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The Appian Way ( Latin: Via Appia) is a famous road built by the Romans. It is the most important among the Roman roads; it was called regina viarum, the queen of the roads.
Its construction was started in 312 BC by the consul Appius Claudius Caecus, restructuring an existing track that connected Rome with the Alban Hills (this road has been supposed to be the one that originally brought Latins from Albalonga to the future capital, at the time of its founding).
The original track of the Appian Way connected Rome (heading in the area of Terme di Caracalla) with Ariccia , Forum Appii, Terracina , Fondi, Formia, Minturnae (Minturno), Sinuessa (Mondragone) and finally Capua.
The road was later extended ( 190 BC) to BeneventoBenevento is a town and archiepiscopal see of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, 32 miles northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill 400 ft. above sea-level at the confluence of the Calore and Sabbato. Estimated population in 1997 w (Beneventum) and Venosa which was founded at that time and populated by 20,000 Roman farmers; in a following epoch it was extended to TarantoTaranto is a city in southern Italy. It is the capital of Taranto province, and is also a port, and is located on the Gulf of Taranto, in Apulia region. It is about midway down the western coast of the peninsula that forms Italy's heel. According to the 2 (Tarentum) and Brindisi ( BrundisiumBrundisium (Gr. Bpsvrktov mod. Brindisi) was an important harbour town of Calabria (in the ancient sense), Italy, on the east-south-east coast. The name is said to mean "stag's head" in the Messapian dialect, in allusion to the shape of the harbour. Tradi).
The Via Appia Traiana would soon have more linearly connected Benevento with Aecae (Troia), Canusium (Canosa) and Barium ( BariBari is the second largest continental city of Southern Italy, with a population of 326,201 (2001) along 116 sq. Capital of Apulia (or Puglia) region, on the Adriatic Sea, its province is the fifth largest and most populated in Italy, with 1,551,331 inhab).
In 71 BC six thousand slaves rebelling under SpartacusSpartacus was a Roman slave who led a large slave uprising in what is now Italy, then the Italian Peninsula, in 73 71 BC. His army of escaped gladiators and slaves defeated several Roman legions in what is known as the Third Servile War''. Other names for, having been captured after his final defeat and death, were crucified along this road by PompeyThis article refers to the Roman General. However, Pompey is also the nickname of the city of Portsmouth in Hampshire, England, and also of its principal football club, Portsmouth F. Pompey is not to be confused with the Roman city of Pompeii. Gnaeus Pomp.
After the fall of the Roman empire, the road was not used as before; Pope Pius VI ordered its restoration and brought it into new use.
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.