The archaeological display has been organised considering 4 different subjects that occur in different periods. The narration follows a reverse chronological order (from the most recent to the oldest examples) according to the sequence of works for excavation. The first section is dedicated to the ancient road network and in particular to the Appian way.
The Romans paid great attention to road construction; they gave roads strategic purposes in order to allow soldiers to travel easily to the conquered lands. Roads facilitated trade and were highly functional to organise the vast empire. The first of two multimedia stations is dedicated to road network; in order to examine some aspects of travelling in the past, 5 subjects have been chosen:

  • Road network development during Roman times, which spread everywhere in the vast empire;
  • Construction techniques for roads, bridges, viaducts and tunnels;
  • Post houses, interchange stations and the cursus publicus, the official “mail service” of the Roman State;
  • Means of transport for travellers and goods, and travel times;
  • Routes and milestones – tools to plan a journey.

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The second station analyses the route of some main roads of the Roman world:

  • The via Latina that connected Rome to the inner part of Campania;
  • The via Flaminia that connected Rome to the North of Italy, until Rimini;
  • The via Salaria that connected Rome to the Adriatic Sea;
  • The via Aurelia that ran parallel to the Tyrrhenian coast and reached Arles;
  • The via Cassia that connected Rome to Luni;
  • The Appian way that connected Rome to Brindisi.

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Continue the visit in the following room
Travelling on the Appian way from Calatia to Rome