The Best Tour of the Vatican Museum is with the author of the official art guide
Oct 3rd, 2006, 11:15 AM
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The Best Tour of the Vatican Museum is with the author of the official art guide
My wife and I had the pleasure approximately 2 weeks ago of a tour of the Vatican Museum (including the Sistine Chapel) with Professor Enrico Bruschini as our guide. He is the author of the official art guide to the Vatican Museum, titled "Masterpieces of the Vatican". http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/1857592700.
We bought our book from Amazon 2 months before our tour so the enrichment we had from having had that in advance of the tour was immeasurable. It is published in 11 languages and is prominently on display on entrance to the Vatican Museum. The English version was sold out the day of our tour. I recommend your buying one in advance of a tour even if you are not touring with Bruschini.
Here is an excellent article from A Taste of Italy that discusses Professor Bruschini: http://www.dreamofitaly.com/may-samp...0of%20italy%22. If the link doesn't work, merely do a google search on Enrico Bruschini Taste of Italy. That should give you the link you need.
For our party of four (the maximum he allows), the cost was 400 Euro, plus tickets, for a 4 hour tour. We had access to areas of the museum not open to all members of the public. Professor Bruschini was able to get permission for access to some areas barred to the general public. We also were able to save 2 hours standing in line for admission as he has special standing with certain people who respect him highly.
Enrico brought the Vatican museum, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's to life in ways we could not imagine. As soon as our tour was finished and we went on looking on our own at various things, we realized the difference between night and day, the difference between being taught and being ignorant. I cannot say enough good things about touring with him. Yes, it was expensive, but, saving time in line (a pet peeve of mine) when having spent so much money to get there and then having a true authority escort us and explain things to us was remarkable. And, again, even without his being your guide, you really should buy his book and read it before a tour of the Vatican Museum. You will understand why if you do!
We bought our book from Amazon 2 months before our tour so the enrichment we had from having had that in advance of the tour was immeasurable. It is published in 11 languages and is prominently on display on entrance to the Vatican Museum. The English version was sold out the day of our tour. I recommend your buying one in advance of a tour even if you are not touring with Bruschini.
Here is an excellent article from A Taste of Italy that discusses Professor Bruschini: http://www.dreamofitaly.com/may-samp...0of%20italy%22. If the link doesn't work, merely do a google search on Enrico Bruschini Taste of Italy. That should give you the link you need.
For our party of four (the maximum he allows), the cost was 400 Euro, plus tickets, for a 4 hour tour. We had access to areas of the museum not open to all members of the public. Professor Bruschini was able to get permission for access to some areas barred to the general public. We also were able to save 2 hours standing in line for admission as he has special standing with certain people who respect him highly.
Enrico brought the Vatican museum, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's to life in ways we could not imagine. As soon as our tour was finished and we went on looking on our own at various things, we realized the difference between night and day, the difference between being taught and being ignorant. I cannot say enough good things about touring with him. Yes, it was expensive, but, saving time in line (a pet peeve of mine) when having spent so much money to get there and then having a true authority escort us and explain things to us was remarkable. And, again, even without his being your guide, you really should buy his book and read it before a tour of the Vatican Museum. You will understand why if you do!
Oct 3rd, 2006, 11:40 AM
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Why is this "advertising" and yet all those recommendations for the tour guide Michael Osman in Paris, specific airline fare sale "alerts" various strong recommendations for restaurants, hotels, the swoons for using AutoEurope, etc., aren't?
Oct 3rd, 2006, 11:46 AM
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capri, I am glad your tour exceeded your expectations. We did the Vatican tour with Context Rome and thought our tour was excellent. I am glad you found someone to share the cost of the tour. I think a well written book on the Vatican would be an excellent resouce for anyone making a return visit.
Dayle, I don't think this is advertising unless Capri is Professor Bruschini
It's just a recommendation from someone who did lots of planning for their trip.
Deborah
Dayle, I don't think this is advertising unless Capri is Professor Bruschini
It's just a recommendation from someone who did lots of planning for their trip.Deborah
Oct 3rd, 2006, 04:05 PM
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Indeed, all it is is a glowing endorsement! I first posted in July of 2006 seeking another couple to share the cost of the tour with us and bumped it a few times without any takers. See here: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34844940.
As serendipity would have it, while my wife and I were leaving our hotel in Napoli, we ran into a couple from Oregon taking the same hotel shuttle as we were. They were going to be in Rome when we were having our tour. We told them about it and they decided to join us--and they absolutely loved the tour. The husband's mom is an art teacher! This was really priceless. He professed zero art knowledge and once he realized what he was enjoying, with whom he was being guided, and seeing the book in the entrance to the museum, he was thrilled to death to be able to tell his mother. He had me send him the links to the Taste of Italy newsletter on Professor Bruschini. (I am a subscriber to the newsletter, by the way, and had my first reading of the issue on Bruschini as part of my subscription. It was totally chance that the owner of the newsletter A Taste of Italy, used that issue with Bruschini as it's headline on the issue that is found free online as a sample issue.) So, we saved 200 Euro by sharing the cost, and also have some new friends as well.
I'm glad Context Rome was a good operator!
There was another reason for using Bruschini. I have flat feet, wear orthodics, and am truly in pain in slow moving lines. I could not stand 2 hours for admission and then take the tour. We sat at a coffee table at a coffee shop across from the Museum while Bruschini went in to purchase our tickets. He then came out, gave them to us, and we moved into the line and in less than one minute were in the museum, courtesy of his connections. As it was, I still had to walk a lot and we stood a long time in the Sistine Chapel as Bruschini gave us its history. I wouldn't have made it if I'd had 2 hours in the line on top of the walking and standing once we started the tour.
As serendipity would have it, while my wife and I were leaving our hotel in Napoli, we ran into a couple from Oregon taking the same hotel shuttle as we were. They were going to be in Rome when we were having our tour. We told them about it and they decided to join us--and they absolutely loved the tour. The husband's mom is an art teacher! This was really priceless. He professed zero art knowledge and once he realized what he was enjoying, with whom he was being guided, and seeing the book in the entrance to the museum, he was thrilled to death to be able to tell his mother. He had me send him the links to the Taste of Italy newsletter on Professor Bruschini. (I am a subscriber to the newsletter, by the way, and had my first reading of the issue on Bruschini as part of my subscription. It was totally chance that the owner of the newsletter A Taste of Italy, used that issue with Bruschini as it's headline on the issue that is found free online as a sample issue.) So, we saved 200 Euro by sharing the cost, and also have some new friends as well.
I'm glad Context Rome was a good operator!
There was another reason for using Bruschini. I have flat feet, wear orthodics, and am truly in pain in slow moving lines. I could not stand 2 hours for admission and then take the tour. We sat at a coffee table at a coffee shop across from the Museum while Bruschini went in to purchase our tickets. He then came out, gave them to us, and we moved into the line and in less than one minute were in the museum, courtesy of his connections. As it was, I still had to walk a lot and we stood a long time in the Sistine Chapel as Bruschini gave us its history. I wouldn't have made it if I'd had 2 hours in the line on top of the walking and standing once we started the tour.
Oct 3rd, 2006, 05:09 PM
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capri, I think any tour guide that stirs a passion within is worth the cost.
What are the chances after all the attempts you made on this forum to find someone to share the tour that you would find someone on a hotel shuttle. Serendipitous indeed or were you stuck in traffic with lots of quality time together
How nicely things worked out for you AND the other couple. They are probably telling their friends how fortunate they were to have been on the shuttle with you. Deborah
What are the chances after all the attempts you made on this forum to find someone to share the tour that you would find someone on a hotel shuttle. Serendipitous indeed or were you stuck in traffic with lots of quality time together
How nicely things worked out for you AND the other couple. They are probably telling their friends how fortunate they were to have been on the shuttle with you. Deborah
Oct 3rd, 2006, 05:44 PM
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Oh! You have NO idea how serendipitous this got! While on the shuttle in Naples we gave them our hotel phone number in Rome to call us. Never heard from them. We left a message for them at their hotel in Rome. Never heard from them. They didn't get our message. Sooooo . . . the day before our tour my wife and I are in the Coliseum on the 2nd level, walking around with these rented audio tour phones, and I see this couple coming toward us that was the couple we met in Naples. They didn't recognize my wife and me. I said, "Mike and Peggy, is that you?" Freaked them out! Freaked me out! We were alldumbfounded that we ran into each other at the Coliseum. Mike told me they had tried calling us in Rome but our hotel didn't have us registered. (Go figure. We were there.) They didn't get our message either. Mike had actually placed an international phone call to my U.S. cell phone from Italy hoping I'd be checking for messages on it so they could join up with us. (I'd given him my business card in Naples.) Then! I recognize them in the Coliseum. It was truly meant to be! That was how serendipitous it got!
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