0All the places of this walk, are described here in the description:

On the last day of September, I came to the Appian Way. The sunrise was out of the blue.

Lined with cypresses and pines as it was when the ancient Romans came here by torchlight to bury their dead, the Via Appia is wonderfully atmospheric. The fields are strewn with ruined tombs set against the picturesque background of the Alban hills to the south. Although the marble or travertine stone facings of most tombs have been plundered, a few statues and reliefs survive or have been replaced by copies.

In this walk you can see:

0:46 Villa di Massenzio. The enormous 4th- century palace complex Rome’s best-preserved ancient racetrack – you can still make out the starting stalls used for chariot races. The 10,000-seat arena was built by Maxentius around 309, but he died before ever seeing a race here!

5:23 Mausoleo di Cecilia Metella. Dating to the 1st century BC, this great drum of a mausoleum encloses a burial chamber, now roofless. In the 14th century it was converted into a fort by the Caetani family, who were related to Pope Boniface VIII and used to frighten passing traffic into paying a toll.

6:04 The ruined Gothic church of San Nicola, which, like the Tomb of Cecilia Metella, was part of the medieval fortress of the Caetani family.

8:17 Many original Roman paving slabs, huge blocks of extremely durable volcanic basalt.

15:09 Remains of the medieval towers that were built over some tombs.

29:35 Tomb with a relief of a man, naked except for a short cape, known as the Heroic Relief.

30:52 Ruins of the Tomb of Marcus Servilius, showing fragments of reliefs excavated in 1808 by the Neo-Classical sculptor Antonio Canova. He was one of the first to work on the principle that excavated tombs and their inscriptions and reliefs should be allowed to remain in situ.

32:08 Tomb of Seneca. The great moralist Seneca owned a villa near here, where he committed suicide in AD 65 on the orders of Nero.

39:05 Tomb of the family of Sixtus Pompeus the Righteous, a freed slave of the 1st century AD 9. The verse inscription records the father’s sadness at having to bury his own children, who died young.

41:11 Tomb of Caius Licinius

41:26 Small Doric tomb

42:21 The imposing Tomb of Hilarius Fuscus, with five portrait busts in relief of members of his family.

44:11 Tomb of Tiberio Claudio Secondino

44:51 Tomb of Quinto Apuleio

47:01 Tomb of the Rabirii, freed slaves (1st century BC). The figure on the right is a priestess of Isis. Behind her you can see the outline of a sistrum, the metal rattle used at ceremonies of the cult.

48:56 Tomb of the Festoons, with its reconstructed frieze of festive putti.
49:06 Tomb of the Frontispiece, which has a copy of a relief with four portraits.
The two central figures are holding hands.

50:11 When you reach Via di Tor Carbone, the Via Appia still stretches out ahead of you in a straight line and, if you wish to extend your walk, there are many more tombs and ruined villas to visit along the way.

Tips for Walkers
Starting point: Tomb of Cecilia Metella.
Length: 2 miles (3 km).
Getting there: Reach the tomb by taxi, or take the Archeobus, the 118 from Piazzale Ostiense, or the 660 from Colli Albani on Metro Line A.
Best time: On Sunday, when the road is closed to traffic. Go fairly early, before it gets too hot.
Stopping points: There is a bar on the corner of Via Metella and a pleasant picnic area on the grounds of a thermal complex just beyond Vicolo di Tor Carbone. There are also several restaurants on the first stretch of the Appia, including the Cecilia Metella, Via Appia Antica 129, (closed Mon).

00:46 Villa di Massenzio
05:23 Mausoleo di Cecilia Metella
06:04 Church of San Nicola
08:17 Tufa blocks
15:09 Remains of the medieval towersù
29:35 Heroic Relief
30:52 Tomb of Marcus Servilius
32:08 Tomb of Seneca
39:05 Tomb of Sixtus Pompeus the Righteous
41:11 Tomb of Caius Licinius
41:26 Doric Tomb
42:21 Tomb of Hilarius Fuscus
44:11 Tomb of Tiberio Claudio Secondino
44:51 Tomb of Quinto Apuleio
47:01 Tomb of the Rabirii
48:56 Tomb of the Festoons
49:06 Tomb of the Frontispiece
50:11 End by Via di Tor Carbone

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