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The Women Who Shaped Rome Small Group Walking Tour

By City Stories Tours
Free cancellation available
Price is ฿951 per adult
See tickets
Features
  • Free cancellation available
  • 2h 30m
  • Mobile voucher
  • Instant confirmation
Overview

History remembers Rome as a city of emperors, popes, and warriors, but behind them were extraordinary women who shaped its destiny in ways just as bold and brilliant. Queens who abandoned their thrones for freedom, empresses who pulled the strings of power, and artists who defied a world that tried to silence them. Their stories have been overshadowed, but now, we’re bringing them into the light.

On this tour, we’ll step into their world, uncovering stories of ambition, betrayal, love, and resilience. You’ll hear of a woman so powerful that she was called the “She-Pope,” and another who was feared by emperors and killed by her own son. You’ll learn about a courtesan who ruled the night with wit as sharp as any blade, and a duchess whose family name became legend.

Join us on this journey as we uncover the untold stories of the women who made Rome—not with crowns or swords, but with intelligence, ambition, and sheer force of will.

Activity location

  • Piazza del Popolo
    • Piazza del Popolo,
    • 00187, Rome, Italy

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • Basilica Parrocchiale Santa Maria del Popolo
    • 12 Piazza del Popolo
    • 00187, Roma, Lazio, Italy

Check availability

The Women Who Shaped Rome Small Group Walking Tour
  • Activity duration is 2 hours and 30 minutes2h 30m
    2h 30m
  • English
Language options: English
Starting time: 10:30
Price details
฿950.69 x 1 Adult฿950.69
Total
Price is ฿950.69
Until Tue, 29 Jul
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What's included, what's not

  • What's includedWhat's includedSmall Group of Maximum 15 People
  • What's includedWhat's includedExpert Storytelling Guides
  • What's excludedWhat's excludedSnacks
  • What's excludedWhat's excludedService charge

Know before you book

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transport options are available nearby
  • Transport options are wheelchair accessible
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Not recommended for travellers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Travellers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Activity itinerary

Piazza del Popolo
  • 10m
Our journey begins at Piazza del Popolo, where we step into the 17th century and meet Queen Christina of Sweden—a monarch who gave up her throne for the freedom to live as she pleased in Rome. Dressed in men’s riding clothes, she rode into the city in 1655, shocking the world with her rejection of traditional roles. A patron of the arts and intellectuals, Christina transformed Rome into a cultural capital. She was buried in St. Peter’s Basilica, one of the few women to receive this honour.
Via di Ripetta
  • 10m
Walking along Via di Ripetta, we stop at the birthplace of Artemisia Gentileschi, the first woman admitted to Rome’s Accademia di San Luca. A Baroque master, she defied the male-dominated art world, painting powerful female heroines in an era when women were rarely more than decorative figures on canvas. After surviving a highly publicized rape trial, she used her art to reclaim her storey, proving that talent—and resilience—could overcome even the harshest of circumstances.
Piazza Augusto Imperatore
  • 20m
At the Mausoleum of Augustus, we explore the lives of two of Rome’s most formidable women: Livia Drusilla and Agrippina the Younger. Livia, wife of Augustus, mastered the art of ruling from the shadows, while Agrippina, mother of Emperor Nero, came closer than any woman before her to ruling Rome outright. Both women shaped the empire’s future, proving that behind every emperor, there was often a woman pulling the strings.
Piazza Fiammetta
  • 10m
In the narrow streets near Piazza Navona, we stop at Casa di Fiammetta, once home to one of Rome’s most sought-after courtesans. Fiammetta was not just a mistress—she was an educated, independent, and powerful woman in a city where marriage defined most women’s lives. Like many Renaissance courtesans, she used her wit, intelligence, and connections to gain influence over the most powerful men in Rome.
Piazza Navona
  • 10m
At the stunning Piazza Navona, we meet Donna Olimpia Maidalchini, the woman who effectively ruled the Vatican as the most trusted advisor of Pope Innocent X. Nicknamed “La Papessa” (The She-Pope) by her enemies, Olimpia controlled church finances, dictated policies, and made powerful cardinals bow to her will. Her enemies accused her of corruption, but history remembers her as a woman who outplayed the men of the Vatican at their own game.
Via del Pellegrino
  • 10m
Stepping into Via del Pellegrino, we explore the truth behind Lucrezia Borgia, a woman whose name has become synonymous with poison and scandal. But was she truly the deadly femme fatale history claims? Or was she a survivor, a diplomat, and a ruler in her own right? As Duchess of Ferrara, Lucrezia proved she was far more than just a pawn of her infamous family—she became a patron of the arts and a capable leader, forging a new legacy beyond the Borgia name.
Piazza Farnese
  • 10m
Our tour concludes at Piazza Farnese, where we uncover the storey of Giulia Farnese—a woman who turned scandal into power. Known as the mistress of Pope Alexander VI, she was far more than just a beautiful face. She used her influence to secure wealth, titles, and power for her family, paving the way for her brother to become Pope Paul III and ensuring that the Farnese family became one of the most powerful dynasties in Italy.

Location

Activity location

  • LOB_ACTIVITIESLOB_ACTIVITIESPiazza del Popolo
    • Piazza del Popolo,
    • 00187, Rome, Italy

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • PEOPLEPEOPLEBasilica Parrocchiale Santa Maria del Popolo
    • 12 Piazza del Popolo
    • 00187, Roma, Lazio, Italy

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