CCR Walks: Farnesina in Trastevere - A Renaissance Villa - May 20, 2026

A foray into the charmed life of Agostino Chigi, the Sienese moneylender who became the Pope’s banker and was known as “richest man in Christendom.” His suburban villa, now called “Farnesina in Trastevere,” was inspired by ancient Roman villas. It was frescoed by Raphael and other leading artists with works celebrating Agostino’s good fortune and his meteoric career in Renaissance Rome. The Farnesina became the setting for luxurious banquets, tragic love stories, and artistic debate. Miraculously surviving the dramatic events which marked the end of Renaissance in Rome, the Villa and the gardens have recently been restored and help bring that lost world back to life.

Art historian and author Olivia Ercoli will guide us through this beautiful ancient villa.

When: Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Time: 10:30 (please arrive by 10:15)

Meeting Place: registered participants will be informed of the exact spot by email. 

Cost: CCR members €15, non-members €22 includes guided tour and entrance fee to Villa Farnesina. Advance payment required by Friday, May 16.  

RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com  ATTN Linda.

CCR Walks: Popeless! - November 30, 2025

A new exhibition entitled "Il Giubileo senza papa" (The Jubilee Without a Pope) at Trajan's Market charts the ways in which jubilees shaped the medieval image of Rome, focusing particularly on the second popeless Holy Year, held in 1350, amongst Black Death (Bubonic Plague) and earthquake survivors in Rome. The pope at that time was in Avignon, so he could not preside over the celebrations.

When: Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025

Time: 10:30 (please arrive by 10:15)

Meeting Place: registered participants will be informed of the exact spot by email. 

Cost: Guided visit for CCR members €10, non-members €15. MIC card holders eligible for free admission to Trajan's Market. Make sure your card is up-to-date and already valid before the weekend. For others, the cost of admission to Trajan's Market for residents of Rome (with ID confirming this) is €13. Non-residents €17.50.

RSVP: ATTN Joe at canadarome@gmail.com

Historical Aperitivo: The Fall of Rome - November 12, 2025

NB Full/waiting list started.

The Roman Empire was not built in a day, but it was built to last. Over the course of its final centuries, the vast empire slowly and dramatically fell to its knees. What caused Rome’s demise? Was it inflation, invasion, corruption, Christianity or maybe even lead poisoning? There is no one simple or obvious answer. Bring your curiosity and an open mind to unravel the neat and tidy story you probably learned in school.  Get ready to get to the bottom of this complex and shadowy transformation into the Middle Ages.

Light refreshments will follow the lecture and discussion with historian Christine Contrada.

When: Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025

Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Where: Private residence (near Corso Trieste); exact address sent to confirmed participants.

Cost: €10 members; €20 non-members (who must, however, be guests of a current member)

RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Marina.

NB: Book early, as space is limited. Payment required by 4 Nov. 2025.

Historical Aperitivo: Colourful Popes - April 2, 2025

Sold out.

One of history’s most provocative topics is the story of the papacy, and namely the 266 popes (or 267, depending on who you ask) who have tried to fill the shoes of Saint Peter. If papal history has shown us anything, it makes it clear how difficult it is for mere mortals, even those chosen by God, to walk the fine line between temporal and spiritual power. Come and frolic through 2000 years of intrigue with some delightfully devious and scintillatingly suspect papal behaviour. From parading around Rome with an elephant, to putting a corpse on trial, to labyrinthian backroom political deals, to fathering children, history is even better than fiction. Hold on to your socks, papal or not, and see the Jubilee in high definition with historian Christine Contrada.

When: Wednesday, 2 April, 2025

Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Where: Plebiscito Cucina Bar Mercato, Via del Plebiscito 104 (near Piazza Venezia)

Cost: €30 includes history talk and the aperitivo combo with 1 drink (wine, beverage or select cocktails), water, focaccia, and charcuterie board (or vegetarian option: pinzimonio with veggies and cheese). Advance payment required to confirm your place.

Please note that you will be charged individually for any additional orders beyond the set menu listed above.

RSVP & PoP: to canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Marina by close of business on 28 March.

CCR Walks: Courtesans of Rome - April 14, 2024

Let us follow their footsteps over Rome’s cobblestones as they flick their silky fans at us. Fiammetta, Matrema-non-vole and Imperia are just a few of the most famous of Rome's cortigiane oneste, the upper class courtesans who were treated as royalty by their admirers and would-be lovers in the 15th and early 16th centuries. Their fantastical gowns, sumptuous jewels and luxurious apparel, outrageous banquets and intricate etiquette made their way into ballads, literary works and music -- often written by these very same educated, sophisticated women. Their colourful world all but disappeared with the Sack of Rome in 1527 and the strictures of the Counter-Reformation, but  their memory lives on in the streets, and we will explore it.

When: Sunday, April 14, 2024

Time: 10 a.m. walk starts; optional: meet at 9:30 for coffee or 9:45 for briefing.

Meeting Place: registered participants will be informed of the exact spot by email.

Cost: €10 for CCR members, €15 for non-members. You are financially responsible for your booking.

RSVP to canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Peter before 5 p.m. April 11.

CCR Talks: Happy Birthday Queen Christina! - December 6, 2022

We celebrate the birth of one of the most interesting of Rome’s 17th-century inhabitants – Sweden’s very own Queen Christina – a consummate linguist, mathematician, and avid art collector. The impact of this out-spoken – and outed – former queen at the papal court made life difficult for her and others. We chart her sojourn from the fastness of her native Sweden to the sprawling beauty of baroque Rome, where she lived an eventful life, meeting some of the most brilliant people of her generation and attracting myriad admirers to this very day.

When: Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Time: 6 p.m. (lecture duration is approx. 75-90 minutes)

Meeting Place: on Zoom

Cost: €10 for members and €15 for non-members.

RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Joe by Sat., Dec. 3, 2022. You are financially responsible for your reservation.

CCR Walks: The Palatine and its Palaces - October 2, 2022

Despite the fact they lived over two thousand years ago, upper-class Romans of the late Republic still loom larger than life. On this tour, we uncover their splendid yet extremely uncomfortable Palatine and Forum mansions and meet their quarrelsome, fastidious, and absurdly wealthy owners and neighbours, wives, lovers, friends, and enemies. Their stories and the way they acquired and retained wealth provide (useful?) insight into the context within which a new Imperial regime rose to power.

When: Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022
Time: 2 p.m.
Meeting Place: Monti area. Confirmed participants will be informed by email of the exact meeting point.  
Cost: €10 for members and €15 for non-members. There will be an additional cost for radio transmitters, which will be advised. 
RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Joe by Sept. 27, 2022. You are financially responsible for your reservation.

CCR Walks: Father Tiber, the past and the future of the city - May 22, 2022

Come explore the Tiber River and its many twists and turns. During this walk we will travel back to the very origins of the city and explore its many surprising stories. This jaunt along the Tiber will also be a tribute to spring and its everlasting promise of hope. For those who want, we will end with a short cruise by boat.

When: Sunday, May 22nd
Time: 10:00 
Meeting Place: Confirmed participants will be informed by email of the exact location.  
Cost: €10 for members and €15 for non-members. There will be an additional cost for radio transmitters, which will be advised. 
RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Joe by Wednesday, May 18, 2022. You are financially responsible for your reservation.

CCR Talks: The Gardens of Caligula - February 16, 2022

Come explore with us the luxurious gardens of the wayward Emperor Caligula (37-41 AD), recreated in Rome's newest museum-cum-archeological site, the Museo Ninfeo. The complex is a veritable gift to those passionate about urban history. It features a state-of-the-art exhibition/site set up near Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II after over ten years of careful excavation, carried out while a modern building rose over the dig on the site of a bombed-out building. Let’s go!

When: Wednesday, February 16, 2022
Time:  18:30 (lecture duration is approx. 75 minutes)
Meeting Place: on Zoom
Cost: €10 for members and €15 for non-members.
RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Joe by Saturday, February 12, 2022. You are financially responsible for your reservation.

CCR Walks: Parco degli Acquedotti - June 12, 2021

People who come to Rome hear a lot about the aqueducts but don't get to see them much. This is your chance! The Roman aqueducts still stride across the Roman Campagna, and their story comes to life in a little-known, wedge-shaped park ensconced between the Via Appia Nuova and the Via Tuscolana. Once a no-man's land dotted with abandoned stolen cars and dubious activities of all kinds, it is now an attractive park, a paradise for jogging, cycling, and enjoying the landscape. Come join us as we explore its rather interesting history!

When: Saturday, June 12th

Time: 10:00 (09:45 if you would like to meet for coffee before the walk starts)

Meeting Place: Confirmed participants will be informed by email.  

Cost: €10 for members and €15 for non-members.

RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Joe by Wednesday, June 9, 2021. You are financially responsible for your reservation.

CCR Walks: Roman Towers - November 23, 2019

Under-age popes and meddlesome empresses, bloodthirsty warlords and inspired holy men once gazed upon a very different Roman skyline from the one we see today. Join us as we learn about that era and trace that bygone version of the city. This tour will search out those lofty towers and imposing fortresses which are still visible in and around Rome. While doing so, we will chart the rise and fall of the towers and the families who built them.

When: Saturday, November 23, 2019
Time: 10 a.m.
Meeting Place: Piazza Venezia area; exact location will be provided to registered attendees.
Cost: €10 for members and €15 for non-members.
RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Joe by Wed., Nov. 20th. You are financially responsible for your reservation.

CCR Day Trip: Orvieto - October 19, 2019

Come and discover the enchanting city of Orvieto in Umbria, whose rich history dates saw Etruscans, Romans, Goths and Longobards before becoming a self-governing medieval township within the Papal States. Most of its most beautiful constructions, including the magnificent duomo, date back to this period. Join us to learn more on a lovely day trip just an hour from Rome.

Upon arrival, our English-speaking guide will meet us and accompany the group to visit the famous Santa Maria Cathedral, providing a detailed description of the two levels, its architecture, artwork, mosaics, and bronze statues. Afterwards our guide will take us for a walk and tell us about the history and the architecture of this very picturesque city before going to visit Saint Patrick's Well with its amazing view of the city and Etruscan ruins. This well was commissioned by Pope Clement VII when he took refuge in Orvieto during the sack of Rome in 1527. Ensuring a supply of water to its citizens all year and in case of prolonged sieges, it is considered a marvel of the architectural genius of Antonio da Sangallo the Younger and his collaborators.

By then it will be time to eat! We've reserved at a classic restaurant called Le Grotte del Funaro -- and yes, lunch will be served in real grottoes. The menu includes grilled vegetables, cheese and bruschettas along with a home-made pasta typical of the region called Ombrichelli with a sauce made with seasonal veggies, along with wine and water.

After lunch people may want to take a stroll and go for ice cream. There will be time for those who wish to visit the Etruscan museum on Piazza del Duomo.

When: Saturday, October 19, 2019  
Transportation and timing: Participants may drive to Orvieto with their own vehicle or meet up at Termini to take the 9 o'clock train arriving in Orvieto at 10:14. Our guide will meet us at the station. For those returning by train, there is a convenient one at 5:27 p.m., arriving at 6:54 at Termini.
Cost: €36 per CCR member, €40; includes the guide, entrance fees at the Cathedral and Pozzo and lunch. Advance payment required.
N.B. Numbers are limited, so book early
RSVP at canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Marielle.

CCR Walks: Façades - October 27, 2019

What is Rome’s colour? Burnt ochre or the light colours of the Baroque? As occurs during a wonderful choir performance when a few solo voices suddenly stand out, the city’s landscape is the result of more than the sum of its parts. How does one go about curating its unique cityscape?

Please join us as we take a look at Rome’s buildings and learn about their façades and the techniques and building materials used to create them. We will also explore the issues facing the owners, legislators, and conservators entrusted with protecting this architectural and cultural legacy.

When: Sunday, October 27, 2019
Time: 10 a.m.
Meeting Place: Piazza Venezia area; exact location will be provided to registered attendees.
Cost: €10 for members and €15 for non-members.
RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Joe by Wed., Oct. 23rd. You are financially responsible for your reservation.

CCR Walks: Pigneto - May 11, 2019

Our last CCR walk of the 2018-2019 club season will explore the Pigneto area. Originally a working class neighbourhood in the 1930s, it is now one of Rome’s go-to places known for its edgy, hip locali. Once home to Italian playwright, poet, and film director Pier Paolo Pasolini, Pigneto is a good place to start exploring Rome’s modern graffiti scene. No wonder Netflix sponsored a large mural here to launch its Rome-based series “Suburra.” A recent influx of Italian and foreign artists has given the neighborhood a bold, controversial, precarious and tentative new look: let’s go explore!

When: Saturday, May 11, 2019
Time: 10:00
Meeting Place: Pigneto Neighborhood. Exact location will be provided to registered attendees.
Cost: €10 for members and €15 for non-members. 
RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Joe by Wed., May 8, 2019. You are financially responsible for your reservation.

CCR Day Trip: Anzio - May 18, 2019

Off we go to seaside Anzio, famous for having been the holiday home of Emperor Nero and for the landing of Allied troops during WWII. Our day out will include visits to the museums of archeology and of the liberation landing, to Nero’s villa and grottoes, and to the ports and beach.

Our gourmet inclinations will be satisfied with tastings at a local wine bar, lunch at a private seaside home, and a gourmet ice-cream stop before heading back to Rome!

Whether you choose to join the group on an easy train ride from Termini station or meet directly in Anzio after coming in your own car, this outing promises to be a real treat.

When: Saturday, May 18, 2019   
Transportation and timing: Visit starts at 9:30 at Anzio train station. By train: meet the group at Rome Termini station to take the 8:12 train (final destination Nettuno; €3.60 each way) for 11 stops to get to Anzio at 9:15; train back to Rome at 5 pm. By private car: parking lot available next to Anzio train station but be aware there’s often heavy traffic on the Pontina and Nettunense roads to get there. Ground transportation within Anzio will be provided.
Cost: €25 members, €30 non-members, includes local transportation in Anzio (but not from Rome), visits to the museums and the imperial villa, wine-tasting, lunch and ice-cream. Advance payment required.
N.B. Numbers are limited, so book early
RSVP at canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Marielle.

The CCR wishes to thank the City of Anzio for providing local transportation, Oenoteca Cose Buone for the wine tasting and L'Arte del Gelato for their delicious ice-cream. Participants may want to leave a small donation at the museums and for our young guides from the Anzio hotel and hospitality school.

CCR Walks: Villa Giustiniani Massimo - April 7, 2019

RESCHEDULED
In the 19th century, a group of angelic-looking German Romantic artists, known as the “Nazareni” because they affected a biblical manner and dress, attempted to haul back civilization from the ills of industrialism, which they perceived as a threat to art and culture, and to revive honesty and spirituality in art.

We will venture over to the Casino of the former Villa Giustiniani Massimo to learn about their movement and ideals, and to see how they grappled with ideas which appear to echo the dilemmas the world is facing two hundred years later. In Rome the group lived a semi-monastic existence and recreated a working atmosphere similar to a medieval artist’s workshop. Their fresco series at the Villa Giustiniani Massimo brought them international attention. The Nazareni were to exert considerable influence in Germany, and in England upon the pre-Raphaelite movement, and demonstrated impulses that would lead to the avante-garde later in the 19th century.

When: Sunday, April 7, 2019
Time: 10 a.m.
Meeting Place: Near Basilica San Giovanni; exact location will be sent by email to confirmed participants.
Cost: €10 for members and €15 for non-members.
RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Joe by Wed., Apr. 3, 2019. You are financially responsible for your reservation.

CCR Walks: Palazzo Altemps - February 3, 2019

In spite of fathering an illegitimate son, Cardinal Altemps thought he had excellent chances to become Pontiff. His wonderful palace, which we will explore, attests to his power, influence, and appetite as a collector of ancient sculpture. Join us as we learn about the Cardinal’s life, his palace, (including recent excavations that have revealed remains of a Roman domus, medieval fortifications and part of a medieval house), his ambitions, and his wayward son (who ended up being beheaded for kidnapping and raping a woman). Heartbroken by his son’s death, the Cardinal is believed to have commissioned the palace chapel decoration as a memorial to what he felt was a terrible injustice.

When: Sunday, February 3
Time: 10 a.m.
Where: Piazza Navona Area; exact meeting point sent to confirmed participants.
Cost: €10 for members and €15 for non-members. There is also a €10 museum entry fee.  
RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Joe by Thu. Jan. 31, 2019. You are financially responsible for your reservation.

CCR Walks: From Saturnalia to the Befana - December 2, 2018

Join us as we explore Italian seasonal traditions such as the Saturnalia (aka Natale/Christmas), the Befana and others still, in an unlikely setting at Rome’s Museo delle Arti e Tradizioni Popolari, in the modernist neighborhood of EUR. The museum’s rich and diverse collection comprises over 5,000 ceramics, hundreds of regional costumes, working instruments, and artifacts tracing the ways in which the peoples of Italy celebrated and marked the changing seasons as well as their colourful and varied heritage.

When: Sunday, December 2, 2018
Time: 10:00
Meeting Place: In the vicinity of Museo delle Arti e Tradizioni Popolari “Lamberto Loria”, EUR
Cost: €10 for members and €15 for non-members. Please note there is an additional museum admission fee of €10.
RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Joe by Thu., Nov. 29, 2018. You are financially responsible for your reservation.

CCR Walks: Campo Verano - November 10, 2018

photo: Lichtbilder/Reinhard Goldmann

In the Christian liturgical calendar, November is entirely devoted to the deceased. That's why it is dubbed the “Month of the Dead” which makes it an ideal time to explore Rome’s Monumental Cemetery, Campo Verano. Join us as we learn of the cemetery’s Napoleonic origins, its artwork and, above all, the interesting people who rest there, including saints, football players, war heroes, resistance fighters, writers, actors, and film directors. 

When: Saturday, November 10, 2018
Time: 10 a.m.
Where: In the vicinity of Campo Verano Cemetery; exact location will be sent to confirmed participants by email.
Cost: €10 for members and €15 for non-members.
RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Joe by Thursday, November 8, 2018. You are financially responsible for your reservation.

CCR Walks: Sacks & the City - October 14, 2018

City elders slaughtered in their homes! Sacred places gutted and destroyed! Carts, laden with loot, upsetting their contents into the Tiber as refugees cower in the smoking ruins...

What was it like to live through Rome’s darkest hour? Join us as we follow in the footsteps of Rome’s invaders -- Celtic nomads, methodical Norman raiders, self-righteous fanatics and desperadoes of the Renaissance. From the sultry summer of 390 BCE up to modern times, the traces of these invaders have been woven into the texture of memory, myth and legend which swirls around the Urbs, the greatest city. Wait! Listen... maybe they still have something to tell us... 

The Sack of Rome in 1527, by Amérigo Aparicio, 1884

When: Sunday, October 14, 2018
Time: 10 a.m.
Where: exact location will be sent to confirmed participants by email.
Cost: €10 for members and €15 for non-members. 
RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Joe by Thursday, October 11, 2018. You are financially responsible for your reservation.