An open-air set where the show of history takes place
A UNESCO candidate site in 2023, the Appia Antica Regional Park is a real open-air museum and one of the largest urban protected areas in Europe. It boasts a historical and cultural heritage of enormous impact on an international and non-international level, allowing thousands of visitors every year to appreciate a unique but unknown corner of the capital.
This vast green lung, located just 2 km from Circus Maximus, measures 4,580 hectares and is characterized by various areas of interest: the Appian Way, the Valle della Caffarella, the archaeological site of Via Latina and the Aqueducts, the Tormarancia estate, the Farnesiana estate and the areas of Divino Amore, Falcognana and Mugilla. The area of Appia Antica Regional Park is so vast that it includes the three municipalities of Rome, Ciampino, and Marino, crossed in its entirety by the Regina Viarum, celebrated in ancient times as the queen of all Roman public roads.
The Via Appia Antica, or Roman Appian Way is much more than one of the oldest Roman military routes at the base of the empire’s expansion. It is, in fact, a unique project in the world that extends for 500 km from Rome to Brindisi, completed in just 100 years, and which has witnessed the development of entire civilizations.
Via Appia Antica, on whose layout numerous sepulchers and tombs stand out, often destined for the most illustrious personalities of the time, already in ancient times became a point of reference for the Christian world thanks to the presence of the Church of Domine Quo Vadis, the catacombs and the Basilica of San Sebastiano, where the apostles Peter and Paul themselves lived. Among the many sites of enormous historical and archaeological interest that can be visited along the way, we mention the Tomb of Cecilia Metella, whose ephemeral profile has become the protagonist of numerous paintings over the centuries, and the Villa Dei Quintili complex.
Initially considered a privileged area for the construction of sepulchers suitable for consolidating the power of the most illustrious characters of the time, including the triumvir Marcus Licinius Crassus, the Appian Way has kept all its charm intact from 312 BC until today, allowing visitors to in an immense archaeological area that has nothing to do with the classic Capitoline tourism with endless queues and waiting times.
Along the historical-archaeological axis of the Appian Way, flanked by an infinite series of tombs, numerous green areas make up the Appia Antica Regional Park surrounded by aqueducts, catacombs, circuses, tombs, and Roman villas for an enjoyable experience and relaxation that combines cultural pleasure with that in nature.
Services
The Appia Antica Park is free, always open, and can be visited on foot, by bike, minicar, and horseback according to your needs. EcoBike has been managing its main information point since 2014, and its strategic position – easily reachable on foot or by public transport from the center – allows you to immerse yourself in the local heritage immediately. The center offers tourist assistance, maps of the different areas, and bike rental with the possibility of guided tours – private and group – on request.
Private itineraries meet the ad hoc need of the individual or group, allowing you to define the date, time, and type of service. At the same time, for those wishing to join already scheduled public activities, it is possible to join guided tours on an electric bike that retrace the salient points of the Appian Way up to the aqueduct area.
Read More about Guided Tours And Bike Rentals In The Appia Antica Regional Park
The guided activities embrace every target by interest and age: the most dynamic people can let themselves be accompanied by a guide to the aqueducts to immerse themselves in one of the most scenic panoramas of the area, set of numerous films – including Oscar winners – among which The Great Beauty. For families, on the other hand, tailor-made itineraries lasting a maximum of a couple of hours are organized to introduce local flora and fauna among stories and anecdotes for the little ones. Finally, for a more mature target, the electric golf carts – with a driver or guide – allows you to get in touch with the local heritage simply and comfortably through sustainable activities to accompany a culinary experience possibly.
Choose the activity that best suits you and create an unforgettable experience.
Via Appia Antica
Information services, bike rental and guided tours:
EcoBike – Via Appia Antica 58/60
