You can rent a wheelchair with us for one or more days.
This private tour includes an English-speaking Driver and air-conditioned Mercedes Van with the ramp for wheelchairs at your disposal for 9 hours (only for you) - English-speaking Guide for the visit of Rome for 3 hours (only for you)
THE ENTRANCE FEES AND THE RESERVATION FOR THE VATICAN MUSEUMS ARE INCLUDED
We reserve Your tickets of the Vatican Museums in advance: so You can enter them by skipping the line.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
On Wednesdays the Basilica of Saint Peter is closed in the morning for Papal Audience. Tour will feature more of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. Vatican Museums are closed on Sunday, except for the last day of each month (with free admission 9:00 to 12:30 Closing 14:00)
This tour route, designed for the disabled visitors, is totally step-free. In order to avoid the steps near the Sistine Chapel and by the entrance of St. Peter’s Basilica, one can use elevators and ramps.
N.B.: The entrance of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel is located on the north side of Vatican City along Viale Vaticano street. After the visit of the museums above mentioned, from the Sistine Chapel, thanks to a staircase, visitors enter directly the St. Peter’s Basilica. But unfortunately the wheelchair users must leave the museums to cover the way outside the Vatican State as far as the east side of Vatican city where they find the St Peter's Square and the ramp into St Peter's Basilica.
VATICAN MUSEUMS:
The buildings that house the Vatican Museums, known as the Palazzo Apostolico Vaticano, cover an area of 5.5 hectares. Each gallery contains priceless treasures. The most important are the Stanze di Raffaello, the Pinacoteca, the Galleria delle Carte Geografiche (Map Gallery) and, of course, the Sistine Chapel. Among the pictures in the Pinacoteca you'll find Raphael’s last work, La Trasfigurazione, and paintings by Giotto, Bellini, Caravaggio and Leonardo da Vinci, whose San Gerolamo was never finished. Through the superb Galleria delle Carte Geografiche (Map Gallery) and the Galleria degli Arazzi (Tapestry Gallery) are the magnificent Stanze di Raffaello, the private apartments of Pope Julius II. Raphael himself painted the Stanze della Segnatura and the Stanza d'Eliodoro, while the Stanza dell'Incendio was painted by his students and the ceiling was painted by his master, Perugino.
SISTINE CHAPEL & S. PETER’S BASILICA:
The Sistine Chapel is the room where the papal conclave takes place to elect the next pope, although it is better known as home of the most famous masterpieces of art in the world: Michelangelo’s frescoes on the barrel-vaulted ceiling, and the Last Judgement on the end wall (completed in 1541). The chapel was originally built in 1484 for Pope Sixtus IV, after whom it is named, but it was actually Julius II who commissioned Michelangelo to decorate it. The frescoes down the middle represent nine scenes from he book of Genesis, including the Division of Day from Night, the Creation of Adam, the Expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and the Flood.
The S. Peter’s Basilica is not only huge, but also a monument to artistic genius. The first basilica was built here by Rome’s first Christian emperor, Constantine, in the IV century. More than 1000 years later the basilica had fallen into disrepair. In the mid-15th century Nicholas V tried to reconstruct it, but it was only in 1506, when Julius II employed Bramante, that serious works began. It took more than 150 years to complete the new basilica, now the second biggest in the world. Bramante, Raphael, Antonio da Sangallo, Giacomo della Porta and Carlo Maderno, all contributed, but it is generally held that St. Peter’s owes most to Michelangelo, who took over the project in 1547 at the age of 72 and was responsible for the design of the dome.
TREVI FOUNTAIN:
The Trevi Fountain was made as termination of the ancient Roman aqueduct Virgo, built approx. in 19 BC by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, son-in-law and favourite general of the Emperor Octavian Augustus. The aqueduct was 21 km long and 19 of them were underground.
The aqueduct, which was 21 km long, was built by Agrippa to supply the Public Baths in Campo Marzio. Even then it was erected a large fountain at the point where the pipe ended. This fountain stood roughly where now the Church of St. Ignatius lies.
According to the tradition the origin of the name Virgin was given by the same Agrippa because of a young girl ( in Latin virgo ) who pointed out a spring to the soldiers who were thirsty.
The Virgo Aqueduct, although damaged during the siege of the Goths in 537, remained in use in the Middle Ages: it was restored in the eighth century, then repaired again by the City in the twelfth and by the popes Niccolò V and Paul IV in the middle of the fifteenth century, when the water started to come out abundant in a large tub with three mouths.
Pope Urban VIII ( Barberini ) (1623-1644) for first ordered a transformation of the square and the fountain to Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini, in order to create a new scenography near the family palace, Palazzo Barberini, and clearly visible from the Quirinale Palace, his residence. Bernini designed a great exhibition of water which was centred on the statue of the Virgin Trivia placed on a base below the water level who seemed to emerge from the water itself. With death of the Pope a trial was opened against the Barberini family by the new Pope Innocent X Pamphili who decided to give to Borromini the water transport of the Virgin water to Piazza Navona to make a new monumental exhibition before his own building. That’s why the works of the Trevi Fountain were stopped.
At the beginning of the eighteenth century the Trevi fountain became an obligatory theme for many architects passing through Rome.
It's up to Pope Clement XII Corsini (1730 - 1740), in 1731, the task to take up the fate of the square and the fountain: within large commissions of his pontificate he announced an important open competition for the construction of a great exhibition of water for the entire facade of the palazzo Poli . That decision irritated the Dukes of Poli, still owners of the building whose facade decreased in windows (because covered with fountains) and even more because of the crest on the palace crowned Corsini.
The tender was won by Nicolò Salvi who began the construction of the Trevi fountain in 1732: he took up the basic idea of Urban VIII and Bernini of narrating, through architecture and sculpture together, the story of the Aqua Virgo.
Pope Clement XII inaugurated the Trevi fountain in 1735, with works still in progress. In 1740 , however, the building was once again interrupted to resume only two years later.
Pope Benedict XIV (Lambertini) (1740-1758) claimed a second inauguration in 1744. The first phase of the work ended in 1747, when they completed the statues and fake rocks . Despite the death of Nicolò Salvi (1751), the construction continued under the guidance of Giuseppe Panini, who finally completed the Trevi Fountain in 1762 under Pope Clement XIII (Rezzonico) (1758-1769). After about thirty years of works eventually the Trevi fountain became a fundamental symbol of papal Rome .
PANTHEON:
The Pantheon in Rome is the most copied and imitated Roman monument in the history of
architecture. It also boasts the largest masonry dome in the history of architecture.
Erected between 27 and 25 BC by the consul Agrippa, prefect of the Emperor Augustus, the present building is the result of subsequent and heavy reconstructions.
The name comes from two Greek words : pan, "every" and theon "god" , and in fact originally the Pantheon was dedicated to all the gods.
The place where it stands is legendary in the history of Rome. According to a Roman legend, this was the place where the founder of Rome, Romulus, when he died, he was seized
by an eagle and taken to heaven among the gods.
In 80 A.D. the Pantheon was rebuilt by the emperor Domitian, but few years later
it was destroyed by a fire. It was then rebuilt in its present shape by the emperor
Hadrian, under whom the Roman Empire reached the height of its splendour. It is
likely that the current structure is the result of his own eclectic genius with an exotic taste. In fact, the Pantheon combines in harmony the cylindrical structure of the dome, typical of the Roman taste, with the exterior columns of Greek inspiration.
Although the new Pantheon was very different from the original one, on its facade the emperor Hadrian decided to put the following Latin inscription: M.Agrippa.L.F.Cos.Tertivm.fecit (It was built by Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, consul for the third time).
Technically the Pantheon is considered a miracle of architecture for many reasons. An example is that it would make a perfect sphere because its height is equal to its radius : 43 m.
Michelangelo called it a work built by angels and not by men.
PIAZZA NAVONA:
Piazza Navona is the most characteristic square of Rome and represents the past world and a glorious traditions with full of charm of Rome. The history of the square dates back to ancient Rome. Over the area stood the vast Circus of the Roman emperor Domitian, on the steps of which are now built the houses that surround the square today.
Here mock naval battles were held, grandiose public shows, games etc .
Later, although the complex had gone into disrepair until it disappeared, Piazza Navona’s people still have fun. In the Middle Ages the popular festivities continued to take place here. Even in the nineteenth century wandering comedians with their antics amused the people here who, on Sundays and holy days of the month of August, stood for a long time to wallow in the water of the fountains, with the amusement of the cardinals and the rich people who threw from their cars money liberally to increase the popular gaiety. Today is the big Christmas market, which brings to life all the past of the square.
The current form of Piazza Navona, with the fountains, the church of St. Agnes, the Palazzo Pamphili and the buildings that surround it, was built between XVII and XVIII centuries. Since that time, almost nothing has been changed and this is the secret that characterizes it. Pope Innocent X began to arrange the square , until then dirty and neglected, with the reconstruction of Palazzo Pamphilj commissioned to Girolamo Rainaldi. The grand palace with its simple mass gave immediately to any environment a distinct character to which were added later the other buildings . The interior is notable for the decorations of the hall with frescoes by Pietro da Cortona, famous artist from Florence.
The pope had also the church of St. Agnes built, on the place where the saint was martyred. Already in the Middle Ages the first church was erected on the walls of the Circus . The remains of the older church can be seen in the church today. The church is the work by Borromini (1645-50). The artist was particularly criticized and mocked for the baroque concave façade. The most ruthless critic was his eternal rival Bernini. The artist was so distressed by the incessant criticism that he ended up committing suicide .
The interior of the church was designed by Carlo Rainaldi, richly decorated in accordance with the baroque spirit. Pope Innocent X was buried here.
Once concluded the square, the Pope continued to embellish it with the construction of two fountains .
One of these, Bernini's masterpiece, is the central Fountain of the Rivers. On the group of rocks sit the giants symbolizing the rivers of four continents: the Nile, the Ganges, the Danube and the Rio de la Plata. On the top of the fountain the obelisk of Domitian rises.
The other , in front of the Palazzo Pamphili , is the Fountain of the Moor.
The third fountain , located at the other side of the square is a recent work of the XIX century. Today the square is surrounded by quaint cafes and wine bars and in the centre of the square painters display their works; the locals, adults and kids , walk around creating an indissoluble harmony between art , history and real life .N.B.: The area of the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and Piazza Navona is very uneven - with cobblestones - and, although it is possible to be covered, it will be very challenging for you.
IMPORTANT INFO:
