Appian Way
The Via Appia ( Appian Way ) is a Roman road construction, started in 312 BC under the consul Appius Claudius Caecus. Today the Via Appia is a state road 7 (SS7 ) is an important part of the national trunk road network and has to a large extent the same route as the ancient road. It leads over a length of about 540 km from Rome to Brindisi.
Where the ancient path is not built over by the modern road, the ancient paving is often preserved or excavated. These parts of the old road are usually referred to as the Via Appia Antica, for example in Rome, the Roman suburbs Ciampino and Marino, in Terracina, Mondragone, Caserta, Matera. The modern road is called contrast Via Appia Nuova.
The first suburban miles of the Via Appia Antica in the southeast of Rome are an archaeological attraction of rank and a popular recreation area. The road and its surroundings are protected as a regional park in front of the other approach of suburban development. As arterial road, the Appia was lined in antiquity by tombs of estates and spas. In addition to numerous above-ground monuments can be found on the edge of the road some excavations and the entrances to several early Christian catacombs.
- 4.1 tombs along the Appian Way
- 4.2 Touristic development
The ancient highway
History and road
The Via Appia was begun 312 BC by Appius Claudius Caecus. It begins in Rome at the Porta Capena. Originally, the initially still unpaved Via Appia only 195 miles to Capua and served the military supplies against the Samnites. To 190 BC, the road was extended to Brundisium (now Brindisi), which rose to become the most important trading center for goods and slaves from the Orient. The Via Appia was thus one of the most important trade routes in Italy or even the Roman Empire. Not coincidentally, she was already in antiquity the epithet Regina Viarum, "queen of roads ".
In the Pontine plain the Via Appia runs 62 km long straight - until now the longest straight road in Europe.
The original route went via Benevento and Taranto to Brindisi. Emperor Trajan had of Benevento, an additional route ( Via Appia Traiana ) about Bari Creating (114 AD), which was an abbreviation of one to two days' journey. This meant that the travel time Rome - Brindisi of about fourteen days was reduced to twelve to thirteen days.
Military events
As had been defeated by the third slave revolt Spartacus, 6,000 supporters of the uprising along this road were crucified.
Ecclesiastical tradition
In the tradition of the Church is the Via Appia, the road, returned to the Peter finally to Rome: " Domine, quo vadis? ". At the beginning of the Via Appia, therefore, is the chapel of Santa Maria in Palmis.
Decay
As of late antiquity continued the decline of the road by a lack of maintenance. Still 536 Belisarius took advantage of the Gothic war, the Via Appia to march on Rome. But above all, by the progressive silting up of the Pontine plain of the northern part of the road became less and less available. The task of Tres Tabernae marked the final decline.
Modal shift in the Middle Ages
To circumvent the Pontine Marshes, was replaced the Via Appia between Cisterna di Latina and Terracina through the Via Pedemontana along the Monti Lepini. In the north -south traffic on Via Casilina took over the role of the Via Appia.
The modern Via Appia
A modern highway that follows for long stretches of the ancient Via Appia, was built in 1784. In the area of the Pontine Marshes, the Via Appia was only able to regain its relevance with the drainage in the 1930s. Today it is called state road ( strada Statale, abbreviation SS) 7 Via Appia.
In Rome, the Via Appia Nuova begins at the Porta San Giovanni. It runs north-east of the ancient road and opens up next to the various Rome Ciampino Airport. In statuario quarter it approaches the Appia Antica on a mile; from there to the distance decreased slowly but continuously until the Appia Nuova opens in Frattochie, a district of Marino, on the route of the ancient road.
Another route in the area of Rome is the Via Appia Pignatelli, which branches off circa one kilometers behind Domine quo vadis of the Appia Antica to in the neighborhoods ' Miglia Quarto (fourth mile, with reference to the Via Appia ) and statuary in the Appia Nuova to lead.
The Regional Park of Via Appia Antica in Rome
Main article: Via Appia Antica
The first suburban miles of the Via Appia Antica in the southeast of Rome are an archaeological attraction of rank and a popular recreation area. 1951, the Appia Antica was cut from the Roman orbital motorway into two parts; now this damage has been repaired by the highway, the Appia passes under a tunnel. Since 1988, the Via Appia Antica and its surroundings are protected as a regional park in front of the other approach of suburban development.
The ancient road began at the Circus Maximus; this first section ( Viale delle Terme di Caracalla ) along the Baths of Caracalla is now massively overbuilt. From the Piazza di Porta Capena runs the Appia, first as Via di Porta San Sebastiano, as a narrow side street on neuzeitlichem plaster, mostly shady locked between high walls, on Sundays for through traffic. At the Porta San Sebastiano it breaks through the Aurelian Walls. From there it leads out to be a Via Appia Antica from Rome. From the chapel of Santa Maria in Palmis ( Domine quo vadis, see above) is lined by the archaeological treasures the road. From the junction of the Via Appia Pignatelli, before for the first time exposed antique paving, local traffic is only allowed.
The most famous sights are the catacombs, Maxentiusvilla, the tomb of Cecilia Metella and the Villa Quintili; in addition, there are numerous smaller relics from tombs and other buildings. The longest section of path with antique patch is located near the Metella tomb.
On Via Capanne di Marino reached the modern pavement. In the last two kilometers before it joins the SS7 the ancient road is overgrown up on an exposed site and leaving it open to see the relief and a trail. This section gives an idea of how much of the ancient road may have looked before its rediscovery in the Renaissance.
Tombs along the Appian Way
As a Roman law commanded that no deaths in the area of housing estates were allowed to be buried, it was generally along the arterial roads. Since the Appian Way one of the main roads represented, they allowed the people buried here and their families with their tombs a good way of representing their reputation and assets. Along the Via Appia not very many graves are thus created, but also a series built by large grave monuments. Very famous is especially the tomb of Cecilia Metella.
In general, there are three graves types that are here to visit on the Via Appia:
- Catacombs, so underground mass beaten into the ground niche graves, which was primarily intended for the burial of the poorer people. The most famous catacombs on the Appian Way, the Catacombs of San Sebastian, Catacomb of Domitilla and San Callisto Catacombs.
- Smaller and medium-sized grave monuments
- Imposing grave monuments
Touristic development
The Via Appia Antica is a popular destination of the Romans. They can walk or bike tour. Near Domine quo vadis there is a bike rental. As a shuttle runs from the Stazione Termini, a Archeobus. The regional train stop in S. Maria d Mole makes it possible to hike the entire Appia Antica until just before the confluence of SS7.