Appian Way: Encyclopedia - Appian Way

Appian Way

The Appian Way (Latin: Via Appia) is the most important Roman road. It was called regina viarum, "the queen of the roads."

Its construction was started in 312 BC by the consul Appius Claudius Caecus on an existing track that connected Rome with the Alban Hills (this road has been thought to be the one that originally brought Latins from Alba Longa to the future capital).

The original track of the Appian Way connected Rome (from Porta San Sebastiano in the Aurelian Walls, near the Baths of Caracalla) with Ariccia, Forum Appii, Terracina, Fondi, Formia, Minturnae (Minturno), Sinuessa (Mondragone) and finally Capua.

The road was later extended (190 BC) to Benevento (Beneventum) and Venosa which was founded at that time and populated by 20,000 Roman farmers, and still later carried to Taranto (Tarentum) and Brindisi (Brundisium).

The Via Appia Traiana would soon have more linearly connected Benevento with Aecae (Troia), Canusium (Canosa) and Barium (Bari).

In 71 BC six thousand slaves rebelling under Spartacus, having been captured after his final defeat and death, were crucified along this road by Marcus Licinius Crassus.

After the fall of the Roman empire, the road fell out of use; Pope Pius VI ordered its restoration.

Wide parts of the original road have been preserved, and some are now used by cars (for example, in the area of Velletri). Along the part of the road closest to Rome, one can see many tombs and catacombs of Roman and early Christian origin. Also the Church of Domine Quo Vadis is in the first mile of the road.

The Via Appia was also the site of the first milestones.

A new Appian Way was built in parallel with the old one in 1784.

Categories: Roman roads | Monuments and sights of Rome

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Appian Way", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki