The Appian Way: Rome’s First Great Road

The Appian Way (Via Appia) was the first of the great Roman roads, and it was the model for the entire Roman road network that eventually stretched across three continents. Begun in 312 BCE by the censor Appius Claudius Caecus, the road originally ran from Rome southeast to the city of Capua, the gateway to southern Italy. It was later extended to the port of Brundisium (modern Brindisi) on the Adriatic coast, the main point of departure for travelers to Greece and the eastern Mediterranean. The Appian Way was the road along which the Roman legions marched south to fight the Samnites, the Pyrrhic Wars, and the Punic Wars; the road along which the apostles Peter and Paul traveled to Rome; the road along which the emperor Honorius retreated before Alaric the Goth in 410 CE; the road along which the great Roman aqueducts carried water from the mountains. Today, the Appian Way is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and large sections of the original Roman road are still in use after 2,300 years.

This page is a complete guide to the Appian Way. It explains the history, the engineering, the famous sites along the road, and the modern legacy. It links back to the Roman Engineering cluster, the Roman Republic cluster, and the Roman Forum page.

The Construction of the Appian Way

The Appian Way was begun in 312 BCE by the censor Appius Claudius Caecus, who also built the Aqua Appia, the first Roman aqueduct, and the Basilica Porcia, the first Roman basilica. The road was built in the typical Roman fashion: a trench was dug in the soft volcanic tufa of the Roman countryside, and the road was laid down in four layers:

The statumen, a foundation of large, flat stones set in the trench.
The rudus, a layer of rubble mixed with lime mortar, compacted by hand.
The nucleus, a finer layer of concrete, also compacted.
The summum dorsum, the curving paved surface, made of polygonal basalt blocks fitted tightly together.

The road was cambered to shed water, and drainage ditches ran along either side. The total width was about 4.2 meters (14 Roman feet) for a single carriage, with side lanes for foot traffic and animals. The road was bordered by tombs and monuments, because it was illegal under Roman law to bury the dead within the city walls.

The Appian Way was extended in stages. The original road reached Capua in 312 BCE. The road was extended to Beneventum in 268 BCE, to Tarentum (Taranto) in 232 BCE, and to Brundisium in 264 BCE. The total length of the road, from Rome to Brundisium, was about 540 km (335 miles).

The Engineering of the Appian Way

The Appian Way is one of the great engineering works of the ancient world. The road is a marvel of durability, with large sections of the original pavement still in use after 2,300 years. The Roman road was built to last, and it has lasted. The Roman road was also built to be usable in all weather, and the drainage system was so effective that the road was passable even in the heaviest rain.

The Appian Way includes several famous engineering works. The most impressive is the bridge over the river Aesis, near the modern town of Jesi in the Marche, which still carries traffic after 2,200 years. The road also includes a series of cuts, embankments, and viaducts in the difficult terrain of the Apennines and the Apulian plain.

The Famous Sites along the Appian Way

The Appian Way is lined with some of the most famous tombs and monuments of the ancient world. The most important are:

The Tomb of Caecilia Metella, a circular mausoleum built around 50 BCE for the daughter-in-law of the dictator Sulla. The tomb was later incorporated into a medieval castle.
The Catacombs of San Callisto, a vast underground cemetery that served as the burial place of many early Christian popes and martyrs.
The Catacombs of San Sebastiano, an early Christian cemetery named after the martyr San Sebastiano, who was buried there.
The Baths of Caracalla, the great imperial baths of Rome, which are visible from the road near the city walls.
The Church of San Sebastiano fuori le mura, a medieval church built over the tomb of San Sebastiano.
The Circus of Maxentius, a Roman circus built in the early fourth century CE.

The Appian Way is also the setting for some of the most famous events of Roman history. In 73 BCE, the slave Spartacus and his army were crucified along the Appian Way after their final defeat. In 71 BCE, the Roman general Crassus celebrated his triumph over Spartacus along the Appian Way. In 44 BCE, the body of Julius Caesar was burned on the Rostra in the Forum, and the crowd carried the firebrands along the Appian Way. In 67 CE, the apostle Paul was arrested and brought to Rome along the Appian Way. In 410 CE, Alaric and the Visigoths marched up the Appian Way to sack Rome.

The Decline of the Appian Way

The Appian Way began to decline in the late Empire. The Christian emperors moved the seat of government away from Rome, and the southern roads were less used. The road was damaged by the Gothic and Vandal invasions of the fifth century, and it was never fully repaired. The road survived, however, and large sections of the original pavement are still visible.

In the Middle Ages, the Appian Way was used by the popes, the pilgrims, and the merchants. The road was an important pilgrimage route, and several medieval churches were built along it. In the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the road was used by the Roman nobility, and many of the original Roman monuments were restored or modified.

The Modern Appian Way

The Appian Way is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Italy. The road is managed by the Italian government, and major restoration projects are ongoing. The Appian Way is a popular destination for cyclists and tourists, and the most famous stretch, between Rome and the tomb of Caecilia Metella, is closed to most motor traffic on Sundays.

The Appian Way is a reminder of the great achievements of Roman engineering, and of the long continuity of European history. The road is still a road, and it still connects the center of Rome with the south of Italy. The original Roman pavement, the medieval bridges, the Renaissance villas, and the modern traffic all share the same road.