. The Domus, discovered in 1887 by Father Germano di San Stanislao, rector of the Basilica at the time, represent one of the most fascinating places in underground Rome due to the extraordinary state of conservation of the rooms and the very high artistic value and religious interest of the site.

Colle Oppio is one of the three mountains of the Esquiline Hill, the southernmost of it, immediately north-east of the Colosseum. Its public park preserves vestiges such as the important Domus Aurea or the remains of the baths of Trajan and Titus. It was furnished around 1930 by the architect Raffaele di Vico, after an old project of an English-style park from 1870, enriched with fountains and water features. At the foot of the hill, you can see the ruins of the main ancient gladiator school, the Ludus Magnus. On the hill we discover splendid views of the Colosseum and the Palatine.

One of the four papal basilicas of Rome, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore stands on the top of the Esquiline Hill and is the only one to have preserved the original early Christian structure, albeit enriched by later additions. Legend has it that the rich Roman patrician John and his wife, having no children, decided to dedicate a church to the Virgin Mary, who appeared to them in a dream one August night in 352 AD. In the dream, the Madonna informed them that a miracle would indicated to them the place on which to build the church.

Located near Piazza della Repubblica, Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri was designed by Michelangelo and is Rome's only Renaissance church. It is one of the most special churches in the city, due to its decadent external appearance and its large, truly spectacular interior. The land where the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli is located was once occupied by the Baths of Diocletian, an impressive construction that flaunted the grandeur of the Roman Empire, until, in an attempt to conquer Rome, the Goths closed the aqueducts of city, condemning the spa to inexorable abandonment. On the floor you can see the Meridian line drawn by Francesco Bianchini in 1703, which indicates midday and the arrival of the solstice and equinox, as well as functioning as a calendar. The church has a monumental organ with 5,400 pipes, capable of leaving visitors speechless who are lucky enough to listen to its melodies inside the immense temple.

Villa Borghese is one of the largest parks in Rome. Built at the behest of Cardinal Scipione Borghese, it houses prestigious neoclassical and nineteenth-century buildings. The beauty of the picturesque gardens, wonderful fountains and park attractions make it one of the most attractive green spaces in Europe. Villa Borghese (also called Villa Pinciana) is an English-style public park in the center of Rome full of monuments, gardens, statues and exciting views, the park extends over one of the most famous hills of Rome within the Aurelian walls: the Pincio. Today this hill is a fantastic garden intersected by wide avenues and tree-lined walks surrounded by busts of internationally renowned artists. The Pincio terrace, which overlooks Piazza del Popolo, offers a spectacular view of Rome, which extends from Piazza del Popolo to the dome of St. Peter's Basilica, a unique panorama in the world.

The Janiculum is considered the eighth hill of Rome, it is a pleasant place to walk, enjoying the extraordinary views of the city. The Janiculum has always had a defensive function, in particular against the Sabines and the Etruscans, with whom the Romans competed for commercial and political dominance over the Tiber.

The Aventine it owes its name to one of the seven Roman hills on which it stands and extends in the southern part of the capital, between the Tiber river and the Baths of Caracalla. It is an exclusive hilly area rich in history, thanks to the presence of numerous historic and valuable buildings. The story sees the Aventine Hill as the protagonist since the foundation of the city, when Remus chose it as the ideal point in the famous dispute with his brother Romulus over the place where the city should be built. Remus lost the dispute and the city was built in the Palatine area, but the Aventine remained a fundamental point for Rome and its citizens. It transformed into a mostly mercantile neighborhood starting from 650 BC, thanks to the nearby river port, an area frequented mainly by foreigners and close to the pomerium. In 400 BC. it was the scene of plebeian struggles and it was the latter who became its owners, starting the construction of popular housing.

The Savello Park or Orange Garden is located on the Aventine Hill, in the area of the ancient fortress built by the Savelli family towards the end of the 13th century near the church of Santa Sabina; the fortress was built on a pre-existing 10th century castle belonging to the Crescenzi family. The large medieval walls of the fortress now surround the small rectangular garden, very popular because from the belvedere overlooking the river you can enjoy a splendid view of Rome that goes from the bend of the Tiber to St. Peter's Basilica.

The Circus Maximus is an ancient stadium dedicated to horse racing and public shows linked to the Roman religious festivals, the "Ludi Romani". Even today it is the largest stadium ever built by man. The Circus Maximus was the scene of one of the most famous legendary events in all of Roman history: the Rape of the Sabine Women, the kidnapping of the women of the Sabine tribes by Romulus and the Romans, which then led to the fusion between the two peoples. Legend has it that the kidnapping took place right in the Circus Maximus while the Consualia were being celebrated, the festivals dedicated to the god Conso, during which donkey, mule and horse races took place. Romulus himself took part in chariot races.

At the time of the origins of Rome (754-509 BC), the Trastevere area was a hostile land that belonged to the Etruscans. Rome occupied it to be able to monitor the river on both sides. In any case, its importance was only strategic, that side of the city was still deserted and Trastevere was connected to the rest of the city only by a weak wooden bridge, the Sublicio. Trastevere is one of the most evocative neighborhoods in the city. Its atmosphere fascinates any tourist, constantly attracting even regular Roman visitors.

The Tiber Island, the only urban island on the Tiber, approximately 300 meters long and approximately 90 meters wide, is connected to the banks of the Tiber by two bridges: towards Trastevere by the Cestio bridge, dating back to 46 BC. C. and in the direction of the Ghetto with the Fabricio bridge, built in 62 BC. C., also called Quattro Capi bridge, for the Roman herms that decorate its parapets. According to legend, the island was born in 509 BC. when, having ousted Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the last king of Rome, the people, as a sign of hatred towards the tyrant, threw the king's enormous grain deposit into the Tiber, which turned out to be so abundant that it formed a small island.

Located within the park of the same name, Via Appia Antica, with its 2300 years of history, preserves a historical, archaeological and architectural heritage unique in the world. Walking or cycling among these extraordinary testimonies of the past is an unforgettable experience to do at least once in your life. The Appia Antica was designed in 312 BC. by the censor Appius Claudius Caecus: his intent was to create a road axis that quickly connected Rome to Capua for the movement of troops southwards during the Second Samnite War (326-304 BC). Later, the route was extended to the port of Brindisi to have a direct connection with Greece, the East and Egypt, for military expeditions, travel and trade. This made the Via Appia Antica the “regina viarum” (the queen of roads), the most important road of the Roman era.

The Baths of Caracalla, ancient Antoninian baths, are one of the largest and best preserved thermal complexes of antiquity, they were built at the behest of the emperor Caracalla on the Small Aventine between 212 and 216 AD, in an area adjacent to the initial stretch of the Via Appia. For the water supply of the spa, a special branch of the Acqua Marcia was built called Aqua Antoniniana, which crossed the Appian Way and rested on the pre-existing Arco di Druso. The construction of the complex required the demolition of pre-existing buildings and the excavation of a large sector of the hill. Having been restored several times by Aurelian, Diocletian, Theodosius, the thermal plant ceased to function in 537 AD.