ANCIENT APPIAN WAY

The queen of all Roman Roads!

We will catch a bus from the Colosseum to reach the most fascinating ancient Roman road to walk along the ancient Appian Way, see part of the route and the enjoy the fantastic Roman Countryside surrounded by history and nature. This will give the opportunity to talk about Roman events, mythological stories and everyday life in a quiet, peaceful atmosphere loved by hikers and bikers . Built in 312 BC by the censor Appius Claudius Caecus, this was the first road to be paved with basalt stones thanks to the eruption of the Alban Hills and representing a symbol of great engineering skills. We will visit the suburban Quintili Villa, home of two brothers and consuls, which was confiscated by the Emperor Commodus.

We will then walk for a couple of kms before stopping for a snack and eventually enter the iconic Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella. A bus ride will get us back to the centre of the city, unless you want to stay longer to have a tour of the catacombs

DURATION: 5 HOURS (AM, not on mondays, including round-trip bus tickets; participants have to buy their Appia ticket to access the Quintili Villa and the Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella at the cost of 8€ (2€ for under 25, free for under 18)
Meeting outside metro Colosseum at 8.30 am
walk is about 3 miles, mostly on archaelogical and uneven grounds
In case you want to visit the catacombs (underground Christian cemeteries) at the end of our tour you need to consider an extra hour. You can buy your ticket on the spot but, since I cannot guide you down there, I will show you where to catch the bus back

HOW TO ARRIVE: metro Colosseo on blue line

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