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Explore the Appian Way and the catacombs, Rome

History & Heritage

Explore the Appian Way and the catacombs

Rome · Lazio

QUICK INFORMATION

CATEGORY
History & Heritage
COUNTRY
Italy
REGION
Rome · Lazio
DURATION
Half a day
DIFFICULTY
Easy cycling or walking on a flat, partly paved road.
BEST TIME
Spring and autumn; Sundays when the road is closed to traffic.

ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE

The Via Appia Antica is the queen of the long roads, the military highway begun in 312 BC that ran from Rome to Brindisi and the East. The first stretch out of the city is still paved in its original basalt blocks, lined with the tombs of Roman families and umbrella pines, and it leads to the catacombs — the early-Christian underground cemeteries of San Callisto and San Sebastiano, dug into the soft tufa along the road. Walking or cycling the Appia on a Sunday, when it is closed to traffic, is one of the most peaceful ways to touch ancient Rome.

WHAT YOU’LL EXPERIENCE

What you’ll experience

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

THE EXPERIENCE IN DETAIL

What it’s really like

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

HIGHLIGHTS

Moments worth savouring

01

The basalt paving and Roman tombs — the original road surface and the funerary monuments that lined every road out of the city.

02

The Catacombs of San Callisto — the largest of Rome’s catacombs, with the crypts of the early popes.

03

The Catacombs of San Sebastiano — the catacomb that gave its name to the underground cemeteries, above the basilica of St Sebastian.

04

The umbrella pines — the Appia is one of the most rural stretches of landscape within the city walls.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Good to know before you go

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Before you go

Access
Reach the Appia by bus or bike; the Appia Antica Regional Park rents bicycles near the Parco degli Acquedotti.
Catacombs
The catacombs are visited only on guided tours led by the religious orders that maintain them; check opening days, which are limited.
Best Time
Sundays, when the Appia is closed to motor traffic; spring and autumn for the walking.
Context
The Appia lies southeast of the city centre, beyond the Baths of Caracalla.

MAP & LOCATION

Explore the Appian Way and the catacombs

Explore the Appian Way and the catacombs, Rome, Lazio, Italy

41.8592, 12.5117

Open in OpenStreetMap

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FOOD & DRINK

Where to eat nearby

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Roscioli — a celebrated salumeria and trattoria near Campo de’ Fiori, Roman pastas and a peerless cheese counter

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HOTELS & STAYS

Where to stay nearby

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