The Appian Way was built by the Ancient Romans and is still in use today
Built in 312 BC, the Via Appia was one of the Roman Republic’s most important roads. It went from Rome to the city of Brindisi, off the coast of the Adriatic sea. For centuries, it was one of the country’s busiest roads, but it fell out of use after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD.
In the late 1700s, Pope Pius VI ordered a new one built. The old Appian way was restored for Rome’s Millenium and Great Jubilee celebrations and is now a free tourist attraction. Today, the first three miles see heavy traffic of both vehicles and pedestrians.