In the year 1414 during the Council of Constance, the schism in the Roman Catholic church came to an end, and the elected Pope Martin V was re-established in Rome to the Papal See. The city, which was a mass of ruins where herds of sheep and cattle grazed, slowly began its rebirth. After a succession of 10 popes, Pope Julius II laid the foundation stone in 1506 of the new Basilica of St. Peter designed for him by Bramante. The dome was designed by Michelangelo, who became the chief architect in 1546.

On our tour we will visit many places with ties to the Rinascimento period such as the Vatican Museum and the Sistine chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, Santa Maria della Pace, San Luigi dei Francesi, Piazza Navona, Saint Ivo, the Trevi fountain and the Spanish Steps.