Towards the end of the 5th century, the great Roman Empire falls. The Emperor no longer resides in Rome, and the political and administrative role of the city are transferred to the New Rome, Constantinople.

The Eternal City will slowly loose its defenses, and succumb to the enemies, who will numerous times sack the city and leave it in desolation. The aqueducts will be for the most part destroyed, and the lack of fresh water will lead the people to the Tiber river, which in turn will become a source of water. This will inevitably lead to disease and pestilence, and Rome's population will decline to less than 40,000.

It is in these centuries that the medieval quarters of Trastevere and the Jewish Ghetto are born, on the banks of the Tiber and across the Tiberina Island. A new Rome evolves, in the midst of anarchy and disputes among the various feudal families, while the Pope slowly but surely becomes the real Monarch. Rome looses its magnificent beauty and grandiosity, and plunges into the Dark Ages that shall last 1000 years!

What did the city look like then? How did people live and what were their stories? Different from the sumptuous Renaissance and Baroque palazzi everywhere else, here you shall find Medieval Rome to bring back both the charm and mystery of the Middle Ages. Join this quest for answers from the past to questions of the present.

This tour of Medieval Rome will take you through the unknown, unusual Rome. We begin at a quiet piazza and make our way through small alleys and streets into the Jewish Ghetto. The direct descendants of the Hebrews brought back to Rome as slaves by Titus about 2000 years ago still live in this quarter. We will see the ancient Theater of Marcello, completed in the 1st century B.C., upon which a fortress was built by the powerful Savelli family. Then we will cross the river by way of the Tiberina Island, and across two bridges that are 2000 years old, into the medieval quarter of Trastevere. There your Guide will lead the way into a neighborhood where only real Romans live. Some of the most exquisite Roman restaurants are there, and if you haven't tried Roman Pizza, Trastevere is the right place to do just that! We will end in the mystical piazza of Santa Maria in Trastevere. This medieval church will amaze you with its beautiful 13th century mosaics, perhaps the most beautiful in Rome.

We invite you to rediscover the forgotten Medieval Rome, and in our company you shall understand what was meant by the Dark Ages.