Italy’s Ancient Roman Appian Way included in UNESCO World Heritage List

ROME — Italy’s ancient Roman Appian Way was admitted to UNESCO’s World Heritage List on Saturday, becoming the country’s 60th entry on the list.

More than 800 kilometers (500 miles) long, the Appian Way, known as the “Queen of Roads,” is the oldest and most important of the great roads built by the ancient Romans since 312 BC.

The Appian Way marked a revolution in road construction, quickly becoming the most important route connecting Rome with the southern part of the peninsula.

This strategic corridor ensured access in all weather conditions and allowed the Roman legions rapid and uncontested conquests.

The bid for inclusion in the UNESCO heritage list, prepared by the Italian Ministry of Culture, was declared successful during the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee, which took place in New Delhi.

“It was originally conceived as a strategic route for military conquest, advancing towards the East and Asia Minor,” UNESCO said. “Later, the Via Appia allowed the cities it connected to grow and new settlements to emerge, facilitating agricultural production and trade.”

The road, composed of 22 parts, is a set of engineering works that illustrate “the advanced technical skill of Roman engineers in road construction, civil engineering projects, infrastructure and extensive land reclamation works, as well as extensive series of monumental structures”. ”added UNESCO.

Today, the ancient Appian Way is not only a large open-air museum started in the 19th century, but also an immense green area, a place where Romans and tourists come to spend their free time, ride a bicycle, hike and visit monuments. The entire area is a protected archaeological park.