Via Appia. <em>Regina Viarum</em>

Via Appia, the Regina Viarum or Appian Way, is one of the earliest and most important Roman roads, begun in 312 BCE under the censor Appius Claudius Caecus. The road originally linked Rome with Capua and was later extended to Brindisi, forming a major artery for military and commercial movement.

Significant surviving sections retain original basalt paving and roadside funerary monuments, catacombs and monumental tombs that line the older urban approaches to Rome. The road’s straight alignments and durable construction were key to Roman communications and control.

Construction began under Appius Claudius Caecus in 312 BCE and the route was extended over subsequent centuries to connect Rome with southern Italy at Brindisi. Over time the Appian Way became lined with mausolea, Christian catacombs and other monuments reflecting evolving use and settlement patterns.

Geographically the road runs southeast from Rome through the regions of Lazio and southward to Campania and Puglia, terminating at the Adriatic port of Brindisi.

• Length and best-preserved sections: Some of the most complete surviving paved sections with tombs and monuments are located outside Rome near the Via Appia Antica park; the route to Brindisi is approximately 560 kilometres in total.