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ITALIAN HISTORY

Rome archaeologists continue search for start of Appian Way

An excavation team in Rome is trying to unearth the first, oldest section of the Appian Way, the Roman Empire's most strategic highway, which may soon become a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Rome archaeologists continue search for start of Appian Way
Cyclists ride along the Appian Way (Via Appia Antica) in Rome. Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE / AFP

A paved road of more than 500 kilometres (310 miles) begun in 312 BC by Roman statesman Appius Claudius Caecus, the ‘Via Appia‘ is an archaeological treasure trove, where an ongoing excavation hopes to uncover the actual starting point of the road in Rome.

The artery leading south to the key port of Brindisi at Italy’s heel provided a gateway to the eastern Mediterranean, especially Greece, and was of strategic importance for the armies and merchants of a quickly expanding Rome.

READ ALSO: Treasure trove of ancient Roman statues unearthed in Tuscany

This week, archaeologists showed off progress in their attempt to dig deep enough to unearth the beginning of the road, hidden far beneath Rome’s Baths of Caracalla, built some five centuries after the Appian Way.

“What we see today is the result of an excavation that began in July with the central goal of finding clues to the location of the first section of the Appian Way,” said archaeologist Riccardo Santangeli Valenzani.

The first, earliest section of the road is the one that provides “the most problems regarding the precise and exact location”, the professor at Roma Tre University cautioned.

The Appian Way is a paved road stretching more than 500 kilometres, begun in 312 B.C. by Roman statesman Appius Claudius Caecus. (Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE / AFP)

Construction of the Appian Way required Herculean engineering, from the levelling of the land, building of ditches and canals and surfacing of the road with gravel and heavy stone, to the building of post offices and inns to support the thousands of soldiers and merchants headed southward.

Digging deeper

Wandering today along the Appian Way, where massive blocks of paving stone are still visible in sections, is to take a trip through the past.

Imposing monuments such as the first century BC tomb of a consul’s daughter, Cecilia Metella, sit alongside ancient catacombs and churches, crumbling tombstones of Roman families and leafy villas.

The Appian Way sheds light not only on the Roman Republic and later Roman Empire, but also on life and death in the Middle Ages with its pilgrimage shrines and crypts.

The road also provides a glimpse of modern architectural wonders, such as the sumptuous villas owned by Italy’s rich and famous, including film legend Gina Lollobrigida or former premier Silvio Berlusconi.

Appian Way in Rome

A man walks along Rome’s Appian Way, which might soon become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP

Italy, which earlier this month presented its bid for the Appian Way to UNESCO, already has 58 sites recognised as World Heritage Sites, the most of any country.

They include entire historical city centres, such as Rome, Florence and Venice, and archaeological areas such as the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Work to locate the starting point of the Appian Way, believed to be some eight metres below ground, has so far been complicated by groundwater.

Nevertheless, digging in higher strata of ground has unearthed relics from different periods, including a marble bust from the second century AD and an early papal square coin, minted between 690 and 730.

Wandering today along the Appian Way is to take a trip through the past. (Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE / AFP)

Archaeologists have also found fragments of glass and ceramics, mosaic and bits of amphora.

So far, the excavation has reached residential or commercial structures dating back to the time of Emperor Hadrian, who died in 138 AD.

Archaeologist Daniele Manacorda said the current excavation had reached the point of “late ancient Rome, the one that began to live in the ruins of ancient Rome”.

“If we could continue to dig deeper, we would find archaic Rome,” he said.

By AFP’s Kelly Velasquez and Alexandria Sage

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Six places to escape the crowds in Rome

From the Colosseum to the Vatican, Rome's best-known sites attract throngs of sightseers, particularly in the high season. Here are six of the Eternal City's best hidden attractions to escape the tourist crush.

Six places to escape the crowds in Rome

The National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia

Perhaps because of its location – just north of Piazza del Popolo and Villa Borghese park, a little outside the city centre – or its subject matter (the pre-Roman Etruscan civilisation), Villa Giulia is one of the Italian capital’s most overlooked attractions.

That’s a shame, because many who do pay the museum a visit consider it a highlight of their Rome trip, combining a stroll through a Renaissance villa and grounds with the opportunity to check out one of the world’s largest collections of Etruscan artifacts.

READ ALSO: TRAVEL: Nine tips for making the most of a Rome city break

On some days the museum gets so few visitors that some report feeling like the only people there, and numbers tend to be low even on free museum Sundays – perfect for getting a break from the crowds on a busy day.

The Non-Catholic Cemetery

Often referred to simply (and incorrectly) as the ‘Protestant Cemetery’, Rome’s non-Catholic Cemetery on the edge of the Testaccio neighbourhood is a verdant haven away from the city’s chaos.

Amongst its graves are those of the English poets Keats (‘Here lies one whose name was writ in water’) and Shelley, as well as the Marxist philosopher Antonio Gramsci and Inspector Montalbano author Andrea Camilleri.

READ ALSO: Eight things you can do in Rome for free

Entrance is free, though visitors are asked to make a small donation of a few euros for the graveyard’s upkeep.

Across the street from the non-Catholic cemetery is the Rome war cemetery, which commemorates the soldiers who died liberating Rome during World War II; another peaceful oasis for rest and contemplation.

Santa Cecilia in Trastevere

Its gated entrance and position at the other end of a large courtyard behind an imposing building are probably what keep tourists away from the Basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere; from the outside, you wouldn’t necessarily know this was a space open to the public.

Those who do venture within will find a 9th century church containing a statue of the brutally martyred Saint Cecilia, a Roman aristocrat who in the 3rd century was locked up for three days in a steaming caldarium and then (unsuccessfully) beheaded for trying to convert members of her family to Christianity.

READ ALSO: Six essential apps that make life in Rome easier for foreign residents

For a small donation, visitors can descend underground to view the real attraction: the 2,000-year-old Roman ruins and mosaics beneath the church that made up part of the saint’s house, as well as a spectacular crypt built in 1899 to house her tomb and those of her husband and brother, as well as two popes.

The Baths of Caracalla

Not far from the Colosseum and Circo Massimo chariot racetrack, the Terme di Caracalla is one of ancient Rome’s largest public bath complexes, and one of the most intact today.

As well as being off the beaten track, its vast size means any visitors are naturally spread out throughout the grounds. The only time you’ll find a crowd here is on summer evenings, when ballets, music concerts and operas are staged amongst the ruins.

If you get the chance, make sure to rent the VR goggles from the ticket office that reveal how the baths would have looked in their original splendour.

The Gardens of Saint Alessio

Visitors to Rome flock to the ‘Parco Savallo’ orange gardens on the Aventine hill for their romantic terrace with impressive views over the city and St. Peter’s basilica and the opportunity for a sunset photoshoot.

But the Giardini di Sant’Alessio, less than a hundred metres up the road, is where locals go. This little park also has orange trees and a nice view, but is far more peaceful – plus you’re allowed on the grass.

READ ALSO: Five ways to have the perfect romantic weekend in Rome

If you’re in the area, stop by the Sant’Anselmo Benedictine Abbey complex, where on Sunday evenings you can attend an evensong service and hear Gregorian chants sung by the monks who live there.

Rome’s Botanical Gardens

Situated at the foot of the Gianicolo (‘Janiculum’) hill in the Trastevere neighbourhood, Rome’s botanical gardens offer an oasis of calm in one of the city’s most crowded districts.

The plants themselves may not be anything spectacular and the grounds may be a little run-down, but if you want a quiet stroll to clear your head or a pause on a bench surrounded by palm trees, it’ll only set you back a few euros.

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