The Appian Way and other Rome, Italy General Tips

Favorite Thing: Probably one of the wilder walks I took while in Rome was from the Baths of Caracalla to the Catacombs of St. Sebastian on what is more commonly known as the Appian Way or Via Appia Antica. The famed road was built in 312 B.C. and led from Rome to the seaport of Brindisi. Much of the road where I walked, especially around the catacombs, was flanked by impressive ancient monuments. Amongst them was a hippodrome, some ancient fortifications and the Tomb of Cecilia Metela. This latter monument was built during the time of Caesar. Cecilia was a wife of one of his more important generals. The tomb is the best preserved of the many tombs along the road.

Fondest Memory: Walking along the Appian Way was a crazy event for me. There are no sidewalks!. Cars wiz by a great speeds. Therefore take the bus. Bus 218 will get you to all the catacombs from the San Giovanni Metro stop. I took this bus back. The Tomb of Cecilia of Metela is virtually across the road from the Catacombs of St. Sebastian.

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Favorite Thing: The Piazza Navona is the most popular of Rome's numerous public squares. The piazza is packed with tourists drawn by the many shops, restaurants and cafes that line the square. There are also an array of street buskers that you can watch here that perform throughout the day. I do not know about the legal status of these fellows as I witnessed one getting arrested. The police were kind of enough to let the young man finish his feats of magic and collect his rewards before the stepping in.
The square is shaped much like a Roman amphitheatre. This is because it evolved from a such an ancient stadium that stood here in the 1st century A.D. Little of the amphitheatre remains here today as what was left of it was destroyed in the 17th century when Pope Innocent X commissioned the building of the palaces and churches that now surround the square. The most famous church is Sant'Agnese in Agone which was designed by Borromini. Another notable feature of the piazza is the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi which is considered to be one of Bernini's greatest creations.


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