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Roman Roads
Via Aemilia - Via Flaminia - Via Appia
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ON THIS BLOG
Italy's largest monuments
Censors Appius Claudius Caecus and Gaius Flaminius and consul Aemilius Lepidus couldn't imagine that the roads they built in the 3rd and 2nd century B.C. would still be in service more than 2200 years later. They're now officially called the SS7, SS3 and SS9, but to everyone they're still the good old Appia, Flaminia and Emilia...
The Via Appia (Appian Way) was one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi, in southeast Italy. The road is named after Appius Claudius Caecus, the Roman censor who began and completed the first section as a military road to the south in 312 BC during the Samnite Wars. "Appia teritur regina longarum viarum" (the Appian way is commonly said to be the queen of the long roads).
The Via Flaminia lead from Rome over the Apennine Mountains to Rimini on the Adriatic coast of the Sea, being the major option the Romans had for travel between Etruria, Latium and Campania and the Po Valley. It was constructed by Gaius Flaminius during his censorship (220 BC). Frequent improvements were made to it during the imperial period. Augustus, when he instituted a general restoration of the roads of Italy, reserved the Flaminia for himself, and rebuilt many bridges.
The original Via Aemilia (Emilia) ran from Rimini (Ariminum), where it started off where Via Flaminia ended, to Piacenza (Placentia). Later on it continued to Milan. The Via Aemilia was the first consular road that interconnected Roman colonies in Italy without touching Rome, while all other roads such as the Via Flaminia or the Via Appia originated in the capital.
VIA APPIA VIA FLAMINIA VIA AEMILIA
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ABOUT THIS PROJECT
As a tribute to these roads, I started to document the current Roman Roads in Italy. Transport, lodging, people, towns and landscapes are still key elements of these monumental landmarks - their actual use never changed.
I seldomly left the roads, the distance between the route and myself was never more than 10 metres. Only very occasionally, when events in history allowed for it, the distance was larger.
Also, to be precise, I documented the route, which is not necessarily identical to the present-day road.
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