Medieval Rome Virtual Tour Part I: The Renovatio of the High Middle Ages (1050-1150)
Discover the fascinating untold story of Medieval Rome with expert historian Thomas
Medieval Rome Virtual Tour Part I: The Renovatio of the High Middle Ages (1050-1150)
duration 1.5 hours
Tour Overview
Join historian Thomas on a virtual journey to discover the splendours of Medieval Rome, a golden age of art and culture in the long story of the Eternal City that is often overlooked by visitors. Although less famous than Rome's Renaissance and Baroque past, the flowering of culture in the High Middle Ages known as the Renovatio, inspired by reference to ancient ideas, ideals, art and architecture, is no less extraordinary. In this first installment of a two part series we’ll be getting a solid grounding in the historical context of this fascinating period: learn about the rise of the Holy Roman Empire, the evolution of Papal power, the bloody tale of the First Crusade and the factional split of the Guelphs and the Ghibellines, whose rivalry would have a lasting effect on Rome and Italy in the coming centuries. Then we’ll be off to virtually explore the places in the city that still speak to those distant times - a landscape of Baronial bastions, monastery-fortresses, and dizzyingly high church bell towers that have survived against all the odds, reminding us of this beautiful and mysterious Medieval heritage.
If the day of the week or start time of this group tour doesn't work for you, please email us at office@througheternity.com to arrange a suitable alternative date.
Tour includes:
- Live broadcast from Rome
- Expert English-speaking licensed guide
- Interactive Q and A with Thomas
Highlights:
- Santa Maria in Cosmedin
- Santi Quattro Coronati
- Torre della Moletta
- Rocca dei Savelli
- San Clemente
Tour Description
Meet your Guide: Thomas
Hi, I’m Thomas. A native of Florida, I studied History in the United States and France, Art History in France and Italy, and Archaeology in Italy. I am one of four brothers, one of many Tolkien fans, and one of very few native English-speaking licensed tour guides in Rome, where I have lived and worked with Through Eternity Tours since 2006. My particular interests are medieval history, Baroque painting, pork products, tasty cakes, and full-figured red wines. I speak English, French, Italian, a smattering of Spanish, and a few German swear words.
What Exactly is a Through Eternity Virtual Tour?
The world of travel might be on hold right now, but just because we're all staying at home to help the world overcome a common enemy doesn't mean we have to put our wanderlust on the back burner. Frustrated with not being able to get our travel fix, we decided to transform our award-winning tours into immersive virtual experiences, meaning you can still explore Italy’s spectacular archaeological sites and jaw-dropping museums from the comfort of your own home.
* Please note that the booking times are in US Eastern Standard Time and Rome, Italy CET is 6 hours ahead *
Fun and informative, our virtual tours take the form of online real-time presentations led by our expert guides. Combining videos, high-definition photos and more, our guides will be sharing their wealth of knowledge and experience with you on these interactive walkthroughs of Italy’s most fascinating sites. The live format of our virtual tours means you’ll be able to ask your guide anything you wish, just like on a normal tour. We really believe it's the next best thing to being here!
As a sign of our gratitude to those who are on the front line fighting the Coronavirus, we would be more than happy to invite all first responders, health workers and NHS workers to join our Virtual Tours for free. Please message our office staff directly!
Please note that the proceeds from our online tours go directly to our guides, providing them with a valuable lifeline in these tough times for the world of travel. Thank you for your support!
Tour Reviews
5.0 (2 reviews)
Thomas' Medieval Rome tour is a great experience combining Thomas' storytelling with a fascinating history of Rome and all of Europe during the Holy Roman Empire. He points out all of the architecture still visible in Rome today from this period and explains its significance in the history of the city and Europe, using amazing photos and maps. I found it to be the lost link between the ancient world and the renaissance, which are the two eras usually focused on when touring Rome. I highly recommend it!
I've taken several of Thomas's virtual tours and knew to expect an in-depth presentation of the subject, and this tour exceeded my already high expectations. Particularly notably, I learned about a number of things that are often credited to the Renaissance and/or primarily associated with the Renaissance but are really rooted in this era. This tour greatly enriched my understanding of both Rome and medieval history, and I will look at Rome differently the next time I visit because of it. I highly recommend this tour for anyone interested in Rome, the medieval era, Italian history, and/or general history & archaeology.
