The Untold History guided tour of the Vatican Museums and the capital is a look into the soul of Michelangelo. 

Understanding Michelangelo's soul 

Crossing the threshold of the Vatican Museums they will not only admire the majesty of the Sistine Chapel, but also understand Michelangelo's tormented and sublime soul. Here, the official narrative gives way to a documented but often untold historical truth.

The Sistine Chapel is inside the Vatican Museums

Frescoed between 1508 and 1512, the Sistine Chapel is much more than a masterpiece of Renaissance art: it is the coded diary of a man who lived in conflict between his faith, the expectations of his papal patrons and a deep sensitivity to male beauty. Michelangelo, a sculptor before he was a painter, poured a universe of powerful and sensual bodies onto the chapel's vault. The Sistine Chapel is located inside the Vatican Museums on the right-hand side when looking at St. Peter's Basilica from St. Peter's Square. Therefore, in this area, you can also visit the museums located inside Vatican City, such as the Gregorian Etruscan Museum, the Pinacoteca, the Missionary-Ethnological Museum, and the Raphael Rooms.

Also visiting the Forums and the Pantheon 

The Untold History Tour of Rome takes visitors on this extraordinary journey of reinterpretation, exploring even the lesser-known areas of the Vatican Museums, the Raphael Rooms, the courtyards and the sculpture collections, where other stories of desire, power and identity are hidden. The tour then crosses the historic centre of the city, revealing the hidden sides of the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and the Imperial Forums, places where love between men was not only tolerated but celebrated in ancient Roman culture.

Gay tourism is estimated to be worth €2.7 billion

Rome remains one of the most popular destinations for international LGBTQ+ tourism. In Italy, gay tourism is estimated to be worth around €2.7 billion (source: AITGL), and LGBTQ+ travellers have an average income 38% higher than heterosexuals, with a high annual frequency of leisure and business travel.

My Tour in Italy is a tour operator specialized in one-day and half-day trips and excursions for individuals, small groups and group tours. 

“We organize tours on Vespas and Ape Calessinos”  

"In recent years we have added walking tours, bike tours, tours on Vespas, Fiat 500s and Ape Calessinos," says Mirko Righi, CEO of My Tour in Italy, which has  over 50 employees and offices in Siena, Switzerland and Albania. "We also offer guided visits to museums and monuments, wine and food tourism experiences, wine tastings, visits to wineries, cooking classes and much more. We present our packages at the most important travel trade fairs, and we work closely with the trade." 

From the Dolomites to Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast

My Tour in Italy continues to boost its range of inbound services and products that cover the whole of Italy, reserving ample space for outdoor experiences. Tuscany stands out, but so do the Cinque Terre, the Amalfi Coast, Puglia, Lake Como, the Dolomites, and they also organize numerous food and wine experiences and activities, focusing on collaborations with hotels, the trade, and the end consumer. 

Discovering the Chianti region in a Fiat 500

Tuscany is among the best-selling destinations with the six-hour Vintage 500 Tour in Chianti which takes visitors through medieval villages in the hills of the famous wine region, where they have to opportunity to drive a renovated vintage Fiat 500 with a tour leader. Then there are the full-day tour of the villages and wine regions from San Gimignano to Siena, and the Chianti Hills tour on horseback in the Tuscan countryside, which is suitable for all levels. Two-wheel enthusiasts can choose the tour of Chianti on an original Vespa scooter with wine tastings and lunch along the way, while those who do not feel confident enough to drive alone can choose to ride as a passenger with the tour leader. 

Discover Rome with ArcheoRunning tours that blend history, art and sport. 

Over 20,000 visitors have enjoyed these tours 

Experience the Eternal City’s historical-cultural heritage and also rediscover psychophysical well-being by choosing dedicated tours for groups or individuals with the ArcheoRunning project. These tours along historical itineraries are at a running or gentle walking pace and, to date, have been chosen by over 20,000 visitors to the city.

Accompanied by a qualified guide and coach

The tours, conceived by Isabella Calidonna a qualified tour guide and physical trainer, include a series of customisable routes, from the easiest to the most challenging, accompanied by a guide and a coach. Everyone can take part: the project is in fact suitable for every age group. From RunningTours, FitwalkingTours, WalkingTours to the ArcheoTrekkingTour the selection of itineraries allows participants to rediscover the city as these experiential outings bring them into the story of Rome, but with a completely new appeal. 

“The tours vary in intensity based on the fitness of participants” 

“The tours are a way to bond intimately with the city, its streets, parks and hidden corners,- explains Calidonna -we collaborate with hotels, travel agencies and tour operators to promote artistic and natural routes in a sustainable way and with an eye to the well-being of the participants.  We want to bring the city to life and teach about its art and history by practicing a sort of "light" training, structured like a real running session that begins with the warm-up and, after the active stage, ends with the cool-down. The programme varies in intensity based on the state of fitness of participants, but a calm pace is always expected, so as to be able to appreciate the places of interest and stop to listen to their story.”

There are also stops to enjoy food and wines

Among the most requested tours are the From the Circo Massimo to the Acquedotti Park, Villa Borghese Running Tour, Appia Way Running Tour, The Unveiled Colosseum Running Tour, The Hidden Rome Running Tour and the Tour from Tusculum to Frascati, hiking through ancient and modern Rome and with time to stop and enjoy food and wines. 

The Belstay Roma Aurelia hotel celebrated its official inauguration exactly one year after commencing operations, an opportunity to showcase the hotel's achievements and its identity as a leisure destination. The Belstay chain has three other properties in Venice Mestre, Milan Linate, and Milan Assago. 

“Our average occupancy is 80% and we have signed contracts for 2024”

“The hotel has succeeded in achieving an excellent turnover. Our clientele is diversified comprising corporate, MICE, and leisure guests. Events play a significant role and contribute to high occupancy rates and volumes, but we also value individual guests, who remain a significant portion of our business-, says Belstay Hotels cluster director of sales, Daniele Montemurro. – The average occupancy is already at 80%, and we have welcomed over 100,000 visitors since its opening. Looking ahead, we have already signed contracts for 2024, and we expect it to be an exciting year.”

Strategically placed between the city and Fiumicino airport

 “Of all our properties the Belstay Roma Aurelia has received the best response from the market, with consistently high occupancy rates. The demand from the MICE segment has exceeded expectations. Currently sales are surpassing expectations, and we are working on agreements for 2024,” said Roberto Di Tullio, managing director of Belstay Hotels. The Belstay Roma Aurelia is a 4-star with a swimming pool and green areas, strategically positioned between the city centre and Fiumicino Airport. 

Rome is at the centre of investments in the luxury segment as its tourism recovery is confirmed, according to data presented during Albergatore Day, an event organized by the Federalberghi Roma hotelier’s association.  

The Eternal City accounts for over 20% of transactions

The data also sees new investments for tourism development emerging, marking the return of the Eternal City’s brand appeal. Capital invested in hospitality real estate transactions in Italy in 2022 totalled €1.29 billion (a sharp slowdown in the last quarter of the year prevented reaching 2021 levels. Ed.), with over 20% of this concentrated in Rome according to the World Capital Group. And the real estate scenario in the Eternal City is gathering momentum.

“Today Rome is the most interesting luxury segment market."

Among the most important new developments the reopening of the Grand Hotel de la Minerve stands out, with the restyling curated by Orient Express:

"The inauguration is scheduled for 2024, if we can avoid an overload of bureaucracy," said Gilda Cotzias of Real Estate & Construction Arsenale Group. "We are very proud to relaunch this historic property and are noticing that the brand demand for luxury is very high. Today Rome is the most interesting luxury market segment."

 

Rome’s first Nobu Hotel is to open on Via Veneto

Further evidence of Rome’s revival is confirmed by what will be the first Nobu Hotel in Italy: "For years we had been asked to relaunch Via Veneto and thought that the ideal brand would be Nobu - added the owner of the Nobu Hotel Roma & Nobu Restaurant Roma, Carlo Acampora -. We will open towards the end of 2023 and we are confident that the market is expanding."

Hilton opens La Lama in the EUR district

Hilton has opened the new Roma La Lama, with over 400 rooms, in the EUR district.

"After a few delays we will open the hotel by the summer of 2023 – said Hilton cluster general manager Paolo Bellè. - We have chosen EUR as it is a destination with great potential.”

Arrivals and overnights were both up over 2021

According to the final official findings of the Bilateral Tourism Board of Lazio (Ebtl) in 2022 total arrivals in the hotels and residences in Rome were 9,666,238,  an increase of +245.22% over 2021 (and a recovery of 74.15% over 2019). Total overnights were 21,552,631, with an increase of +291.47% (and a recovery of 70.24% on 2019).

With a €136 mln turnover and a new ThEvents Division the Th Group has entered the MICE sector. The new division is dedicated to travel agencies, promoting hotels that have the ideal characteristics and services for events and congresses.

On the website the area is under the ThEvents brand, which also encompasses entertainment, team building and tour activities. Th Resorts has six beach, six mountain and five urban properties.

“Many of our properties are sold out”

"We launched the project shortly before the pandemic and to date we are posting encouraging results with many of our properties sold out, especially in the mountains, where incentive trips lasting a week are increasingly popular, combining for example work and skiing,”  explains Francesco Cante, Th mice division manager, during the presentation at the Th Roma Carpegna Palace, the group's recent hotel with a MICE vocation.

Extending the seasonality of the resorts

The new section of the site is dedicated to agencies and PCOs: in addition to consultation, the facilities can be filtered with technical data sheets, focusing on locations and tailor-made services with local suppliers. It is also possible to request a quotation. Seasonal adjustment is another goal for the new brand. 

"We are extending the seasonality of the resorts, creating a high induced income. We are also consolidating the School of Hospitality to improves our services even further, - says Mimmo De Pisa, head of groups and MICE Th Division.  - We have posted a €136 million turnover and have new openings in Italy and abroad in the pipeline.”