Rome: Walking Tour of World War 2 History

This WWII walking tour was the last tour we took in Rome, and it completely transformed how we understood everything we had seen before. It added essential context to the city and revealed how deeply WWII and Fascism are embedded in Rome’s streets and monuments. We learned how Mussolini deliberately uncovered many ancient sites as part of a campaign to link modern Italy to imperial Rome. Once this was explained, signs of the Fascist past seemed to appear everywhere. The route was excellent, taking us from Trajan’s Column to Capitoline Hill, through the Jewish Ghetto, and on to Piazza Navona. Along the way, the guide shared compelling WWII stories, often supported by historical photos and video that brought the history vividly to life. We also stopped at the site where Julius Caesar was assassinated—somewhere we had unknowingly walked past several times. The guide was outstanding, a true expert on WWII Italy and the liberation of Rome.