Via Appia Antica began as a strategic Roman road and now runs through a protected landscape of ruins, tombs, and countryside. Its surviving stretches make the engineering and reach of Rome’s road network tangible at walking pace.
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The Appian Way was designed to move people and armies efficiently out of Rome. Begun in 312 BCE under censor Appius Claudius Caecus, the road first connected Rome with Capua, supporting military movement during the Samnite Wars.
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- Construction began in 312 BCE under Appius Claudius Caecus.
- The first major section linked Rome with Capua.
- The road was later extended to the port of Brindisi.
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