Literary Tour to Italy – Angels and Demons: The Path of the Illuminati

Your 24-hour Tour Director will meet you at the airport and remain with your group throughout your Angels and Demons literary tour. For the next six evenings, you will enjoy the convenience of a centrally located Rome hotel, where daily breakfast will be included.

Known to many as the "Eternal City," Rome is the capital of Italy with an uninterrupted history spanning two-and-a-half thousand years. As one of the founding cities of western civilization, Rome is filled with incredible historical sites. It’s a city with many faces, encompassing medieval, renaissance, and modern architecture. To define Rome is an impossible task but to enjoy it is a wondrous experience.

Earth, air, fire, and water will be tied in thematically as you discover all the scientific nuances and numerous artistic treasures throughout Rome by visiting the sites featured in the novel "Angels and Demons." The art, tombs, and architecture described in the work are all factual and can still be seen today.

During your tour, you’ll gain the knowledge and insights of five half-day local guides.

Enjoy a guided tour through the spectacular remains of the Roman Empire. The Colosseum, considered to be the greatest symbol of Ancient Rome's power and glory, was completed under Titus in 80 A.D. The Colosseum could hold 55,000 spectators, on a par with many of today's modern sports stadiums. Among the sights included is the Arch of Constantine, a triumphal arch finished in 315 A.D., commemorating the victory of Constantine I over Maxentius in the year 312 A.D.

You’ll also tour the ruins and excavations of the Roman Forum, which features the remains of magnificent temples, basilicas, and triumphal arches that once formed the heart of the Empire.

Your day ends with a walking tour past the Temples of Apollo, Fortuna, and Virilis and the Theater of Marcellus to the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, most famous today for the Mouth of Truth on its porch. Look through the most unique keyhole to find an extraordinary view of St. Peter's Dome.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

On every evening of the program, we’ll set time aside to update your Reflection Journal and share thoughts and impressions that have come up during the day.
"We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience." - John Dewey

Visit the Capitoline Museums, which house one of the greatest collections of classical sculpture in the world. Your visit includes the Picture Gallery, containing works from the 16th and 17th centuries by Caravaggio, Rubens, and Titian, among others.

Enjoy a view of Trajan’s Column and Market. Completed in 113 A.D. as a monument to Emperor Trajan, the column is most famous for its spiral bas-relief. It stands in front of the market, the ancient equivalent of a shopping center, which housed no less than 150 shops and offices. From there, stroll past the Victor Emmanuel Monument, a giant building created to honor the first king of a unified Italy.

View the Piazza del Popolo en route to the church of Santa Maria del Popolo. The highlight of this magnificent church is the Chigi Chapel, begun by Raphael and completed by Bernini.

You’ll also view Caravaggio’s two works in the Cerasi Chapel, the Crucifixion of St. Peter and the Conversion of St. Paul.

Visit the Pantheon, Rome's best-preserved monument. The Pantheon is an architectural masterpiece with its huge hemispherical dome and contains the tombs of Italian kings and the artist, Raphael.

This evening, you’ll dine near the spectacular Trevi Fountain, where it is traditional to toss a coin into the fountain to ensure a safe return to The Eternal City. Spend time at Rome’s meeting place, the Piazza di Spagna, home of the famous Spanish Steps. The piazza and steps are both named for the 16th-century Spanish ambassador who lived here. English poet John Keats lived and died in the house to the right of the steps, which is now a memorial.

Experience a specialist-guided tour of the Vatican City, including the Museums, home to one of the world's most impressive collections of art. Your tour features the map tapestry rooms, the magnificent Raphael Rooms, and the spectacular Sistine Chapel, highlighted by Michelangelo's ceiling and his Last Judgment. You’ll then continue to St. Peter's Square.

St. Peter's Basilica is the largest church in the western world and the center of Catholicism. Highlights of your visit include Michelangelo's Pieta and Bernini's magnificent Baldacchino, over the high altar.

This evening, you’ll enjoy a pizza-making experience! Learn how to make real Italian pizza, and then enjoy your dinnertime pizza party.

This morning, you’ll journey to the Piazza Barberini and view the Hotel Bernini.

Visit the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria. The church is highlighted by the Cornaro Chapel, which features Bernini's The Ecstasy of St. Teresa, a piece dedicated to the Spanish mystic St. Teresa of Avila.

This afternoon, a local guide will take you on a special walking tour that includes the Church of St. Ignatius, the Collegio Romano, and the Palace of the Inquisition, as you learn more about the life of Galileo and the workings of the Inquisition.

LEAP Activity—Learn about the men and women that brought humanity out of the Middle Ages and into Modernity! You’ll be divided into teams and take on the role of famous Renaissance artists, scientists, architects, and explorers to determine what makes a true Renaissance man or woman. With the help of your Tour Director, your group will present to your peers, then debate and discuss the merits of each historical figure.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

LEAP Activity | Great Renaissance Debate

Greet six renaissance giants including Giotto, Galileo, and Isabella d’Este, and debate who made the greatest impact on civilization.

Explore Sant'Agnese in Agone, a 17th-century Baroque church that faces the Piazza Navona. The church was built on the site where the early Christian Saint Agnes was martyred in the ancient Stadium of Domitian. The construction of the church was begun in 1652 at the instigation of Pope Innocent X, whose family palace, the Palazzo Pamphili, faced onto the piazza and was adjacent to the site. The church was to effectively be a family chapel, annexed to their residence. Most of the design is attributed to two of the foremost Baroque architects of the day; Francesco Borromini and the sculptor, Gianlorenzo Bernini.

You’ll enter the Piazza Navona to discover Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers, the final marker on the Path of Illumination. Each of the river gods represents one of the four continents (as they were thought of then)"]the Ganges for Asia, the Danube for Europe, the Nile for Africa (veiled, since the source of the river was unknown), and the Rio de la Plata for the Americas. Beneath the figure of the Plata is a strange-looking armadillo, representing American wildlife, and a bag of coins suggesting the wealth of New Spain.

This afternoon, take a Cruise on the River Tiber and visit Tiberina Island, a location that Langdon will come to visit most unusually!

LEAP Activity—In this activity, you’ll act as a commissioner for a work of art. In groups, decide upon a city where the new art will be placed, specify the site, the cost, and the type of work. Then, you’ll work together to identify a Renaissance artist whose work would be well-suited for the project.

This evening, you’ll dine in the Piazza Navona area. Built on the foundations of Domitian's Circus, this magnificent square was designed by Borromini in the 17th century. It’s full of life and highlighted by one of Rome's most spectacular fountains, the Four Rivers. The square is often filled with local artists, and the surrounding neighborhood is also one of the best places in Rome to get a tasty Tartufo or gelato.

LEAP Activity | Patron of the Renaissance

Imagine you’re a Medici. Suppose you’re a Sforza. Use this innovative activity to explore the motives of the patrons of the Renaissance.

Visit the Castel Sant'Angelo, originally built as Hadrian's mausoleum. It served as a fortress, prison, and a burial place for emperors before becoming a museum in 1925. It contains a historical military museum, paintings, rich ceramics, sculptures, and tapestries. You’ll visit the balcony atop the fortress and learn more about the secret passageway between Castel Sant'Angelo and the Vatican, "Il Passetto." As it leaves the castle, the passage can be seen disguised as an aqueduct.

You’ll have the opportunity to visit the Necropolis below Vatican City. Here lie the remains of Old St. Peter. Those who wish may also make a roof ascent, via elevator, to the Dome for magnificent views of St. Peter's Square.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

This evening, you’ll make the final entries in your Reflection Journal and share some of the most significant observations and perspectives that have taken shape throughout your Angels & Demons literary tour of Rome. We’ll also discuss how these experiences may be most relevant for us all as we return home.

Your rewarding and enjoyable literary tour to Italy and in-depth exploration of the locations featured in Dan Brown’s “Angels and Demons,” comes to an end as your Tour Director accompanies your group to the airport on your final day.