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The Via Appia Antica at Itri: the Queen of Roads passing by gorges and centuries-old olive trees
Walking on the same stones trodden by legionaries, merchants and emperors. That is what you feel when travelling along the Via Appia Antica (Old Appian Way) in the stretch near Itri. Here the "Queen of Roads", commissioned in 312 BC by Appius Claudius Caecus, is not a museum exhibit but a living road that winds its way through the splendid Gorges of Sant'Andrea.
A “motorway” two thousand years old
The basalt paving, still in perfect condition, is a testament to engineering skill that has defied the millennia. Along the sides, you can still see the pedestrian pavements and the poste, the ancient “service stations” where horses were changed. Walking here means immersing yourself in the beating heart of the Roman Empire, along what was the main artery for trade and for the legions heading east.
An open-air theatre
But it was not just a road. It was a stage. The remains of monumental mausoleums, patrician villas and hydraulic works, including an ancient cistern, are still visible, here and there. It is a landscape where history merges with nature: centuries-old olive groves, citrus orchards and Mediterranean scrubland frame this journey through time. The finishing touch is a bridge from the Spanish period, showing how this road never lost its importance.
The stretch is freely accessible on foot, and offers a unique experience, combining light trekking with a genuine open-air history lesson.
