Overview
Within the Appia Antica Archaeological Park is the Park of the Via Latina Tombs, one of the most important archaeological complexes on the outskirts of Rome. Its preservation has remained largely intact since the period of the ancient Roman campaign. Excavations in the area were conducted between 1857 and 1858 by Lorenzo Fortunati. On both sides of the road, there are several tomb memorials and documentary material dating from the Republican era to the early Middle Ages. On request, it is possible to visit the Barberini or Corneli Tomb (dating back to the 2nd century AD), the Valeri Tomb (built at the end of the 19th century), and the Pancrazi Tomb (dating back to the end of the 1st - beginning of the 2nd century AD, decorated with frescoes and stuccoes). Behind the latter stands a large villa, dating from the end of the 1st century AD, inhabited until the 5th century. In this area, Demetriades, a descendant of the Anicii family, erected a basilica dedicated to Santo Stefano Protomartire, who was considered a pilgrimage site until the 13th century. Part of the remains of this sacred building can still be admired today.
