Tour places are limited and we therefore suggest that you book early to avoid disappointment.

Prices include 20% Italian VAT

Cancellation Policy:
Tours can be cancelled with a full refund until 5pm GMT Friday 9 May 2008. After this time we can only refund in the event that we are able to resell your place on your cancelled tour.

Wednesday 11 June 2008 – Afternoon : St Peter’s Basilica Tour

Tour departs: Cavalieri Hilton: 2:00pm
Tour returns: Cavalieri Hilton: 5.00pm

St. Peter’s Basilica, is known as the mother of all churches and was built on the spot where the martyred apostle Peter was buried in 67 AD by the Roman Emperor Constantine, after his conversion to Christianity. Over the centuries, St. Peter’s Basilica has undergone many transformations and it was in the Renaissance period when the great artists such as Maderno, Bramante and Michelangelo, created the image we recognise today.

La Pietà di Michelangelo	St Peter's	Basilica

The imposing sight of St. Peter's Square and Basilica are as awe-inspiring as the treasures found within, which includes the breathtaking "Pietà" which was completed by Michelangelo when he was only twenty-two years old. On entering the Basilica itself, there is an atmosphere of tranquility and harmony, despite the gigantic dimensions of the structure.

As well as admiring and learning about the history of the magnificent pictures housed within the Basilica there will also be the opportunity to follow the winding underground passageways which lead past the tombs of the great Popes and the relics and sarcophagi remaining from the ancient basilica – these represent one of the most fascinating and mysterious areas of the Vatican.

Coaches will return to the hotel by 5:00pm offering plenty of time to prepare for the opening address.
Please take note that there is a strict dress code for St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums. Women must cover their shoulders and knees and men must wear full length pants.

Thursday 12 June 2008 – Morning : Tivoli Tour Villa D 'Este Gardens with Lunch
(As conference sessions will be taking place at this time this is designed for guests of those attending the conference)

Tour departs: Cavalieri Hilton: 9:00am
Tour returns: Cavalieri Hilton: 3:00pm

Tivoli is a medieval hilltop resort just east of Rome, where for over 2000 years it has housed the grand villas of emperors, art patrons, painters and musicians.

Our tour takes you to the most significant of these grand homes to the Villa d’Este, which is a beautiful private Renaissance mansion, once the home of Cardinal Ippolito d’Este. Villa d’Este was built on the ruins of a Roman villa and later magnificently restored by Pirro Ligorio around 1550. Today the Villa d’Este, is considered to be a masterpiece of the Italian Garden, and is included in the UNESCO world heritage list. With its impressive concentration of fountains, nymphs, grottoes, plays of water, and music, it constitutes a much-copied model for European gardens in the mannerist and baroque styles.

Villa d'Este Gardens	Villa d'Este	Il Ciocco

Of course no visit to Tivoli would be complete without having some free time to browse around the charming town streets and market stalls before walking to the Il Ciocco Restaurant, where lunch will be served, before driving back to Rome.

Friday 13 June 2008 - Afternoon/Evening : Imperial Rome Tour and Dinner at Costanza
Tour departs: Cavalieri Hilton: 4:00pm
Tour moves to dinner: 7:30pm
Tour returns: Cavalieri Hilton: 10:00pm

Attendees can choose to attend the tour and dinner or just join for the dinner

What better way to start your discovery of the Eternal City than by visiting the largest amphitheatre in the world: The Colosseum. This visit provides the opportunity to enter the Colosseum and see where heroic gladiators and fierce animals fought to the death, thousands of years ago, purely for the pleasure of the Emperor and the public.

Having experienced the atmospheric Colosseum, we move to the Forum, the heart and centre of Ancient Rome itself. Our tour will take you past the Senate House, where the destiny of the Western World was decided, visiting the very spot where Mark Antony delivered his famous “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” oration on the assassination of Julius Cesar. We then continue to the Arch of Titus, which commemorates the Emperor’s victory over Jerusalem in 72AD; and the Arch of Constantine, commemorating the conversion of Pagan Rome to Christianity.

No journey through Ancient Rome would be complete without seeing Circo Maximus where chariot races used to take place and Teatro Marcello, which was the forerunner of the Colosseum.

Colosseum	Imperial Forum	Circus Maximus

Then, in order to close this fascinating journey through ancient Rome, we head to Piazza Venezia, where we find ourselves brought back to the 21st Century. Here an enormous white marble monument for King Victor Emmanuel II was built at the turn of the 20th century. With the Colosseum and ancient Rome still in view one is reminded of how eternal and ever-lasting this amazing city is.

Dinner at Costanza : A visit to Costanza takes you back in time, as the restaurant has been carved out under the steps of the Teatro dei Pompeo, which was the first fixed theatre in Rome dating back to 60 BC and apparently holding up to 20,000 spectators. Tradition has it that this is the place where Julius Caesar was stabbed by Brutus. Today the only remaining part of the theatre are the arches of the third row.

The food is absolutely excellent with the appetizers and daily pasta specials themselves justifying a trip to this fine restaurant.

	Costanza

The Welcome Cocktails and Supper on Wednesday night, and the Conference Dinner on Thursday night, (both below) are included in the registration fee, for yourself and your guest to attend:

Wednesday 11 June: Welcome cocktails & buffet
7:00 – 10:00pm: Belle Arti is located on the ground floor of the hotel offering access to the beautiful gardens. (Dress: Casual attire)

Thursday 12 June: Conference dinner – Villa Miani hosted by Deutsche Bank AG
7:00 – 10:30pm: (Dress: Business attire)

Villa Miani is one of the few points from which you can admire the entire city of Rome as well as the Pincio and Janiculum Hills. Built in the 1700’s, Villa Miani later became the residence of a noble Venetian family, and up until the beginning of this century it was still considered an exclusive country house, located just outside the Vatican Walls.

Perfectly restored to its former elegance and splendour, the villa has been the setting for a number of important events with its splendid private rooms, open-air terrace, garden with exquisite fountains and fantastic halls, and is the perfect venue with unsurpassable views of Rome.

Villa Miani	Views over Rome

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