Italy is moving forward with the candidacy process to have the Via Appia Antica, one of the earliest and most strategically important roads of the Ancient Roman Republic, added to the UNESCO World Heritage list.
The bid seeks to recognize the full route of the Appian Way, from Rome to Brindisi, a port city in southern Italy, as well as the Via Traiana, an offshoot road commissioned by Emperor Trajan that connected the southern city of Benevento to Brindisi. Dating back to the 4th century BC, the Via Appia Antica was the first and most important Roman road, referred to as the Regina Viarum, the “queen of roads,” for the way it connected cities to the capital and allowed the Republic to easily and effectively send its troops to Brindisi. Parts of the ancient road are still in use today.
"The Appian Way is an itinerary to be enhanced and placed at the center of slow tourism to strengthen the offer of new attractions such as sustainable walkways and routes", stated culture minister Dario Franceschini in May. “It is a great occasion that involves four regions and 74 municipalities to valorize an extraordinary cultural heritage of southern Italy.” A total of 15 parks, 12 cities, four regions, 25 universities, and 74 municipalities have joined forces to protect and promote the Via Appia Antica.
Italy is home to 58 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the most of any country in the world. The Colosseum, Venice and its lagoon, the Amalfi Coast, and the Piazza del Duomo in Pisa are among some of the cultural heritages recognized by UNESCO.
Asia London Palomba
Asia London Palomba is a trilingual freelance journalist from Rome, Italy, currently pursuing her master's in journalism at New York University (NYU). In the past, her work on culture, travel, and history has been published in The Boston Globe, Atlas Obscura, and The Christian Science Monitor. In her free time, Asia enjoys traveling home to Italy to spend time with family and friends, drinking Hugo Spritzes, and making her nonna's homemade cavatelli.