Vatican Hotels: OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

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       S t. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museum  are a must-visit for travelers. Attend a mass, visit the crypt of St. Peter and many of the Popes. See one of Michelangelo's greatest sculptures, the Pieta. The Vatican Museum is enormous and considered the best in the world. It is rich with masterpieces in every art.  There are also extensive gardens at the Vatican.  If you plan ahead you can even have a Papal audience with the Pope. (It is highly suggested that you contact our PRIVATE concierge for this service.)

Rome Hotels: OUR ROME COLISEUM AND ROMAN FORUM NEIGHBORHOOD

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    The Colosseum has always been on the top of world traveler's list of things to see. Climb on the "stage" where gladiators fought with exotic tigers and lions,  explore where the actors and performers of the day prepared for their entertainment. A few steps away is the ancient Roman Arc of Triumph that inspired Napoleon to build a replica in Paris. Across the street is the ancient Roman Forum a vast complex of ruins from the great marketplace of the world's conquering city. Also in the same area is the Palatine Hill and the enormous white marble "wedding cake" building  to the man who unified Italy.

Rome Hotels & Residences: YOUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME

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     There are times when you want or need to stay in Rome for longer than a few days. For some,  it is simply the ability to buy fresh food at the famous Roman markets and cook their own meal. For others especially those traveling with a family there is the need for more room than the typical hotel. Rome offers a variety of residences available for a few days or even months. There are many advantages to this choice: the longer you stay, typically the better your per day rate is. When you do your own cooking, you save money on everything from coffee to an enjoyable dinner. Often these residences provide extra facilities such as clothes washing machines, pools or  tennis courts. 

Venice Hotels and Venice Italy Hotels: THE CITY OF CANALS AND HISTORY

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    for romance, glamour, intrigue and unforgettable beauty, Venice has few peers.  From the Bridge of Sighs to the ancient Palazzos to the grand piazza of San Marco, there is more than enough to keep you very busy.   A simple ride on the "city water bus" offers a fascinating glimpse into the grand history of this once powerful city.  Almost every twist of the grand canal presents a new view of this city that has for centuries attracted artists poets writers and the well to do.  You could spend all day shopping. sightseeing and dining. But make the time to see the legendary Lido beach as well as the picturesque island of Burano and the famous glass making island of Murano. 

Florence Hotels and Florence Italy Hotels: THE ART CITY OF THE WORLD

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TUSCANY HOTELS and Hotel Tuscany Italy

    Florence  has always been the center for the greatest art collections in the world.  Its museums are galleries are legendary. Michelangelo's David is on the top of visitors travelers' list of things to see. The master works of such renowned artists as Da Vinci, Raphael, and Botticelli are all here.  But there is so much more to this city.   Florentine food is a highlight of Italy cuisine and the city is filled with wonderful restaurants.  It is a center for antiques and its leather goods are prized around the world. The architecture marvels such as the Grand Duomo provide a history and art lesson on every street. 

Rome Hotels: OUR VIA VENETO ROME NEIGHBORHOOD

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     There is perhaps no other street that captures the essence of Rome than the Via Veneto.  The winding tree lined boulevard in the heart of Rome has been famous for more than a half century as the site of the "Good Life."  At the top of the serpentine street is  the Borghese Garden, a sprawling park that houses one of Rome most prestigious museums as well as an opera house, a biopark zoo,  lake and small playground. Strolling down the street you'll find many designers shops, such as Brioni, and outdoor cafes perfect for watching international travelers and celebrities. A few blocks away are the Spanish Steps and Rome's most famous shopping street.  Includes the Hotel Savoy Rome.

Positano Hotels, Sorrento Hotels, Naples Hotels: AMALFI COAST HOTELS

Don't forget the ancient wonders of  Pompeii & Herculaneum in Naples

    The Amalfi Coast has long been considered one of the most beautiful and  romantic regions of the world.  With its narrow cliff hugging road that winds leisurely from the southern tip of Napoli past Sorrento, Positano, Ravello, Amalfi and the island of Capri.  Each small seaside resort has its own character from the larger fun Sorrento to the close-knit artistic colony of Positano to the quiet elegance of Ravello and the small, touristy Amalfi.  Capri is connected to these towns by high speed ferries. All offer stunning vistas, wonderful local cuisine, and the simple pleasure of typically warm sunny days. This is also the area for the famed Italian ceramic and glassware. 

Rome Hotels:SPANISH STEPS AREA

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    The Spanish Steps are a magnet for travelers from around the world. During the day the grand white double stairways provide a fascinating respite of people-watching experience, especially while enjoying the Italian ice cream, gelati.  If you prefer shopping to sitting, the steps are the in the famous shopping district of Rome. All the major Italian designers from Gucci to Brioni to Prada are here. There are also many popular outdoor cafes and restaurants.

Milan & Northern Italian Lakes Hotels: FASHION, HISTORY & THE LAKE DISTRICT

    for fashion and wonderful northern Italian cuisines, Milano is the center. It has some famous landmarks including the truly Grand Duomo (which took nearly 600 hundred years to complete), the famous "Last Supper" painting which was recently restored and the beautiful Galleria shopping arcade.  The city also serves as a central point for exploring the famous Lake District of Como and Bellagio. 

Naples Hotels: THE CITY OF VOLCANOES AND HISTORY

    for  intrigue, a genuine experience of Southern Italy's classic city,  and ancient sites, Naples or Napoli as the Italians call it, offers some stunning exhibitions.  From Mount Vesuvio which still looms over the city to the marvelous museums to the unforgettable ancient sites of Pompei and Herculaneum,  the city provides many unusual activities. You can climb to the crater of Vesuvio, wander the ghostly ruins of Pompei, enjoy a fine Neapolitan meal overlooking the Bay of Naples,  or visit the eerie Phlaegrean Fields with its dormant volcano and deserted Roman and Greek colonies.  From the main pier, a very inexpensive 40 minute jetfoil will bring you to the craggy emerald island of Ischia or chic and beautiful Capri. 

Various inscriptions from various ages, sarcophagi and mummies, Roman statuary (from the 1st and 2nd century A.D.) designed to imitate or interpret the forms and aesthetics of Egyptian statuary, protohistoric and Roman ceramics, cuneiform tablets and mesopotamic seals, assirian bas-reliefs from the palaces of Sargon the IInd.

CHIARAMONTI MUSEUM
It was founded by Pope Pius VII (Chiaramonti) and includes: the Corridoio (Corridor), the Galleria Lapidaria and the Braccio Nuovo (New Side). In the Corridor, divide into 60 sections, is an interminable series of statues, busts, sarcofhagi, reliefs, etc: about 800 Greek-Roman works.

 

VATICAN MUSEUM OF POPES CLEMENT XIV AND PIUS VI In the Palazzetto of Belvedere the visitor finds Greek and Roman sculptures like the Apollo Belvedere (a Roman copy from the original Greek sculpture, 130-140 A.D.), the famous group of Laocoön by Agesander, Polydorus and Athanodorus, the statue of Hermes (copied during Hadrian's reign from an original Greek bronze of 4th century B.C.), the colossal statue of Antinous (photo), and moreover the Canova's Cabinet, the Gallery of Statues, the Room of the Animals, etc.

 of Greek and Etruscan black figure ceramics.

THE BIGA ROOM OF ST. PETER'S MUSEUM

GALLERY OF THE CANDELABRA

GALLERY OF THE TAPESTRIES
Decorated during the pontificate of Pius VI, the gallery is named after the tapestries which were first exhibited there in 1814.

GALLERY OF THE MAPS
The Gallery is named after the maps painted on the walls in 40 different panels, each devoted to a region, island or particular territory of Italy.

APARTMENT OF ST.PIUS V

SOBIESKI ROOM
Named for the painting which takes up the entire north wall with its depiction of the victory of John III Sobieski, King of Poland, over the Turks outside the walls of Vienna in 1683. The work was painted by Jan Matejko (1883).

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