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    Exploring The Appian Way – Ancient Rome’s First Highway



    The saying goes, all roads lead to Rome. The Appian Way, or Via Appia Antica, was the first road of Rome’s highways to be built, and the road that set the standards for all to follow.

    The Appian Way is known as “Regina Virus”, the Queen of Roads, and it got its start in 312 BC, when it was planned by censor Appius Claudius Caecus as a fast road between Rome and Capua to more easily move soldiers. The road was extended over the following decades and centuries, extending as far as Brindisi by 191 BC.

    Since its creation, the road has played a major part in the history of the Roman Empire and the world. With connections to such figures as Spartacus, Saint Peter, and a number of emperors of Rome. Traveling down the road you really get a feel for what Rome was like at another time.

    We traveled the first seven or so miles of the Appian Way via e-bike, from its historical starting point of the Circus Maximus, past the catacombs and the Church of the Domine Quo Vadis, the Villa of Maxentius, the Tomb of Cecilia Metella, the Villa of the Quintili and more.

    While a lot of the historic sights in Rome, Italy can be extremely crowded, join us as we get away from everyone, and enjoy Rome as it once was, via the Appian Way.

    We rented our e-bikes from Easy Bike Rent, located across the street from the Circus Maximus on the northwest corner.

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    49 Comments

    3. Cathy on

      Wonderful video..have heard of the Appian Way in history classes…but to actually experience traveling down it was great😊😊

    4. Balzar Ritchin on

      There used to be a pizza mix in the stores called Appian Way that competed with Chef Boyardee. Such a great name for a pizza brand. That was before frozen pizzas were popular.

    6. M K on

      Roman mile a little shorter than a mile? Which mile? Uk, Australian, Canadian, which mile? Please don’t assume that the US is the only country in the world.

    7. Ocean Green on

      I would love to tour the Appian Way like this. What a wonderful video, and well put together knowledge on the narration, makes it so much more interesting. The scenery is spectacular, along with the old Roman ruins, along with the trees, and the "newer" buildings. Thank you for taking on this tour!

    8. Ronbo on

      I walked the Appian way on two different trips to Rome and i was blown away each time. Been to Rome 3 times and still haven’t seen it all

    12. Francesco Conforti on

      As in Italian from Florence with a strong willl to go at least once a year biking on the Appian way, ithank you American Brother to detail it the way you did!You eally did see forward and backwords the way i do!!!

    27. tom ellis on

      There's no need to say, " Rome Italy," nor," Paris France." Do you think little towns in USA come to mind? Usual American way. Nice video otherwise.

    28. Alfredo Medina on

      Such a beautiful country. If I could have chosen were to be born, that would have been my choice. Speaking of something else, I like your style of narration. Well done.

    29. Albert Boyd on

      I love this video. You should do more. I got into an argument with my ex because I wouldn’t ride a bike in Spain, they’re crazy! I love that you said that!

      I hate to comment, but the ancient Romans didn’t like straight roads because they were straight. They didn’t know how to make curves because all they had was a triangle and a ball to survey the land.

      Do more European roads like that. They’re all over Europe.

      Great job!!!

    31. mrmink on

      My wife and I walked about 4 miles on the Appian Way, from something like Mile 3 to 7. Visited one of the villas this video shows, and it is huge and beautiful. Also visited a small museum that was excellent. Though not mentioned on this video, I'm pretty sure the Appian Way is closed to automobiles on Sunday — we went on a Sunday — so that's the perfect day for a hike or bike ride.

    35. Graham Hodge on

      My partner and I cycled on the Appian Way a few years ago. We took public transportation from Rome to the Appia Antica Caffe, which, in addition to selling food and drink, also rents bicycles for those wanting to cycle the Appian Way. The Caffe is a few hundred yards east of the Tomb of Cecilia Metella. We were equally delighted by the ride as you were but, unlike you, had beautiful weather the whole day.
      If you want to see aqueducts, you need to make a diversion north from the Appian Way to Aqueduct Park. The aqueducts are amazing structures and some of them are still carrying water.
      I would definitely recommend a visit.

    38. Laura H on

      This was a wonderfully produced video – perfect length and fascinating facts. The background music enhanced the narrative so much one of my favorite pieces of music is “The pines of Rome (Resphigi) with one movement being “The Pines of the Appian Way”. I am now a subscriber and can’t wait to see previous videos. Great work, glad you got back without injury. Til next time…

    40. Zen Monkey on

      Awesome vid! I see you struggled to ride on the rough paving stones throughout the video. It wasn't any more enjoyable for the ancient Romans either. Those paving stones would've actually been packed in with a thin layer of earth to make it smoother for wagons and carts. Otherwise it would be a horribly bumpy ride for hundreds of miles lol

    42. Pics2Flicks Dennis on

      Good video. I lived in Gaeta, Italy, for 3.5 years back in the 80’s. You did a nice job of covering the Via Appia. FYI, the standard length of a “pace” is approximately 0.75 meters/30 inches, or 2.5 feet, so 1,000 paces is 2,500 feet, or roughly one half mile.

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