This tour will take you to all the must-see sights of Rome from the Baroque period. The Baroque period was a time when, thanks to political consolidation, wealth from the New World and pressure from the Protestant north, western art and architecture was dominated by the city of the Popes. You will begin in the heart of Rome at the delightful Piazza Navona, with its famous Fountain of the Four Rivers by Bernini. You will take a quick step backwards in time at the Pantheon, an ancient temple with an intact dome in the heart of Rome. Then to the late medieval church of St. Mary of Minerva with the statute of a charming little elephant balancing an Egyptian obelisk on its back. Then back to the Baroque and the works of Caravaggio at the church of San Luigi dei Francesi, followed by a visit to the famous Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. After lunch at a selected restaurant, you will tour The Vatican Museum, which boasts some of the most recognizable art in the world. You will see masterpieces by Michelangelo, Raphael, and da Vinci, as well as some tantalizing history and mysteries. At the Sistine Chapel, the largest and most renowned fresco in the world, you will learn the intriguing history of how this work of art came to be, plus the secrets and hidden messages Michelangelo painted into it. The day will end at the magnificent St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest Catholic church in the world. Visit the tombs of the Popes, including that of Pope John Paul II, and see Michelangelo’s magnificent Pietà and Bernini’s acclaimed Baldachino (Pope’s altar).