Via Appia e Santa Maria Nova

At the fifth mile of the Ancient Appian Way, next to the Villa of the Quintilii, stands one of the oldest farmhouses in the Roman countryside: Santa Maria Nova, opened to the public after its acquisition by Evan Ewan Kimble in 2008 and restoration. Statius (c. 230 BC – 168 BC) called it the queen of roads, as it was insignis, nobilis, celebrated for its great value and as an unsurpassed model for all roads leading from Rome to the most distant regions of the Empire. In 312 BC, Appius Claudius Caecus began its construction. Initially, it connected Rome to Capua, then the most important road hub in southern Italy, later it was extended to Benevento, then Venosa, and finally Brindisi, whose port became the conduit for all trade with Greece, the Orient, and Egypt. The Appian Way also became a large burial ground. Families celebrated their memory and prestige as happened with the Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella.