Via Appia Antica and its Regional Park
Discover Via Appia Antica and its Regional Park
Last updated on October 5, 2026Introduction
The Via Appia Antica is the most important and famous road of ancient Rome, and Turismo Roma records that it was defined already by the ancients as the Queen of roads. On "Via Appia. Regina Viarum" was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Around it stands a protected area of national importance. The Parco Regionale dell'Appia Antica was created to safeguard it by Regional Law 10 November 1988 no. 66, and covers about 3,500 hectares: the Appia and its surroundings for 16 kilometres, the valle della Caffarella, the archaeological area of the via Latina and the Parco degli Acquedotti. Three comuni are involved — Rome, Ciampino and Marino.
The road has two very different halves. The first begins at the Aurelian Walls, where the Appia leaves Porta San Sebastiano; from there to the Belvedere di Cecilia Metella it is closed on both sides by the boundary walls of great post-Renaissance aristocratic estates — this is the road among the vineyards described in the Nolli plan of 1748. Along it lie some of the most important Christian catacombs, among them San Callisto and San Sebastiano.
Past that, the Roman road itself appears. In the stretch between the Circus of Maxentius, the Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella and the Grande Raccordo Anulare, the archaeological evidence is mainly the monumental tombs set along the road — and of the road, Turismo Roma records, the original basolato survives for long stretches.
It is also farmland. Between the Appia Antica and the Appia Nuova stands the imposing complex of the Villa dei Quintili; beyond the ring road the landscape opens onto the great estates of the Agro Romano as far as the Castelli Romani, running through Ciampino and Marino to the bivio di Frattocchie, where the Appia Antica joins the Appia Nuova and the remains of the ancient Latin city of Boville are found.
Getting In and Getting Around
The surface is the main access question. Where the attraction is at its best, the ground is original Roman basolato — large, uneven, dished and tilted blocks with open joints. It is hard going for a wheelchair, a pushchair or an unsteady walker, and there is no smooth alternative line alongside it on those stretches.
The enclosed first stretch is the easier one. From Porta San Sebastiano to the Belvedere di Cecilia Metella the road is a made-up lane between estate walls — flatter and more regular than what lies beyond, and the part most people can manage.
Distance is the second barrier. The park runs to 16 kilometres of road within about 3,500 hectares. There is no circuit, no shuttle published by the city and no short version that reaches the best paving.
Traffic is a real access issue on working days. The road is only closed to traffic on giorni festivi; outside those days, pedestrians share a narrow walled lane with vehicles, which matters most for anyone slow on their feet or travelling with children.
The Parco degli Acquedotti is the gentler alternative. It lies between the Appia Nuova and the via Tuscolana, is open pasture rather than ancient paving, and delivers the aqueduct arcades and the grazing flocks without the basalt.
Ask the park directly. The headquarters at the ex Cartiera Latina, Via Appia Antica 42 is the departure point for guided visits and the published contact for general information, at info@parcoappiaantica.it; Turismo Roma also points visitors to the city's Roma accessibile section for accessibility services.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a charge? No. The park and the road are free and ungated. The catacombs, Circus of Maxentius, Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella and Villa dei Quintili are separately ticketed, and Turismo Roma publishes no prices for them on the park page.
What are the opening hours? None are published. It is open landscape crossed by a public road.
When is the road closed to cars? On holidays — giorni festivi. The city names that closure as what makes it the ideal place for walking or cycling.
Where is the actual Roman paving? In the stretch between the Circus of Maxentius, the Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella and the Grande Raccordo Anulare, where the original basolato survives for long stretches.
How big is the park? About 3,500 hectares, covering 16 km of the road and its surroundings, the valle della Caffarella, the via Latina archaeological area and the Parco degli Acquedotti, across three comuni: Rome, Ciampino and Marino.
When did it become a park? With Regional Law 10 November 1988 no. 66.
Is it a World Heritage site? Yes, since 27 July 2024, as "Via Appia. Regina Viarum".
Why is the first stretch walled in? Because from the Aurelian Walls at Porta San Sebastiano to the Belvedere di Cecilia Metella it runs between the boundary walls of great post-Renaissance estates — the road among the vineyards shown in the Nolli plan of 1748.
Where do guided visits start? At the ex Cartiera Latina, Via Appia Antica 42, the park headquarters. General enquiries: info@parcoappiaantica.it.
Where are the aqueducts? In the area between the via Appia Nuova and the via Tuscolana — the same park, reached from a different side.
Is it good for cycling? Yes. The city names cycling alongside walking as the way to see it, and over 16 kilometres that is the practical choice.
See Via Appia Antica and its Regional Park through traveler photos →