Italy

Roaming Rome: The City of the Seven Hills

Program No. 22620RJ
Become an expert on the Eternal City on an adventure combining local scholarly insight with a flexible schedule and city-center lodging ideal for self-directed discovery.

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At a Glance

Become an expert on the icons of Rome and seek out knowledge of its lesser-known treasures on an adventure that combines the insight of local scholars with a flexible schedule and city-center lodging ideal for self-led discovery. Illustrated presentations provide a wide angle on the Eternal City from before Caesar to today, and narrated field trips ensure you experience the essentials, while periods of unscheduled time leave it to you to decide what next to explore.
Activity Level
Let's Go!
Walking up to five miles a day. Extended standing during site visits with limited or no public seating. Uneven terrain, limited public handrails, unavoidable stairs, marble and terracotta flooring, cobblestones, steep inclines, loose gravel, dirt paths. Elevator use is limited or restricted in historic sites. Expect crowded conditions in pedestrian centers and museums. Program-related travel and transfers will be via bus and minivan. The extent of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

What You'll Learn

  • Explore the Colosseum and Roman Forum with a local expert.
  • Learn to make and enjoy a typical Roman dish in a cooking class.
  • Discover the history of Rome's Jewish Quarter with a walk through one of the city's oldest neighborhoods.

General Notes

The program includes independent time to explore Rome and several meals on your own. The Group Leader will provide directions for self-directed excursions. Suggestions for free-time activities are provided in your Final Information Packet.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
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Rachel Potts
Rachel Potts is a licensed excursion leader in Rome. She graduated from Manchester University with a bachelor's in Philosophy and French, and later studied garden design at the London Gardening School. Having grown up in Rome, she chose to return to Italy and share her knowledge and love of Rome and the surrounding areas.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Rachel Potts
Rachel Potts View biography
Rachel Potts is a licensed excursion leader in Rome. She graduated from Manchester University with a bachelor's in Philosophy and French, and later studied garden design at the London Gardening School. Having grown up in Rome, she chose to return to Italy and share her knowledge and love of Rome and the surrounding areas.
Profile Image of Giulietta Seme
Giulietta Seme View biography
Julieta is a passionate student of history, specializing in the history and culture of her native city of Rome. She studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma with a concentration in painting before earning a degree in classical archaeology and art history from the Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza." Outside of history, Julieta enjoys hiking beautiful nature trails by the seaside or in the mountains of Italy.
Profile Image of Bruna Baravelli
Bruna Baravelli View biography
Bruna Baravelli is from Forlì, on the northeastern coast of Italy. After graduating from Liceo Classico, she earned her Ph.D. in English literature at the Università di Bologna. Before retiring, Bruna taught English literature and held administrative positions in the local school district. She has dedicated her time to public service as a member of the Forlì city council and the National Council for Equal Opportunity. She is passionate about the merits of travel and has fostered educational exchanges in Europe and the United States.
Profile Image of Shara Wasserman
Shara Wasserman View biography
Shara Wasserman is a specialist in modern art in Italy. She was awarded her MA in art history from the New York University Institute of Fine Arts, has taught for Cornell University's study away program in Rome and is on the faculty at Temple University's Rome campus. Shara is an independent curator, focusing primarily on organizing exhibitions in public spaces of fellows' residents at the foreign academies in Rome.
Profile Image of Simon Martin
Simon Martin View biography
Simon Martin holds a B.A. in History from Queen Mary and Westfield College (London), an M.A. in Slavonic Studies from the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (London), and a Ph.D. from University College (London). His doctoral thesis, later developed into a book — “Football and Fascism” — on football and Fascism in Mussolini’s Italy (2004) won the British Society for Sport’s History’s Lord Aberdare prize for literary history. His book, “Sport Italia: the Italian Love Affair with Sport” won the same prize in 2012.
Profile Image of Cristiana Filippini
Cristiana Filippini View biography
Cristiana Filippini was awarded her doctorate from Johns Hopkins University with a dissertation on 11th-century frescoes in Rome. She has also completed specialized study in archeology and art history from the Università degli Studi di Siena, Italy and has taught at the American University in Rome and at Trinity College’s Rome Campus.
Profile Image of Federica Dal Palù
Federica Dal Palù View biography
Federica Dal Palù, with degrees in preservation of cultural heritage and art history, worked at Christie’s in Rome before focusing on education and museum management. Teaching Renaissance and Baroque art for three years, she has held roles at esteemed institutions like the Archaeological Superintendence of Rome. Since 2002, Federica has been an art historian at the Vittoriano, offering visits and exhibition texts. Licensed as a local expert in Rome and Viterbo, she shares her passion for culture and history through personalized explorations.
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