The Via Appia

Via Appia Antica: The Romans themselves called the Via Appia the queen of roadways. Dating back to the 4th century BC, it was the first road not to be named after its destination or its function; it was named after its builder Appius Claudius Caecus who was also responsible for building Rome's first aqueduct.

The road went as far as Brindisi, the most important port of the Adriatic and from where the Romans set sail in their conquests of the East. It was, then, a military road but also an essential means of travel for tourists who, even in ancient times, set off to visit Greece and the East. It was 14 Roman feet wide, equivalent to just over 4 meters.
Lined with beaten earth sidewalks and edged with volcanic basalt, the Via Appia was later paved with stone. Tombs and mausoleums of extraordinary beauty, as well as wealthy villas, lined the road. It was because there were burial places in the area that the most important Roman Catacombs were located here.