Skip to Main Content
Italy

The Best of Italy: Rome, Florence and Venice

Program No. 18206RJ
Learn about three great Italian cities as you visit Rome’s preserved ruins, explore Renaissance architecture in Florence and discover the renowned cathedrals and cuisine of Venice.

Enroll with Confidence

We want your Road Scholar learning adventure to be something to look forward to—not worry about. Learn more

Protecting the Environment

We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more

At a Glance

Experience the beauty of three historic capitals of Classical, Medieval, and Renaissance acclaim as local experts lead you through some of Italy's greatest cities. Follow the path of legendary artists, scientists, and philosophers from the classical remnants of Rome to the preserved treasures of Florence and Venice.
Activity Level
Let's Go!
Walking up to six miles a day. Extended standing during site visits with limited or no public seating. Uneven terrain, limited public handrails, unavoidable stairs, marble and terracotta flooring, cobblestones, inclines, loose gravel, escalators. Elevator use is limited or restricted in historic sites. Venice's canal bridges have ramps or stairs with handrails. Expect crowded conditions in pedestrian centers and museums. Program-related travel and transfers will be via bus, high-speed train, vaporetto, and water taxi. Sheltered waiting areas may not be available at docks.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Trace history as you visit the Colosseum, Pantheon and Galleria Borghese.
  • Journey to Florence and Venice via a high-speed train, reaching speeds of over 190 mph.
  • View the statue of David — and ride in a gondola through the canals of Venice.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Profile Image
Jane Zaloga
Jane Zaloga holds degrees in architecture and business administration from the University of Notre Dame, an MA from Syracuse University, and has done further graduate study at Harvard University. She has received several fellowships to study in Rome and in Florence, including the prestigious Fulbright Fellowship. She now lives in Florence and teaches with several American university programs, including Syracuse University and New York University.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Jane Zaloga
Jane Zaloga View biography
Jane Zaloga holds degrees in architecture and business administration from the University of Notre Dame, an MA from Syracuse University, and has done further graduate study at Harvard University. She has received several fellowships to study in Rome and in Florence, including the prestigious Fulbright Fellowship. She now lives in Florence and teaches with several American university programs, including Syracuse University and New York University.
Profile Image of Rachel Potts
Rachel Potts View biography
Rachel Potts is a licensed excursion leader in Rome. She graduated from Manchester University with a bachelor's in Philosophy and French, and later studied garden design at the London Gardening School. Having grown up in Rome, she chose to return to Italy and share her knowledge and love of Rome and the surrounding areas.
Profile Image of Rosanna Giannotti
Rosanna Giannotti View biography
Rosanna Giannotti is a Senior Authorized Venice Guide Lecturer who has devoted her life to studying the art and history of her home city. She is fluent in English, French, and Spanish, and she has always had a penchant for traveling and cosmopolitanism, in order to expand her knowledge and connect Venetian history with the world context. Rosanna is a member of the most prestigious Italian and European Associations of Guide Lecturers and has cooperated with Road Scholar programs in Venice for over 30 years.
Profile Image of Giulietta Seme
Giulietta Seme View biography
Julieta is a passionate student of history, specializing in the history and culture of her native city of Rome. She studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma with a concentration in painting before earning a degree in classical archaeology and art history from the Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza." Outside of history, Julieta enjoys hiking beautiful nature trails by the seaside or in the mountains of Italy.
Profile Image of Cristina Davanzo
Cristina Davanzo View biography
Cristina Davanzo is a native of Treviso (a city just north of Venice) and has an advanced degree in foreign languages and literature from the Università Ca' Foscari in Venice. She has taught at the primary school level and has studied and worked in Spain, England and Italy as an interpreter, group leader and administrative assistant. When she returned to Italy, she began managing educational travel programs as well as leading Road Scholar groups since 2005. She is fluent in Italian, Spanish, English and Portuguese.
Profile Image of Suzanne Myers
Suzanne Myers View biography
Suzanne Myers originally hails from Lincoln, Nebraska and has been living in Florence since 2011. She has a BA in art history from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota and an MA in art history from Syracuse University. She works as a lecturer for several study away programs in Florence and as a licensed group leader. Suzanne specializes in Italian Renaissance art, but also loves to lecture on a wide range of subjects from the Medici family to the Black Death to Florentine fashion.
Profile Image of Marco Ceccarani
Marco A. Ceccarani View biography
Marco Ceccarani, a native of Assisi, holds a PhD in humanities from the Università degli Studi di Perugia. His field of expertise includes medieval and Renaissance Italian civilization and literature. He has taught for several American universities in the United States and currently teaches in Florence for American university study away programs.
Profile Image of Monica Chojnacka
Monica Chojnacka View biography
Monica Chojnacka earned her PhD in European history from Stanford University and undergraduate degrees from Kalamazoo College and the London School of Economics and Political Science. From 1994-2007 she was a professor of history at the University of Georgia, where she authored numerous publications. She has published books relating to Venice on topics as diverse as women of the Renaissance, food and wine. Monica continues to teach in Venice, primarily for study away programs for American universities, as well as online courses.
Profile Image of Susan Steer
Susan Steer View biography
Susan Steer is originally from England. She came to Venice 20 years ago as an art history undergraduate with an internship at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, later serving as a supervisor of the British pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Living and working in Venice changed her life, falling in love with its architecture, art, and lifestyle. She returned to study for an MA and a PhD in Venetian art. Susan married a Venetian. They and their son share their time between the UK and Venice.
Profile Image of Monica Shenouda
Monica Shenouda View biography
Monica Shenouda, originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, now calls Florence home. She majored in French Literature at Swarthmore College, worked in New York City, and studied art history and architecture in Rome. She then went to the University of Virginia and earned a master’s in architectural history and a PhD in the art history and architecture. She did her research in Venice, the subject of her dissertation. Monica teaches for study abroad programs in Florence and Venice and works as a translator and editor.
Profile Image of Cristiana Filippini
Cristiana Filippini View biography
Cristiana Filippini was awarded her doctorate from Johns Hopkins University with a dissertation on 11th-century frescoes in Rome. She has also completed specialized study in archeology and art history from the Università degli Studi di Siena, Italy and has taught at the American University in Rome and at Trinity College’s Rome Campus.
Profile Image of Emily Moloney
Emily Moloney View biography
Emily Moloney, who is originally from Buffalo, New York, first came to Italy over ten years ago. She holds a master's degree in Renaissance art history and is an officially licensed tour guide. In addition to working as a private guide, Emily lectures as a professor of art history and Italian culture at several study-abroad centers in Florence. In her free time, you can find Emily at the park with her growing family. 
Profile Image of Irene Rios
Irene Rios View biography
Irene Rios, born in Brazil, spent five years living and studying in the United Kingdom before relocating in 2003 to Italy, where she settled in Naples. With over 25 years of experience in the tourist and hospitality sectors, she is fluent in English, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Irene holds qualifications as a children's teacher and has worked as a freelance group leader in Italy. Additionally, she indulges her passion for photography as a freelance photographer, enjoying hiking, cooking, and meeting new people.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.