Appian Way Regional Park Park

Address: Parco Regionale dell’Appia Antica, Via Appia Antica, Rome, Italy

Website: http://www.parcoappiaantica.it/en/

Hours: Park open daily; archaeological sites have varying hours (e.g., Catacombs often open 9am-4pm)

Admission: Park free to enter; individual monuments and archaeological sites along the Appian Way may have separate admission (e.g., Catacombs).

Appian Way Regional Park protects a corridor of the ancient Roman road the Via Appia and adjacent archaeological landscapes on the southern outskirts of Rome. The park conserves tombs, mausolea, catacombs and other monuments from antiquity through the imperial period.

Key places within the park include funerary monuments, sections of original Roman paving, early Christian catacombs and large imperial-era complexes such as the Circus of Maxentius. Much of the site is experienced on foot or by bicycle along the preserved road and its parallel green spaces.

The Via Appia was begun in 312 BC under the censor Appius Claudius Caecus and subsequently extended over centuries to become a major Roman artery. Over time the roadside was used for burials and monumental tomb construction, and the modern park preserves these layers of use and monumental remains.

The park follows the ancient route southeast from Rome and lies within the municipality of Rome in the Lazio region, running through a largely open, semi-rural landscape of fields and archaeological clearings not far from the city’s historic walls.

• Major sites: Several major archaeological sites lie along the protected stretch, including the Tomb of Cecilia Metella and the Circus of Maxentius.
• Route and access: The route follows the ancient Via Appia - the road originally begun in 312 BC to link Rome with southern Italy - and is suitable for walking and cycling along preserved sections.

The Appian Way is south-east of Rome’s historic centre. The nearest metro stop is at San Giovanni; buses and regional transit run to stops along Via Appia Antica. Porta San Sebastiano and the Baths of Caracalla are common starting points for walks or bike rides.

• Rent a bike to cover longer stretches of the Appian Way-biking is faster and the surfaces are forgiving.
• Start at the Porta San Sebastiano or the Baths of Caracalla and walk toward the Circus of Maxentius and the Quo Vadis church; the sequence captures the road's history.
• Visit on weekdays early morning to enjoy quieter stretches and avoid crowds of tour buses.