Joy of Rome

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On the Trail of CARAVAGGIO walking Tour

LIVE TOURSCITY WALKSOn the Trail of CARAVAGGIO walking Tour

On the Trail of CARAVAGGIO walking Tour

A private 2 hours walking tour in the city centre of Rome covering 3 churches and 6 paintings made by the genius CARAVAGGIO. Discover his life, his torment and enjoy his masterpieces following a licensed guide expert in art history.

The Entombment of Christ-Caravaggio (c.1602-3)Caravaggio walking Tour Joy of Rome

About the tour

THIS TOUR INCLUDES:

  • 2 hour guided walking tour.
  • A visit to the works of Caravaggio in the following churches:
    – San Luigi dei Francesi
    – Sant’Agostino
    – Santa Maria del Popolo (CLOSED UNTIL NOV 2024]*)

A TOUR to discover the other MICHELANGELO of ROME

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, best known as simply CARAVAGGIO, was not only a painter, but a “star”!

His adventurous life, full of sensational events, and his revolutionary style made him an undisputed leading figure of the Italian art: you can find out everything about on our Caravaggio Tour.

He came to Rome in 1597-98 in search of fame and died at the young age of forty in exile, banished by the Pope after committing murder. Caravaggio lived a short, dramatic life and knew the city of Rome in all its aspects, including the violent, sketchy and dangerous ones.

Our guides are art historians and experts of Rome and they’ll show you Caravaggio’s paintings, a few hidden in some of the most beautiful churches in Rome…

You will hear the stories about his friends, his loves, the models he chose among the poorest in the city, his favorite restaurants and much more!

The works of Caravaggio are in the most important museums in the world such as the Louvre in Paris, the National Gallery in London and the Borghese Gallery in Rome, where six are displayed.
For this tour you won’t have to pay for any entrance tickets or visit any museum…you will see the Caravaggio works that are still exhibited in the places for which they were originally painted: three magnificent churches!

The first is St. Louis de France just a few steps from the famous Piazza Navona.

You will hear the stories about his friends, his loves, the models he chose among the poorest in the city, his favorite restaurants and much more!

The works of Caravaggio are in the most important museums in the world such as the Louvre in Paris, the National Gallery in London and the Borghese Gallery in Rome, where six are displayed.
For this tour you won’t have to pay for any entrance tickets or visit any museum…you will see the Caravaggio works that are still exhibited in the places for which they were originally painted: three magnificent churches!

This district is where Caravaggio was often involved in fights and quarrels. Here in the church you will find three of his paintings: the Stories of St. Matthew in the famous Contarelli Chapel.

Our expert guides will reveal to you the secrets of his realism and unique skill, like the light breaking through his dark backgrounds, a light that shocked his contemporaries… an earth-shattering novelty!

The second church, St. Augustin, is only a few steps away.

At the height of his success a woman, Orinzia Trestles, commissioned Caravaggio to paint a work for her family chapel: the famous Madonna of the Pilgrims.
Our guides will tell you the stories behind the complicated negotiations which ended with the creation of a unique, unexpected work: some of the characters represented have big dirty feet and dirty garments... in a Church!
Such a scene was certainly not easily accepted by the rich people of those times! Book your walking tour “…on the trail of Caravaggio” to find out what happened after the inauguration…

The third and final church we shall visit in the Caravaggio Tour is a monument in itself: beautiful Santa Maria del Popolo*.

  • Along with works by Raphael, Sebastiano del Piombo and Gianlorenzo Bernini, the church retains, in the Cerasi Chapel, two works of Michelangelo Merisi da CaravaggioSt. Paul’s Conversion and the Crucifixion of St. Peter.
    These are two incredibly realistic paintings and not at all in line with the iconography of his days! Would you believe that in the Conversion of St. Paul a horse occupies a larger space than the saint himself? This is just one of the many questions our guides will answer! Realism, audacity, talent, love and the tragic life of this genius will turn you on to the Rome of the 1600s, we are sure you will want to know even more!

Rome is an open-air museum, yes, we mean it, and thanks to this tour you can appreciate it too!

*From mid June 2023 to Novembre 2024, the Cerasi Chapel in Santa Maria del Popolo will be closed to the public for a major restoration. Therefore, 2 paintings by Caravaggio normally included in the tour will not be visible.

Nevertheless, we will visit San Luigi dei Francesi and Sant’Agostino plus the sites involved in his life and career in Rome.
Duration and path will remain the same
You will not have to stand in line, pay tickets or stay indoors, to discover the wonders of art because … they are all around you!

Just get the right guide! Our guides will show them to you and will share our love for their astonishing beauty with you! Start discovering Caravaggio: here is a post on our blog about him. Have fun!

GENERAL INFORMATION
  • There are no entrance fees nor admission tickets to pay
  • Professional art historian licensed live guide
  • Due to the considerable distance and to the not fully equipped path, this walking tour is not suitable for people with mobility problems
  • During the tour we will enter the churches: therefore it is recommended to have your shoulders and knees covered in respect of the dress code required inside sacred places
  • Entrance Time and days in the Churches may vary according to holidays and special celebrations, as a consequence, the tour schedule may undergo last minute changes
TOURS & PRICES

We run only private tours.

We don’t run small groups.

We can accommodate time/day request according to our guides’ and entry tickets availability.

Final and detailed price will be provided after receiving your request from the contact form.

Starting price for a private tour 2,5 hrs for 2 adults: 350 euro + tickets but definitive price is provided *only* upon request.
Price can be reduced during low season or increased during holiday, peak dates or last minute request.

For group larger than four, price will be provided upon request.

Meeting point

ASK for availability

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People say about us…

  • star rating  What a wonderful experience led by our tour guide, Marta! Our children ages 7 and 5 really absorbed the stories and enjoyed their scavenger huntlooking for specific objects. ... read more

    avatar thumb nitpickr
    February 5, 2023

    star rating  This was our third tour with Joy of Rome and second with Francesca. She has a gift for bringing the stories behind the artworks to life and sharing her enthusiasm.... read more

    avatar thumb kmsc_1
    January 13, 2023

    star rating  Our guide Francesca was fantastic! As an art historian and curator of street art, she really made the subject com alive. I strongly recommend this activity for anyone interested in... read more

    avatar thumb 837sachaq
    December 30, 2022
  • star rating  My husband and I booked Joy of Rome two days in a row. Once for the Ancient Rome tour and the other for Vatican + Sistine Chapel.

    First... read more

    avatar thumb MintLV93
    December 18, 2022

    star rating  A must-go for kids - We did 2 tours with Serena on the same day for our family of 4( 6y and 8y old boys) , visiting Colosseum in the morning and Vatican in the... read more

    Gary H
    December 15, 2022

    star rating  Francesca‘s narrative is always the best. She is our joy of Rome. No one brings Rome to life better.

    Y4500ESveronicab
    October 18, 2022
  • star rating  This was the highlight of Rome for us. Francesca is amazing! Her knowledge and passion came through the entire day! I loved this experience and would highly recommend... read more

    Kelley S
    October 5, 2022

    star rating  We loved this tour! Their guide was wonderful and the tour at night was magical! We got so much more out of the experience this way and thoroughly enjoyed our... read more

    EmeraldCityEvan
    October 2, 2022

    star rating  "On the trail of Carravaggio" was a splendid way to experience a quieter corner of Rome led by an excellent guide and to see some beautiful works of art in... read more

    Rjcapozzi60
    September 24, 2022
  • star rating  We met Nicole at the Chiesa Nuova and she gave us a fascinating walking tour through the banking centre of late medieval Rome, Via Giulia and over the Ponte Sisto... read more

    Moominskaya
    September 24, 2022

    star rating  A wonderful tour of Villa Farnesina and Trastavere!

    Serena was a 5 Star guide! She was professional and knowledgeable and tailored her commentary to our needs. Her words... read more

    ssgjgg
    September 9, 2022

    star rating  Loved this tour! Maria was AMAZING with my two boys (5.5 and 8 yrs) while touring the Colosseum in August. They are both shy, she was caring and kept them... read more

    Y8968CVheatherl
    September 4, 2022
  • star rating  Arianna showed my wife, our six year old son and I around the Colessuem. We all loved it. Very engaging, very informative and very friendly. Removed all... read more

    danmI9575KA
    August 29, 2022

    star rating  We did four tours with Grace and found her to be extremely knowledgeable, speaking at length about the history, culture and traditions of the artifacts we saw. She answered all... read more

    elinan897
    August 17, 2022

    star rating  Took four tours with Joy of Rome and Francesca and Grace were a true Joy! We did the Vatican, catacombs, pantheon and colosseum. Highly recommend! Thanks so much ladies.

    KRMackey
    August 14, 2022
  • star rating  Francesca was a great guide. She engaged with my 8 yo and had lots of interesting details to share. Definitely a must do tour in Rome.

    experiencejunkie
    July 28, 2022

    star rating  Great tour with not just historical facts but plenty of anecdotes that kept the teenagers attentive the whole time. Massimo was just fantastic. Period.

    attobc
    July 28, 2022

    star rating  My teen daughter and I had a private tour of both the colosseum and the Vatican on 2 separate days.
    Our tour guide was Sarena. This was an... read more

    S B
    July 19, 2022
  • star rating  Great service .. our guide Salvatore was very informative and patient.
    Would highly recommend this company and your .
    Did t feel rushed and got a good idea of the... read more

    varshak777
    July 16, 2022

    star rating  Francesca was a terrific guide to the Colosseum and ancient Rome, and she kept our boys (aged 11 and 16) engaged and interested, even though it was a rather warm... read more

    Q7554QNdavidt
    July 13, 2022

    star rating  Our Joy of Rome tour was our favorite tour we did in Rome. Serena was our guide and not only was she informative, but kind and accommodating. She was excited... read more

    Torivjs
    July 9, 2022
  • star rating  Thanks to Francesca, our Colosseum tour was the highlight of our Rome trip. She kept our young boys (6 and 8) engaged and focused. The Colosseum is a huge place... read more

    jtcraze
    June 2, 2022

    star rating  Francesca was extremely knowledgeable. She has great enthusiasm for the art, artists, the gallery and helping us learn. She answered our questions and welcomed them. It deepened... read more

    KAQComo
    May 29, 2022

    star rating  We had a private Vatican Tour on a Friday night with Serena. It was incredible! Serena was so engaging and knowledgeable. Her enthusiasm was contagious. ... read more

    bhamwanative
    May 20, 2022
  • star rating  Joy of Rome is a sheer delight! We went on 4 tours with them and all were supremely fantastic! The wonderful Serena took us on The Highlights of Rome walking... read more

    J8066MYricharde
    May 10, 2022

    star rating  Arianna opened our eyes to marvels that we would have never known without her guiding us through this extraordinary museum. We loved her enthusiasm, knowledge and great ability to... read more

    Travel404746
    May 9, 2022

    star rating  I would highly recommend Joy of Rome. The whole experience from booking the tickets by email to being guided to the meeting point to the tour itself was faultless.
    I... read more

    elisabethpW177GN
    April 10, 2022
  • star rating  the thing i liked the most about the tour was that Grace our tour guide was an expert in the field and showed how professional she was by her excellent... read more

    Carlaandstelios
    March 14, 2022

    star rating  We were looking for an engaging, informative tour of the Colosseum for our kids (and us!) and Serena was the perfect solution. She brought the experience to life through storytelling... read more

    P7605RV
    February 20, 2022

    star rating  SUPERLY AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEIR TOURS!!!
    We followed 2 tours (becoz 1 is definitely not enough), separately with Serena for Caravaggio theme and Massimo for Dark Ladies theme. To say... read more

    qcai26
    February 4, 2022
Zoom logo

Virtual Tour available!

A genius, a rebel, a unique painter who changed the history of art: Michelangelo Merisi from Caravaggio! We will be in our apartment in Rome, you’ll be at home or were you prefer but we will both BE in the streets using Google Earth! In 1 hour we will cover different sites, enter churches and discover the adventurous life of the James Dean of art! Prepare your glass of wine (or coffee mug) and enjoy the story interacting with your live guide!