THE three BASILICAS of THE POPE TOUR

  Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!

Never have I been on a virtual art tour and my sense of Google Earth is limited.

There are THREE Caravaggio paintings that I am... read more obsessed with. I had no idea that during this virtual tour that I would see them.

My mouth dropped, I had to compose myself and pray I did not bust out crying in delight when Francesca discussed them. This may have been a virtual tour but the enthusiasm that Francesca gave to each painting helped me understand the background stories of the work.

The three Caravaggio paintings that I am totally obsessed with are:
1) St. Matthew and the Angel
2) St. Jerome
3) David with the Head of Goliath

My introduction to Caravaggio's work was through the cover art of E.S. Posthumus' albums. All of their cover art is of Caravaggio's paintings - specifically the ones I have listed.

When Francesca started sharing photos on Google Earth and the painting of St. Matthew with the Angel came up, I almost wet my pants in delight. The rest of her tour was pure bliss.

I can't thank you enough for this taste of Caravaggio's work. I look forward to doing more tours specifically with Francesca. I am a fangirl of her forever!

Watch out! I may be fluent in Italian by the time COVID is under control, and I can speak to her in her native tongue!

Possa Dio proteggere te, la tua famiglia e il tuo paese in questo periodo difficile. So che tutti ne usciranno vincitori. Rimani vigile nel prendere precauzioni per proteggere la tua salute.

Sei Yamato! -- from Jennifer (Washington, DC - USA)

  Francesca gave an insightful virtual tour of the Caravaggio painting in Rome. I felt like i was in Rome walking the street. Francesca was awesome.

  I have enjoyed all of the online classes/tours from Joy of Rome so much. They are inspiring and fun and informative and I especially love all the great stories of... read more not only the art but the artists lives and their passions and challenges. The tour guides are experts and do a phenomenal job of making every tour interesting and incorporating pictures and location shots that enhance all the stores. So happy I found you all and can experience all this great art even from my home in New York! I didn't know the work of Bernini or Borromini or at least I didn't think I did until this amazing class and seeing work I've seen before but now in a new context and I can't wait until I can get back to Rome and admire the works in person!

  I have been so sad regarding our cancelled trip to Europe in July. Joy of Rome is now offering virtual tours via zoom that felt like we were... read more touring with them in Rome. This was a great experience and I plan on doing this again until I can go in person.

  Last November I had the the experience of a life time touring Rome with this outstanding company. I toured the Caracalla Baths, Colosseum, Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and the Villa... read more Borghese. Experiences I will never forget, done by professionals who are exceptionally knowledgeable, love their city and want all the people whose lives they touch to go away knowing more about it’s history and seeing it’s beauty. I want them to know that there are so many of us out here who have had the pleasure of meeting you are watching and praying for you all. When your thoughts turn dark, just think of how many people who’s eyes, hearts and thoughts of your beautiful city you have opened. Here’s to the future!

Hear ye! Hear ye!
Come one and all
Book all your tours through Joy Of Rome

Don’t waste your time
Bypass those long lines
They know the way
Make the most of your day

Guides with knowledge and professionalism unsurpassed
You’ll have memories of Rome
A lifetime to last

Imagine the Romans frolicking in the Baths
One of their favorite pastimes
Down the primrose path

Experience the Colosseum
Like they did in the past
Emperors and slaves
All had a blast

Gaze in amazement
At a ceiling above
Done by a master
An act of love

Meet Apollo and Daphne
One cool duet
At the Villa Borghese
You’ll never forget

Whether young or old
Or somewhere in between
You’ll have vacation memories
Like those in you dreams

So don’t hesitate
When a tour you must book
Joy of Rome’s the Only One
Hurry! Be quick!

  My husband and I had a wonderful experience with Joy of Rome tours. They provided 3 of our tours while in Europe and they were the best tours of our... read more 3 week journey. I cannot recommend this company enough! The private tours are definitely worth the price if you want a great experience. I would recommend them to any one and will use them again on our next trip!

  We first toured with Joy of Rome 5 years ago and enjoyed being with Francesca so much that we toured again 3 years ago and then again last May. ... read more Most recently, we did the fascinating underground Rome tour with the incredibly passionate Francesca, the Coliseum , Forum, and Palatine Hill with Sylvia, the Vatican with Angelica and Borghese Gallery with Francesca. Wow! What experiences. You can’t be around Francesca more than 5 minutes without recognizing how easily and passionately she imparts her vast knowledge of art and history. She is so infectious! Angelica is a guide’s guide. I couldn’t begin to tell you how many times other tourists and even other guides approached her with questions. We found amazing places in the Vatican that most tours don’t see. Be sure to take the longer Vatican tour that includes the Raphael painted apartments. Phenomenal.... Sylvia (bless her heart - it was raining most of the day, but she cheerfully hung with us) made the Coliseum and Forum come alive. We participated in both group tours (6 people) and private tours. Both have their pluses, but if you want a truly customized tour with a soon to be cherished friend, spring for the private tour. We can’t wait to go back to Rome and see more of its history and art with these ladies. David and Rosemarie, Dallas, TX

  Francesca gave an amazing tour to our family of four that was the highlight of our trip. Her knowledge was excellent and her style and approach made it memorable for... read more all in the family. The kids kids learnt new things, had a great time, were totally engaged and were inspired to learn more. Her secret tips on where to get the best gelato were very much appreciated and lived up to the hype. A great way to spend a morning in Rome

  Sylvia’s tour was terrific. Her knowledge and expertise was enlightening. The food was unforgettable. She was wonderful to our children.

  Did this tour today with Francesca
She was excellent ended up on a private tour, she was excellent with my son very engaging very knowledgeable lots of interesting facts... read more about the colosseum pitched just at the right level
Highly recommend

  We had a great time with Grace from Joy of Rome. We did a private tour with our 5 yr old son. Grace was so engaging with our son and... read more caught on to his personality and things that intrigued him quickly. She was very attentive to his needs and kept the tour interesting!
We look forward to doing more tours with Joy of Rome in the future!

  This was my second tour with Joy of Rome and Francesca maintained the very high standard of their guides. All the organisational details were very clear, which was really... read more helpful because the huge queues and big groups milling about made it seem very confusing. There were also wonderful extras such as recommended restaurants in the surrounding area.
The tour itself gave so many great insights and Francesca was able to answer any question we might have. We appreciated everything we saw so much more because of the context she provided.
I thoroughly recommend Joy of Rome and am already planning our next trip to Rome and tour with them.

  We took our Colosseum and Vatican tours with Grace, from Joy of Rome Tours.

She was a very experienced, knowledgeable, funny and courteous guide, willing to answer all... read more the questions, adapt to our pace and really be empathetic and entertained to our kids. She was able to connect them to the history of special places.

Thank you for these magical moments.

  All 4 of our tours were incredible. We did the "Highlights of Rome Tour" with Jeanette, and the rest with Francesca. Both guides were phenomenal, especially Francesca whose passion for... read more art and history left us leaving with a unique appreciation of the historical context, iconography, and real human stories behind Rome's art and architecture. We left each with a newfound excitement and knowledge of topics we never thought could be so entertaining, and wish the Joy of Rome team the best of success if only for their genuine love of their disciplines, and their enthusiasm to share it. The Caravaggio Tour and Villa Farnesina were our unexpected favourites, and we couldn't recommend them more.

  We booked 2 days of tour. Meeting point was easy to find, instructions given was clear.
This is possibly one of the best tours we have done. Francesca is so... read more passionate & professional & she really knows her stuff. She knows the best corner to get a nice photo. You will need a good guide to bring out your imagination since most of the ancient architecture are in ruins. & Francesca are able to bring out your imagination.
We thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Will book them again when we go back to Rome. One trip is not enough to cover Rome.

  I didn’t think I was much a fan of tours, until my partner and I had these two tours from our amazingly talented guide, Francesca!

She was prompt,... read more courteous, charismatic, animated, loads of fun, and delivered so much information, both the historical facts, but also about the lives of everyday people of the time. The time flew by! Wanted more!

I would highly recommend Francesca’s “The Joy of Rome” for any and all of your Rome tours! Don’t miss this!!!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  We toured the Vatican today with Francesca, and she was absolutely outstanding! We had our two young children with us (ages 5 and 8), and she was excellent at engaging... read more them and sharing stories about the artists and the history in a way that was interesting and accessible to them. She also expertly moved us through the throngs of people clogging the museum and gave us the context and positioning we needed to truly enjoy the visit. If you’re visiting the Vatican with kids, this is the way to do it (and ask for Francesca!).

  Excellent tour with Grace! She was so full of knowledge- answered all questions so well, and we so great with our 3 younger kids. Can’t rave enough about her!

  We spent a delightful morning at the Museums with our guide, Nicole. The Museums have a magnificent collection that documents the history of Rome and our guide could not have... read more been better. Nicole's in-depth knowledge and passion came through from start to finish.

  This was the very first tour that we did on our trip and Cristiano was an excellent guide. We met in Campo de' Fiori after a quick breakfast in... read more the open market. The market was awesome and really immerses you into the Italian culture. After...More

  We were setup with this tour by Beach Bum Vacations and wow did it not disappoint. The focus for this tour was the Coliseum and I really wanted to... read more engage my young kids (8 and 9). I can not say enough about Grace!!!!! She was...More

  Our family enjoyed our tour with Francesca very much. It was way above our expectations! Francesca made Rome history come alive and there was never a dull moment throughout... read more the tour. She had so much enthusiasm and passion in delivering the history of Rome to...More

  Due giornate piacevolissime al Colosseo e ai Musei Vaticani con Francesca che è una guida preparata, entusiasta e coinvolgente; una esperienza bellissima

  We have the pleasure of doing two tours with Joy of Rome. We did the kids Vatican tour with Francesca and the Colosseum tour with Nicole. Both tours were... read more great as were both tour guides. They were fantastic with my six-year-old daughter who absolutely loved...More

  Grace brought her passion and excitement as soon as we see her from a distance. She was aware of the kids attention span and knew when to re-engage or change... read more her approach. She got the kids excited about the history and answer any questions they...More

  Francesca was fabulous. Super enthusiastic and very very knowledgeable! The whole process from booking to communication about meeting point etc were wonderful and very organized. I highly recommend Joy of... read more Rome tours and Francesca specifically!

  We absolutely loved our tours! Francesca was incredible with our two boys, ages 5 & 8. We did two tours with her, the Vatican and the Colosseum. She was... read more informative, fun, and kept the pace lively, playing into their interests at both places. The Vatican...More

  The tour guide was super children friendly. She took her time to answer all the kid’s questions even silly ones.

  Great tour Perfect for family with teens Very engaging and kept the children’s attention throughout. Very informative for adults as well

  Our three children and two grandparents absolutely loved this tour. Our kids were engaged from the start and the history was conveyed on their level. My husband also said that... read more he enjoyed this level of activity, as well. Grace was incredibly knowledgeable and has clearly...More