Appian Way, Ancient road in Rome, Italy
The Appian Way runs 430 miles from Rome to Brindisi along a path of large basalt blocks fitted closely without mortar. The roadbed crosses farmland past ruins of villas, aqueducts, and milestones that once told travelers how far they stood from the city center.
Appius Claudius Caecus ordered construction to begin in 312 BC as a military corridor to move troops south during wars with the Samnites. Later extensions pushed the route farther toward Brindisi, linking Rome to ports that opened trade and passage east across the Mediterranean.
Stone-carved tombs line both sides of the ancient roadbed, built by families who wanted their dead remembered by everyone traveling past. Two major catacombs beneath the surface hold thousands of early Christian burials arranged in corridors that extend for miles underground.
Metro or bus lines from central Rome drop visitors near the starting gate at Porta San Sebastiano, where bike rental shops offer an easier way to cover long distances. The first few kilometers hold the best-preserved pavement and monuments, while farther sections become rougher and less accessible on foot.
A 62-kilometer stretch near Terracina runs perfectly straight without any turn, making it the longest such segment in Europe. Roman surveyors managed this alignment by sighting across distant peaks and draining marshland to keep the roadbed level and direct.
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