Who, where, what, and with whom? These are the questions often left unanswered when it comes to LGBTQ+ history. In fact, judging by the average history tour, you’d be forgiven for thinking LGBTQ+ people only started existing in the 21st century. Quiiky is an LGBTQ+ tour company setting out to change all that through their Untold History Tours across Italy. From randy emperors in Rome to queer artists in Milan, we explore just a few of Italy’s prominent LGBTQ+ protagonists—whose enticing stories are told on a Quiiky tour.

Emperor Hadrian and Antonious – Rome

Hadrian and his lover Antinous are the most famous gay couple in Roman history—so well known that even the most obstinate history denier would struggle to label them as “just friends.” Antinous and Hadrian spent many years traveling together, but sadly, their love was cut short when Antinous drowned in the Nile during their globetrotting adventures. However, Hadrian proved that grief is love persevering by erecting an entire villa complex in his memory.

Villa Adriana is a vast complex, the size of a small city, located just an hour from Rome. To this day, it can be visited as an archaeological site consisting of thirty monumental, scenic buildings surrounded by stunning gardens—including the greatest Roman example of an Alexandrian garden in the world. What’s more, in 1998, archaeologists discovered what they claimed to be the monumental tomb of Antinous, or possibly a temple dedicated to him, at the villa.

Explore Hadrian’s Villa and hear the full tale on Quiiky’s Hadrian’s Villa in the Name of Antinous tour during your trip to Rome.

Leonardo da Vinci – Milan

As one of the greatest painters the world has ever known—and an innovative scientist and inventor besides—Leonardo da Vinci needs no introduction. Conversely, his private life remains the source of much debate.

Evidence shows he developed close relationships with his male students, including a twenty-year relationship with a “curly-haired youth” named Gian Giacomo de Caprotti, whom he met in Milan. The perfect contrast to Leonardo’s famously grumpy personality, Giacomo was something of a wild child, which earned him the nickname Salai (Lamb of Satan).

Learn more about their escapades on a visit to Milan by taking Quiiky’s On Leonardo da Vinci Footsteps or Leonardo Da Vinci Gay Tour – Quiiky Travel.

Emperor Nero – Rome

The fact that many of Rome’s emperors had homosexual dalliances is Italy’s worst-kept secret! However, Emperor Nero—the last Roman Emperor of the dynasty founded by Augustus—is a strong contender for being Italy’s gayest ruler, with many affairs with men recorded by writers of the time. Among his numerous homosexual activities, he married two male slaves—although one of them, Sporus, was under the rather grim circumstance of being forcibly castrated by Nero and then treated “as a wife.”

Get the full details about that and the other man-on-man activities of Italian emperors by taking the Homosexuality in Ancient Rome tour during your trip to Rome

Giovanni Antonio Bazzi – Turin 

Renaissance painter Giovanni Antonio Bazzi had a fabulously flamboyant fashion sense—but that wasn’t the only clue that he played for our team. Giovanni gained such a reputation for being homosexual that a historian who disliked him gave him the nickname Il Sodoma… which means exactly what you think it does: The Sodomite! Always a trendsetter, Giovanni showed the power of reclaiming an insult and began referring to himself by the name—until it stuck.

His art is considered fundamental in the transition from Renaissance to Mannerist style and, fittingly, celebrated the sensuous beauty of the human form.

Find out more about him—and eleven other LGBTQ+ historical figures—on Quiiky’s Turin: Quite Another Story tour. The two-hour tour will take you to all of Turin’s main sites like San Carlo Square, the Palatine Doors, and the Subalpine Gallery, while revealing the untold histories of the queer characters connected to them.

Eleonora Duse – Venice and Milan

Eleonora Duse was known as the “muse” of Italian theater in the 20th century and was one of the greatest actresses of her time. She famously said that to fully embody a part, one must succeed in “eliminating the self.” Talk about method acting.

Duse had many relationships with both men and women over her eventful life, including one with the iconic Italian feminist Lina Poletti.

Duse loved a good party, and visitors to Venice can explore the magnificent palaces where she, Winnaretta Singer, and Peggy Guggenheim once held exuberant shindigs on Quiiky’s Celebrating LGBT Women tour. Along the way, you'll also learn about other important LGBTQ+ women from the city. Alternatively, travelers stopping in Milan will hear more about her flair for drama—in every sense of the word—during the Opera and Drama in Milan tour.

The Etruscans – Tarquinia

Okay, technically not a singular character but an entire civilization with—let’s just say—open attitudes toward sexuality, the Etruscans were a pre-Roman people living in Central Italy. Moral judgments weren’t really their thing, and they were known for enjoying the finer things in life: lavish banquets and sexually charged parties.

Don’t believe it? Just look at their art—expressed through tomb paintings, feisty frescos, and amorous monuments depicting young men engaging in sexual acts—on a trip to Tarquinia. Located just two hours from Rome, the best way to see the city (and uncover its homoerotic secrets) is on The Sexuality of the Etruscans tour with Quiiky.

Oscar Wilde – Rome, Venice and Naples

Oscar Wilde’s sexuality was no secret, but the juicy details of the Irish poet’s eventful life still manage to shock and amaze. His love affair with Italy ran deep—he spent significant time in Rome, Venice, and Naples. The 19th century wasn’t kind to gay men, and Wilde often found refuge in Italy, especially after his imprisonment in England.

His legacy lingers across the country, and walking in his footsteps offers a unique LGBTQ+ lens on Italy’s cultural landscape. Quiiky offers tours in Rome, Venice, and Naples that pay tribute to a man whose name—and razor-sharp wit—still echo in the hearts of queer people around the world.

Quiiky Untold History Tours

Quiiky is the leading expert in LGBTQ+ tours and travel experiences in Italy. On their Untold History Tours across the country, you’ll uncover the stories of iconic LGBTQ+ figures from Italian history—like the ones mentioned above—and many more.

So whether it’s the gay-themed art revealing the fluid sexuality of the Etruscans in Tarquinia, Leonardo da Vinci’s private affairs in Milan, or the wild sexual adventures of Rome’s gay emperors that pique your interest, Quiiky offers immersive experiences that bring LGBTQ+ history to life—stories you won’t hear anywhere else.

As for where to stay, Palazzo Moresco makes for the perfect—and perfectly luxurious—home base for LGBTQ+ history buffs. This stunning Art Nouveau palace, blending Moorish and Sicilian styles, is tucked away in the peaceful seaside town of Santa Marinella, just 30 minutes from Rome and 10 minutes from the popular cruise port of Civitavecchia. The resort boasts rooms with sea views and first-class amenities, including a sun-drenched garden, indulgent spa, elegant cocktail bar, elevated Italian dining, and even a barbecue area with a traditional brick, wood-fired oven.

Italy’s LGBTQ+ history is everywhere—from the ruins of Rome to the palaces of Venice—and thanks to Quiiky, no one will ever mistake its diverse cast of queer characters for “just friends” again.