Family-Friendly Tour of Italy: Rome, Tuscany, Venice

Rome is a fascinating city combining the eternal splendor of an empire with the evolving ambiance of the contemporary culture surrounding the banks of the Tiber River. Ponte Sant’Angelo crosses over the waterway connecting the heart of the ancient city with the former edges in front of the scenic Castle Sant’Angelo. The bridge was originally erected in the 2nd century and Bernini decorated the walkway with the 10 angel figures continuing to stand above the rushing Tiber waters. Your flight lands at Fiumicino Airport where your private transfer greets the family upon arrival.

The streets bustle with life around the boutique shops on Via Cola di Rienzo and the artisan studios in the chic neighborhood of Monti. After taking time to settle into the comforts of your accommodation, your guide greets the family in the hotel lobby for an introductory tour of Ancient Rome. The grand arena was a gift to the people of Rome inaugurated in 80 AD with a capacity of holding up to 50,000 spectators.

The Hypogeum reveals a hidden wonder of the labyrinth once confined beneath the wooden arena floor where gladiators trained. The arena contained 36 separate trap doors used during tournaments, games, and shows for special effects adding to the luster of events. The family has the special opportunity of going to the top of the Colosseum on the third level providing a fabulous panorama of the Roman Forum and Arch of Constantine reflecting the marvels of the empire’s preserved legacy.

Rome’s luster returns in the morning light with the aroma of fresh flowers emanating from the vendors in Campo de’Fiori. The daily market brings farmers, craftspeople, and florists to the heart of the city attracting locals eager to find artisan honey or vibrant wildflowers. After breakfast, you venture out into the city with your guide for a fabulous walking tour of the cobblestone streets connecting the marvels of Rome. The Pantheon represents the most complete preservation of an ancient Roman structure over two millennia.

The building was erected under the patronage of Marcus Agrippa and rebuilt under Hadrian between 120 to 125 AD. The remarkable dome rests on masonry walls with cylindrical shapes supporting the strong arches. During the Roman period, the Pantheon was dedicated to classical gods but became a church during the Christianization of Europe.

The family begins their exploration of the Vatican Museums at St. Peter’s Basilica. The renowned square exemplifies Renaissance architecture crowned by the soaring dome of the basilica designed by Michelangelo. The original church was erected in the 4th century under the rule of Constantine but the current opulent structure can host a congregation of more than 60,000 people. Michelangelo’s Pietà adorns the gallery. The celebrated Renaissance master sculpted the figure of Mary holding her son in the 15th century at the age of 24 years old, reflecting the artist’s mastery of Carrara marble.

In the morning, you sip a refreshingly rich espresso and enjoy the scent of fresh-baked brioche filling the dining room. The family leaves Rome behind after breakfast bound for the famous lush hills and towering cypress trees of Tuscany. Before reaching the tranquil beauty of the Tuscan countryside, you ascend the scenic landscape of Umbria reaching the medieval hilltop town of Orvieto resting atop a stone bluff more than 1,000 feet above the valley floor. Vineyards, olive orchards, and cypress trees grow along slopes of the dale below. The city situated between Rome and Florence boasts a combined aesthetic for something completely unique decorating the cobbled lanes, medieval piazzas, and stunning church facades.

The cathedral was erected in the late 13th century with an enchanting display of frescoes and mosaics resembling a rainbow of jewels. Bas-reliefs of delicate flowers braiding into vines add softer features to the dramatic spires towering over the piazza. San Brizio Chapel contains a fresco by Luca Signorelli depicting the judgment and resurrection, which Michelangelo said inspired his work in the Sistine Chapel. Instead of using symbols, Signorelli used the emotions and actions of real people bringing a human touch to the masterpiece. The kids marvel at the 13th-century crenulated walls of the Palazzo del Popolo. The volcanic tufa stone glints the sunlight of the former home of the Captain of the People before the complex became a university for law and theology.

Your hotel has a stunning view of the surrounding Tuscan countryside embodying the fertile hills graced with thriving olive orchards and vineyards. Oak and chestnut trees provide shade over the quiet pebbled lanes and hills that roll over the horizon topped with medieval villages or historic villas. The family visits a working farm in the area producing cheese, wine, and olive oil within view of the 13 historical towers of climbing over the skyline of the charming town of San Gimignano. The estate overtakes nearly 60 acres of growing local Sangiovese, trebbiano, canaiolo, and malvasia grapes with another 123 acres dedicated to grains, sunflowers, and 1,500 olive trees. You enter the traditional country-kitchen for a lesson in making delicious Italian pasta.

The ingredients were all picked from the garden earlier in the morning for the freshest flavor. The kids enjoy mixing the flour, olive oil, and water to shape broad but thin noodles of tagliatelle pasta. While the dough rests, you work on the porcini sauce, filling the kitchen with the aromas of sautéing onions, garlic, basil, and tomato. Your instructor places a number of olives in front of the family for you to sample, each taken from the trees on the property. Then sample distinct flavors of the olive oils. The combination of the olives results in a tasty blend of cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil from the Frontoio, Moraiolo, and Leccino trees. When the pasta is ready, you take a hardy bite of the dish you made from scratch bursting with complex, layered flavors.

The city maintains the aroma of sweet brioche in the early morning hours emanating from the hidden bakeries producing the freshly baked sweets throughout the night. Your guide greets the family in the hotel lobby after breakfast eager to introduce you to the Renaissance majesty of the city. The brass doors of the Baptistery of St. John accentuate the octagonal marble façade. The interior possesses intricate mosaics while the bronze panels on the door showcase the stunning expressions known as the Gates of Paradise.

The five rectangular reliefs depict images from the Old Testament spreading from Creation to Solomon. You reach the Galleria dell’Accademia to view the elaborate details of Michelangelo’s David. The statue adorns the end of a long hall with the figure’s impressive dimensions standing 17 feet tall carved from a single block of marble. The delicate details shine from David’s curly hair, piercing eyes, and bulging muscles. In the afternoon, your guide leads the family into the fascinating halls of Palazzo Vecchio.

The castle was erected in the 13th century and continues to act as the central seat of Florentine government. The palace became the ducal residence in the mid-16th century under the rule of Cosimo I de’Medici. While you are drawn to the impressive Vasari frescoes decorating the Salone dei Cinquecento with stunning battle scenes glorifying the Cosimo I over Pisa and Siena, the kids are interested in the hidden gallery where they can try on period costumes.

The majesty of Venice emanates from the marble mansions rising out of the serene lagoon and the winding canals populated with gorgeous gondolas. Each neighborhood retains a distinct character and bulbous domes of St. Mark’s Cathedral shape the elegant skyline. After breakfast, your private transfer escorts the family to Santa Maria Novella Train Station for a scenic ride to Venice. The city bustles along the snake-shaped Grand Canal which travels for two miles down the heart of the city. Venice is a result of 118 islands connected by 400 foot bridges and 170 boat canals acting like a singular floating enclave.

After relaxing in the comforts of your gorgeous hotel near the Rialto Bridge, the family boards a gondola bound for the hidden corners of the canal crisscrossing the aquatic city. You float down the second-largest canal in the neighborhood of Cannaregio. Colorful historical homes border picturesque piazzas. The gates of the Jewish Ghetto continue to frame the district segregating the Jewish community from greater Venice in the 16th century. Two of the original five historical synagogues remain in use.

The gondola docks at St. Mark’s Square, where your guide greets you near the golden façade of the eponymous Basilica. The Byzantine style of the basilica has vaulted archway glowing with gold-leaf mosaics depicting the Creation, the story of Cain and Able, the tale of Noah’s Ark, as well as the images from the Tower of Babel. Marble columns support the ornamented capitals above the fascinating 10th-century bronze doors.

In the morning, the aroma of freshly made pastries emanates from the spongy and sweet cake soaked in rum known as baba filling the display cases of the family-owned Pasticceria da Chiusso. Your guide greets the family after breakfast and escorts you to the heart of St. Mark’s Square. The kids set out on an adventure into the castle searching for clues to a mystery involving the residence of the head of the Venetian Republic.

The main façade overlooking the piazza was erected in the 15th century decorated with paintings and artwork specifically made for the Doge. You pass the central courtyard from the Porta della Carta, noticing the lavish ornaments featured on the columns, niches, and turrets, including statues depicting Adam and Eve. The Staircase of the Giants leads into the upper-floor apartments past the humungous figures of Mars and Neptune flanking the landing. The Council of Ten met inside a secret chamber away from public life.

The kids marvel at the intrigue and mysterious ambiance inside the gallery emanating from the stunning fresco of Juno Offering the Ducal Crown to Venice. Outside of the palace, you settle into a boutique for a mask-making workshop using water, paper, and beeswax to create the veneer’s features. Instead of using the traditional cartapesta—papier- mâché—you use quick-dry material perfect for crafting and decorating your stunning masks in a single day.

Caffé Florian first opened in Piazza San Marco in 1720, making it one of the oldest continuously operating coffee houses in Europe. The scent of espresso continues to drift through the doors accompanying the shadows of famous patrons like Charles Dickens, Marcel Proust, Lord Byron, and Casanova. The boats along the Grand Canal return the activity along the water passing the bulbous dome of Santa Maria della Salute and beneath the bridge connecting to the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. Your private vaporetto greets you on the dock of your hotel and ferries the family to the mainland. A waiting car transfers you to Marco Polo Airport for your flight home.