Attractions in Appio Latino - Tuscolano (Rome)

Catacombe di San Callisto

The catacombs of San Callisto, known for more than two centuries as the Church of Rome's cemetery, contain the tombs of nine popes buried in the Crypt. They extend over approximately 20 kilometers on four floors. Strangely enough, the tomb of Callisto I, martyred in 200 while celebrating a mass in Trastevere, is not to be found here. The most visited sites are obviously the papal crypt and Santa Cecilia's sepulchre. These places were accidentally discovered by the scholar Giovanni Battista de Rossi, who entered a vineyard and noticed two unusual structures; one was converted into a farmhouse and the other was used as a wine shop and contained bottles of wine. Acquiring the land with the consent of Pope Pius IX and starting excavations, he found some relics, which led to the final discovery of the entire complex. Admission: EUR 5.

Tomba di Cecilia Metella

Cecilia, daughter of Metelllus, valiant conqueror of Crete and wife of Crassus, Caesar's general in Gaul, was buried on the Appia Antica. A tombstone has been placed here in memory of this noblewoman who died at a young age. The tomb was built circa 50 BCE and was a large cylindrical body resting on a square base built entirely from travertine stone. Passing under an archway one entered the tomb itself. The original battlements were covered by a fortress built in 1300 by the Caetani, which encased the sepulchre inside a castle (the remains of which can still be seen) The tomb became the castle's keep which comprises the church of San Nicola (a rare example of Roman Gothic style).

Fosse Ardeatine

Located behind the Catacombe di Domitilla, this is also an old burial site of Christian martyrs. More than three hundred people, mainly Jews, political prisoners, and even a priest and a 14-year-old boy, were brought here and killed. After this massacre, the German troops blew up the tunnel leading to the Chamber of death in an attempt to destroy all traces of the crime. This modern catacomb can be visited together with the Museum of the Resistance and modern sculptures by Coccia and Basaldella. Admission: Free.

Il Sepolcro degli Scipioni

This is one of the oldest and best-conserved funerary monuments, dating back to 400 BCE It is inspired by the architecture of Greek theatres, and consists of a series of galleries that contain the tombs of Scipio Asiaticus and Scipio Hispanus. There is also a sarcophagus with the remains of the consul Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbato. This burial monument was discovered by chance, when the owners decided to dig a cellar and discovered stones with Latin inscriptions and the intact sarcophagi. The tomb had room for about thirty sarcophagi, namely the entire Scipio family from between 400 and 300 BCE There are also statues of Scipio Africanus, Asiaticus and others.

Colombario di Pomponio Hylas

The vault, widely used from the time of Augustus, was highly suited for mass burials. The name is derived from the shape of these sepulchres, whose walls had niches capable of holding hundreds of urns containing the ashes of the deceased. The vault of Pomponius Hylas is one of the most interesting, reached by a small staircase with statues of two griffins on each side to protect the sepulchre from the evil eye. The interior contains brightly colored mosaics depicting birds, vines and dancers in a garden. There are also portrayals of mythological figures like Achilles, Ochus, and Orpheus.

Le Tombe di Via Latina

This archaeological park was created in the second half of the 19th Century when a series of excavations uncovered various sepulchres and tombs along Via Latina. The tombs are very well-preserved. The "Barberini" sepulchre is simple but elegant and is where Barberini sarcophagus was discovered, now on display in the Vatican Museums. In the second tomb, there is a white, stucco-covered interior, with depictions of an underwater world with tritons, Nereids and dancing semi-gods. Another tomb has many bright colors and elaborate pictures of mythological episodes featuring Apollo, Diana, Paris and Hercules.

Colombario di Via Taranto

This may seem like any other Roman yard, but it is not; check out the two trapdoors! You descend a steep stairway and wind up in a simple vault lined with burial niches which hold the urns of the dead. With brightly colored frescoes of flowers and birds on show, the only sadness around is represented by two tragic masks that watch over the place.

Porta San Sebastiano

Porta San Sebastiano was originally known as Porta Appia but has also had other names in the past. It was built by Aurelian in 275 CE and renovated by various emperors and popes over the centuries. Today it is one of the best of Rome's conserved gateways. The most important renovation works were carried out by Emperors Arcadius, Honorius and Theodosius, although its current appearance is owed to Belisarius and Narsete from the 6th century. An inscription engraved on the inside of the gate in the 14th-century characters records the defeat of Robert of Anjou, king of Naples, in 1327. But the gate also witnessed triumphal events such as the entrance to Rome of Charles V in 1536 after his expedition to Tunisia, and of Marcantonio Colonna in 1571 returning from the victory over the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto. Inside, the Museum of the Roman Walls displays interesting information and exhibits on the development of the city walls.

Piazza dei Re di Roma

The Piazza dei Re di Roma is one of the few squares created at the beginning of the 20th Century. It was designed as part of a plan of 1909 that reshaped the whole area into the form of a star. Lots of streets end in this square, including the largest and most well known, Via Appia Nuova, which is full of shops. There is now a pleasant corner of the square where you can stop and rest in attractive gardens.

Torre Rossa

On the outskirts of Rome on the Appia Antica, in a deserted place where there are only anonymous tombs and burials and the remains of some badly preserved Roman monuments, you will come across all that remains of an ancient tower built completely of tufa: the so-called red tower. This monument is also known as the Torre in Selce, because of the flint quarries in the vicinity. It probably dates back to a period between the 12th and 13th Centuries and is enclosed by a small fortress.

Villa Dei Quintili

The Villa Dei Quintilli is a museum as well as an archaeological site that may be visited while in Rome. The Villa belonged to the two Quintillius brothers, both senators, who were eventually beheaded. Before their tragic deaths, the wealthy brothers expanded their estate to include baths and even a hippodrome. The Villa Dei Quintilli is an archeological site of great importance and is open to visitors. The buildings are part of an archeological complex on Appian Way. Hours vary by time of year, call for details.

Appia Antica

The ancient Appian Way was the most important of the consular roads. It was inaugurated in 312 BCE by censor Appius Claudius Ciecus after whom it was named. The road was especially important for economic reasons as it connected Rome with the south of Italy. Initially it only went as far as Capua along the Pontine marshes, but was later extended to Benevento and then all the way to Brindisi, which encouraged trade with the eastern Mediterranean. This last stretch lost importance however when the Appia Traia Way was opened that stretched down to Bari. Lined with pines and cypress trees, the road is very attractive, particularly where the original paving can be seen.