The Appian Way Route in Rome

A walk along the Appian Way is a journey into the past. Along the way, you will see many ancient attractions surrounded by magnificent views.

Antique Appian Way, photo by Stijn Nieuwendijk

About the road

Since ancient times, the Appian Way has been called the “Queen of Roads”. For our contemporaries, it causes genuine admiration. Of course, this ancient path has already been partially poured with modern asphalt, however, in many of its sections, a genuine coating of tightly fitting, time-polished stones has been preserved. Surprisingly, the ancient Roman roads were built according to the strict approved rules - the "Laws of the XII tables", published in 450 BC. The Appian Way along with part of the territory of Rome in 1988 acquired the status of an archaeological park (Parco Regionale Della'Appia Antica).

Looking at the erased stones of the Appian Way, over which the beauties of the pine trees rise majestically, we feel a sense of belonging to the great history. On these cobblestones, even before the birth of Christ, the hooves of horses and sandals of Roman legionnaires were walking; here for centuries roaring chariots passed and mournful funeral processions passed.

The road from Rome to the south was built from 312 to 244. BC under the censor of Appia Claudius Tseke, and she stretched from Rome to Capua, was later extended to Brundisia (today Brindisi). She connected Rome with Greece, Egypt and Asia Minor. The official name of this ancient path is the Old Appian Way (Via Appia Antica). There is a new road - Appia Nuova. It was laid in the XVIII century, from Rome to the Albanian lake.

Along the Appian Way from Rome to Capua in 71 BC e. more than 6 thousand captive slaves were crucified after the suppression of the uprising of Spartacus.

How to get and how best to travel on the Appian Way

Walking along the Appian Way is not very convenient. It takes a long time to go to the main attractions of the historical park. Sidewalks are not laid along the road, and snuggling every minute to the edge of a narrow half-meter curb, passing racing cars and swallowing dust is a little pleasure.

It is most convenient to drive the entire route by car. You can take the Archeobas tourist bus at Termini Station. The bus offers tourists an audio guide (there is accompaniment in Russian).

You can also get to Via Appia Antica by scheduled routes: by bus 118 from Piramide metro station or by bus No. 218 from Lateran Hill, from San Giovanni Cathedral.

Walk along the ancient Appian Way

Gate of St. Sebastian

Porta Appia (later the “Gate of St. Sebastian”), photo by Alvaro de Alvariis

The first point on the Appian Way is the gates of San Sebastiano (Porta San Sebastiano). In front of the gate, fifty meters high, stands the Arch of Drusus the Elder (Arco di Druso). This building once supported the Aqua Antonian aqueduct, which supplied water to the baths of Caracalla, then it was attached with two walls to the Port of San Sebastiano. Now these walls are destroyed, the surviving arch stands separately.

The gates of San Sebastiano were part of the wall of Aurelian. These are the largest surviving antique Roman gates. They were built in stages, at different times. The difference is clearly visible in the architecture of the building. The lower level, built in the III century A.D. of rough stone, was low, squat, rectangular in plan. This building was called the Appia Gate (Porta Appia), it was considered the beginning of the Appian Way.

In the V century, the gates were strengthened and built up, adding two semicircular towers made of dense Roman brickwork, with neatly designed window openings and straight teeth. If you stop, take a closer look and go around the building from all sides, you can see a lot of interesting things on these old walls. Ancient Roman "graffiti", just like in our time left by city dwellers, has been preserved. Among these household inscriptions there are significant meanings in other languages ​​made by pilgrims. In the early Christian period, believers walked through the gates to the Basilica of San Sebastiano and the catacombs located nearby.

Over the past centuries, the gates of San Sebastiano have seen a lot. From the fifth to the sixteenth century, they were leased to Roman merchants, who received the right to levy a duty on imported goods. Twice during the 16th century, the gates served as a triumphal arch and were lavishly decorated with columns and sculptures. This happened in April 1536, when Charles V triumphantly entered Rome, and in December 1571, when Emperor Marcantonio Colonna met after the victory at Lepanto. Then a huge crowd gathered to watch the fettered Turkish prisoners lead through the archway.

Now in the gate building of San Sebastiano a small museum is open. The exposition of Museo delle Mura illustrates the history of the development of fortifications of ancient Rome. You can climb the tower stairs, take a walk along the walls and view ancient defensive structures from a height. Entrance to the exposition is free; the day off at the museum is Monday.

Dominee Quo Wadis

Church of Dominee Quo Vadis, photo Alvaro de Alvariis

Near the gate is a small temple Domine quo Vadis (Domine quo vadis), the official name is Santa Maria in Palmis (Santa Maria in Palmis).

"Domine, Quo Vadis?" - this is how the words “Where are you going, Lord” in Latin with which the apostle Peter, who fled from Rome, turned to Christ, sound like this. And Jesus answered: "Where I will be crucified again!" Peter felt ashamed, he returned to the city and received a martyrdom.

Footprints of Jesus (copy), photo by PharaosWaechter

At the site of a legendary meeting in the 9th century, this church was erected. At first she was very small. In 1637, it was rebuilt by the will of Cardinal Francesco Barberini. Inside the temple there is a holy relic - a stone slab on which the footprints of Jesus were imprinted (a copy of the slab is stored in the Domine Quo Vadis temple, the original is in another basilica - in San Sebastiano fuori le Mura). A constant stream of pilgrims passed through the Appieva road and a small temple. People went to Egypt and Greece, to Asia Minor. In the ancient sanctuary, travelers for the last time before a long journey prayed, turning to the Lord with requests for a safe return. On a stone slab with footprints of the Savior's feet, a farewell warning was issued to all those walking with the wishes of a successful journey.

Cafarella Park

You can continue the journey from the temple in different ways. It is possible to park the car and go for a walk in the large Park Cafarella (Parco della Caffarella) on foot or by bicycle.

Cafarella Park, photo by Riccardo Galeazzi

Carfarella is a medieval pastoral park, which has no analogues in Roman surroundings. This is a surprisingly picturesque landscape with groves, caves and streams, with vast juicy meadows and herds of grazing sheep. There are no signs of modern civilization in the form of familiar cafes or restaurants. There are only drinking fountains, and also a sheep farm where you can buy real ricotta. This habitat is 78 species of animals and birds.

In the park you will find several monuments of Antiquity and the Middle Ages:

• The Nymphaeum of Egeria (II century A.D.) was built by Herod Atticus in memory of his wife Annia Regilla.
• Tomb of Annia Regilla is a well-preserved two-story cenotaph.
• Valka Tower - a building of the XII century. from tuff blocks.
• Roman tank I n. e.
• Columbarius Constantine (II century A.D.), in the Middle Ages was converted into a water mill.
• The sacred grove that Herod Atticus commanded to plant.
• Church of St. Urban (II century A.D.) is an ancient Roman church, converted to the church in the Middle Ages.

Read about the activities of the Kafarella park at www.caffarella.it.

After a walk and rest, you can move on along the Appian Way.

Catacombs of St. Callist

There is another option. Without going into the park, immediately turn towards the catacombs of San Callisto. These are the largest Christian catacombs in Rome, which were used for burials in the II-IV centuries.

In the catacombs of San Callisto

The Catacombe di San Callisto (Catacombe di San Callisto) stretched for many kilometers along the Appian Way. In ancient times, burying the dead in Rome was prohibited. The townspeople took out the bodies of the deceased outside the city and interred there, blocking them in multi-tiered dungeons.

The "city of the dead" is cool and gloomy. Narrow stone corridors between walled niches. The staircase of Pope Damasius leads down to the papal Crypt, where 9 pontiffs rested, and to the tomb of St. Cecilia. If you stand in the far corner of Cecilia’s cubes, you can see several frescoes on the walls. These valuable paintings date back to the 8th-9th centuries.

5 cubes of the Holy Mysteries in the catacombs of St. Callistus were intended for the burial of members of one family. Their walls are decorated with frescoes of the III century, which depict the sacraments of baptism, the Eucharist and the general resurrection.

Behind the cubes, the Stairs of the Martyrs begins (2nd century), funeral processions with the bodies of the murdered popes descended into the catacombs along it.

The cubes of the Sacraments are adjoined by a section of St. Miltiad (II c.). It connects the crypts of the popes and St. Cecilia with the crypt of Lutsina, in which the pope martyr Cornelius was buried.

In the catacombs of St. Callist you will find a lot of valuable historical and practical information about the types of burial niches in the catacombs; about the culture of underground burials, adopted by the Gentiles, Christians and Jews.

After visiting the dungeon, I want to take a break from gloomy impressions and in silence distract myself from thoughts "about the eternal." Near the catacombs is a cozy shady park where you can just sit and listen to the birds singing.

The working hours of the catacombs of St. Callistus

VT-Sun 09:00 - 12:00 and 14:00 - 17:00.
Mon - day off.

The dungeons are exclusively accompanied by a guide. Tickets are sold at the box office nearby.

Tickets

Full ticket - € 8;
children (7-15 years old) - € 5.

All information on the website www.catacombe.roma.it.

Read about other catacombs in Rome here.

St. Sebastian's Basilica outside the city walls

San Sebastiano Fuori Le Mura, photo Timothy Hart

The Basilica of St. Sebastian outside the city walls (Basilica di San Sebastiano fuori le mura - San Sebastiano Fuori le Mura) is located above the catacombs of St. Sebastian. The gate of San Sebastiano was named after this basilica. The church was consecrated in honor of the holy martyr Sebastian (Roman legionnaire), who lived during the reign of Emperor Diocletian.

There is a tradition that in the local catacombs (now the catacombs of San Sebastiano), Christians kept the relics of Saints Peter and Paul from desecrating. The relics of the Apostle Paul are still contained in the basilica built over the catacombs in the 4th century. Initially, the temple was called Basilica Apostolorum. It was destroyed by barbarians and nothing is known of its pristine appearance today. During the reconstruction, a building was erected with a modest Baroque facade, a wide triangular pediment and a portico, in which granite columns from the first ancient Roman basilica were preserved.

The history of San Sebastiano Fuori-le-Mour is closely connected with the early Christian catacombs and the feat of the martyr Sebastian. A young Roman Sebastian, educated in Milan, served as the head of the imperial guard. He secretly professed Christianity and preached a new faith to his comrades. For this, Sebastian was sentenced to death, his body pierced with several arrows. However, the martyr miraculously survived, did not renounce the faith and continued to preach Christianity. The enraged Diocletian commanded to stone Sebastian and throw the body into the Roman Great Cesspool. After that, one Roman, Christian Lucin, had a vision. Sebastian appeared to her in a dream and asked to take his body out of the cesspool to be buried in the catacombs, in the Christian tradition.

Saint Sebastian, photo :: Marco ::

The relics of the holy martyr were stored for a long time in the crypt under the basilica. In the IX century they were transported to the Cathedral of St. Peter, to protect from raiding Saracens. In the restored basilica, in the chapel of St. Sebastian, particles of the incorrupt relics of the holy martyr are now stored. The tombstone was made by the sculptor Giorgetti, according to the sketch of Lorenzo Bernini. There are other relics in the temple: an arrow that pierced the body of the saint; fragment of the column to which it was tied.

And here you can see the original of the same stone slab with traces of Jesus' feet, a copy of which we saw in Domina Kuo Vadis.

Inside the church looks modest, almost ascetic. Her only bright decoration is a beautiful coffered ceiling, which depicts Saint Sebastian.

Catacombs of St. Sebastian

Catacombs of St. Sebastian (Catacombe di San Sebastiano), photo by joseph guinigundo

The catacombs of St. Sebastian (Catacombe di San Sebastiano) are more modest in size than the underground cemetery of San Callisto, and there are much fewer people who want to descend into them. However, they go to these dungeons only accompanied by a guide - it is easy to get lost in the labyrinths. Entrance costs € 8.

Initially, there were pagan burials in the catacombs, later they were used by Christians. They were called the catacombs of St. Sebastian in the 11th century, since they were located next to the Basilica of St. Sebastian, where today the relics of the saint are stored, and in the Christian catacombs there is a crypt of St. Sebastian. At a depth of 9 m, 3 mausoleums were cut down, where wall paintings were preserved.

See www.catacombe.org for more information.

Villa Maxentia

Villa Maxentia (Villa di Massenzio), photo Walking Center Italia

Villa Maxentia (Villa di Massenzio) - or rather, the ruins of red brick buildings that stand out beautifully on a grassy field. The first buildings on this site appeared in the 1st century. BC e. In the IV century, the Roman emperor Maxentius began a large-scale reconstruction of the villa in his palace.

Once it was a grandiose complex of buildings. It included the palace of the emperor Maxentius, the family mausoleum and a huge circus. After the death of the cruel emperor, all this splendor was steadily destroyed and taken away by Roman citizens. The authorities thought about the reconstruction of the ancient monument only in 1960, in preparation for the Olympics.

Until the 19th century, historians considered this complex to be the villa of Caracal, however, with detailed studies, it was found that the villa was built by Maxentius. Even those few fragments that have remained to our time from Villa Maxentia impress the observer both close and at a distance.

The best preserved circus, built in the years 306-312. At one time, it accommodated up to 10 thousand spectators. The path on which the chariot races took place stretched more than half a kilometer in length. The remains of two high pylon towers have survived, but nothing was left of the 12 exit gates for the chariots that were placed between them. The richly decorated imperial box located above the gate has not survived. In the arena stood an obelisk of Domitian, about 17 meters high. In the middle of the XVII century he was moved to Piazza Navona - there he entered the sculptural group of the fountain of the Four Rivers and still stands.

In historical documents there is no information about the competitions held in this circus. The complex was dedicated to the memory of Valery Romulus - the prematurely deceased son of the emperor. Apparently, it was intended to hold games in memory of the imperial heir.

The tomb of Valery Romulus is located nearby. This large mausoleum was built for the entire Maxentius family, including the emperor himself, but only his son was buried there. Researchers believe that a huge dome, similar to the dome of the Pantheon, once towered above this building. Over time, he was irretrievably lost.

You can visit Villa Maxentia every day, except Monday, from 10:00 to 16:00. Official website: www.villadimassenzio.it.

Tomb of Cecilia Metella

Tomb of Cecilia Metella and the fortress of Caetani, photo JackRoma

One of the symbols of the Appian Way is the Tomb of Cecilia Metella (Mausoleo di Cecilia Metella). Aristocrat Cecilia was the daughter of the consul Quinto Metello Cretico, the wife of Crassus. The mausoleum was built to demonstrate the power of a noble family.

The 11-meter round tower, lined with pink travertine, today stands in ruins. Presumably this monument has existed here since 50 BC. This burial structure was the first construction of this type, replacing the traditional Etruscan barrows.The tower at the beginning had a conical end, but it was destroyed in the Middle Ages.

Cecilia Metella Mausoleum (Mausoleo di Cecilia Metella), photo by Agnieszka Eile

The mausoleum became part of Caetani Castle. It was used by the owners as a defensive tower, so dovetail prongs appeared over its upper tier. The remains of Cecilia Metella were moved to the Palazzo Farnese; since then the tomb has stood empty.

On the wall of the tomb are walled fragments of ancient reliefs. Skillful ornaments and sockets, parts of marble sculptures are on display. The upper part of the wall of the round tower is decorated with images of bull heads. This design feature of the mausoleum gave the name of the entire surrounding area - it is called Capo di Bove (Capo di Bove - Head of a bull).

Church of St. Nicholas in Capo di Beauvais

Sant Nicola a Capo di Beauvais, photo chromonster

From the tomb of Cecilia we set off across the road. Opposite are the surviving exterior walls of the Gothic St. Nicholas Church in Capo di Beauvais (Chiesa di San Nicola a Capo di Bove - San Nicola a Capo di Beauvais). This temple, together with the mausoleum of Cecilia, defensive and farm buildings, stables and residential buildings, was part of the Caetani family possessions - a noble family, from which several cardinals and even two pontiffs came out at different times.

In the 14th century, a church was built in the courtyard of the Caetani fortress. They consecrated it in honor of St. Nicholas of Bari. The powerful Caetani family lost their privileges in the XIV-XV century; their possessions were divided between several aristocratic clans. Over time, most of the buildings of Caetani Castle were dismantled for building materials or collapsed from time to time. The skeleton of the church was restored in the last century, but the roof of the building was never restored.

The journey along the Old Appian Way is good to complete with a decent lunch in the cozy restaurant "L'Archeologia" (Via Appia Antica, 139) or "Cecilia Metella" (Via Appia Antica, 125/127/129).

Watch the video: Rome Baths of the Villa of the Quintilii near the Appian Way (December 2024).