The Appian Way & Catacombs Guide
We hired a bike and cycled up and down the Appian Way, which ended up being one of the highlights of our trip, along with the catacombs! In fact the main draw to the Appian Way is the Catacombs.
Below you will find information about both excursions, the history, and how to book etc.
If you want to get off the beaten track then these are a must!
Brief Overview
Known to Italians as Via Appia Antica and to the ancients as the ‘Queen of Roads’, the Appian Way was the most famous highway in the ancient world. It ran for about 540km, connecting Rome with the southern Adriatic port of Brindisi. The oldest section – from Rome to Capua near Naples – was laid in the 4th century BC by Appius Claudius Caecus, after whom it’s named. This stretch was later extended and the road was completed in 190 BC. Parts of the original roadway still survive, complete with heavy basalt paving stones.
These days, the Appia’s main draws are the catacombs that lie beneath it. From the 2nd century, early Christians dug about 300km of underground tunnels to use as burial chambers – Roman law forbade burial within the city walls and land was too expensive for many to buy. Over the next few centuries, hundreds of thousands of people were buried in them, including many saints, martyrs, and popes.
There are several creepy catacombs you can explore on the Appian Way. The largest and most popular are the Catacombs of San Callisto. Visits here, like for all the catacombs, are by guided tour – with about 20km of underground tunnels you wouldn’t want to get lost in the dark. These catacombs date to the 2nd century AD and were an extremely popular burial site – hundreds of thousands of people were laid to rest here including dozens of martyrs and 16 popes.
A short walk away, San Sebastiano Basilica stands over a second catacomb complex, the Catacombs of San Sebastiano. Before heading underground, take time to have a quick look around the basilica, which was built on the spot where St Sebastian was buried and contains one of the arrows used to kill him. The catacombs have several subterranean mausoleums and lots of ancient graffiti dedicated to saints Peter and Paul, whose relics were supposedly protected here during a period of Christian persecution.
Bike ride the Appian Way
What better way to see Rome‘s Ancient highway than a bike ride along it! It was super fun, just watch out for those cracks in the cobbles!
The bike ride is an evocative, fascinating tour down the Appian Way, one of the first streets in Rome. The Ancient Appian Way is also known as the “Queen of the Streets” – it crosses the famous Parco degli Acquedotti, an important biological corridor in Rome’s city center, which tells the tale of the history of water in Rome and its related engineering works – in fact, six ancient Roman aqueducts converge here. The rest of the bike ride takes you down a route that shows the best of the region’s history, culture and art.
The best way to ride is to use an e-bike on the 2,300-year-old meadow and relive the history of the great empire, crossing a unique landscape full of ancient footprints, imperial mansions, statues, tombs, and the St. Calisto Catacombs.
The best tour to take is the Rome: Ancient Appian Way E-Bike Tour.
Price: € 53 / £45 / $62
Highlights:
- Tour through the middle of nature, far from the noise of the city
- See the ancient Roman aqueducts
- Enjoy the nature, history, culture and art on this tour
To book a bike tour use our partner:
Explore the Catacombs
We actually went to two Catacombs during our time in the Appian Way area of Rome. We will give descriptions of both below and how to book.
Guided Tour of the Catacombs of St. Callixtus
When you begin the tour you first listen to the history of the catacombs: from their origin to their decline, and their rediscovery in the modern era. You will also learn how they were dug and administrated.
Going down, you will enter the crypt of the Popes of the 3rd century, where 5 of the 9 tombstones of the bishops of Rome who were buried here are still preserved. You will then admire a wonderful slab of marble where some famous verses of Pope Damasus were engraved.
Next, cross a narrow arch and enter the crypt where St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music was initially buried. You will hear about her inspirational history while you will contemplate the frescoes that decorate the crypt and a precious copy of the statue made by Maderno, depicting the body of the martyr when a reconnaissance was made in 1599.
From the crypt of Santa Cecilia, you will continue your tour through the oldest part of the catacomb, admiring its majestic galleries and the beautiful cubicles of “sacraments”.
Finally, you will walk through the maze of tunnels dug in peacetime, trying to find your way out. Along the way, you will be able to see various archaeological finds of funeral furniture before coming up to see the sunlight again.
Price: €9.40 / £8 / $11
This tour is actually super cheap and well worth a visit!
Highlights:
- Contemplate the crypt of the Popes and the crypt of St. Cecilia
- Marvel at the oldest Christian frescoes discovered in Rome
- Explore the labyrinth of narrow galleries
To book a tour of the catacombs use our partner:
Roman Catacombs Semi-Private Tour
At the start of the tour you will meet your guide in the city centre and head towards the Appian Way in a comfortable minivan. After about 10-15 minutes you will reach one of the largest and oldest catacombs of Rome and venture 52 feet (16 meters) below the surface into the otherworldly crypts of Domitilla. You will then explore its endless maze of underground burial chambers, spread across 4 levels.
You will be captivated by ancient wall paintings of mythological and biblical figures and discover the religious symbolism of the frescoes. During the tour you will learn about the shift from paganism to Christianity and hear about early martyrs and persecutions.
You will complete your underworld experience in the 4th-century subterranean Basilica of Nereus and Achilleus. Then jump back in the minivan return to the city centre
Price: €49.50 / £42 / $58
Slightly more expensive than the previous catacomb, but it has a private tour feel to it.
Highlights:
- Enjoy a thorough and worry-free tour with an expert guide
- Save time with pickup, luggage deposit and drop-off included
- Descend 16 metres underground into a dark world of prohibited faith
- Marvel at wall paintings of biblical figures
- Choose between a shared or private experience
Book this tour via our partner :
How to get to the Appian Way
118 bus – from the Colosseum (not Sundays) or Piazza Venezia
The 118 bus runs every day of the week at crudely 20 minute intervals during the day.
The 118 bus travels along a good length of the Via Appia Antica itself with bus stops by the main visitor centre for the Appian Way and the Catacombs of San Callisto and Catacombs of San Sebastiano.
In the centre of Rome it runs around a circular loop from Circus Maximus Metro station, down the side of Circus Maximus itself, up to Piazza Venezia and then down to the Colosseum and its Metro station before returning to Circus Maximus and onto the Via Appia Antica.
Care should be taken on a Sunday as the bus doesn’t visit the Colosseum but returns to the Circus Maximus after going around Piazza Veneziia.
The 118 bus also stops outside the Baths of Caracalla, a popular place to twin with a visit to the Appia Antica a short distance from Circus Maximus
218 Bus – From Basilica di San Giovanni / San Giovanni Metro
The 218 bus runs every day of the week at hourly intervals and terminates by a small bus station/stand in front of Basilica di San Giovanni and just along the road back into the city from San Giovanni Metro.
The 218 bus stops by the main visitor centre for the Appian Way but then forks off the Appia Antica which the 118 bus travels along.
Big Bus Rome Catacombs & Caracalla route
Big Bus are currently the only providers of a hop-on hop-off service that covers the area to the south of Rome‘s city centre – the ancient Appian Way.
The Purple Route of Big Bus runs daily every hour starting from Termini Station and also picking up from outside the Colosseum.
The route stops at the Baths of Caracalla on the way to Via Appia Antica and has stops at the catacombs of St Callixtus, St Sebastian and Domitilla
(Admission to these attractions are not included).
You cannot purchase the Purple Route as a stand-alone ticket, it is part of the 3 day Big Bus ticket that also includes the Big Bus routes in the centre of Rome.
BIG BUS tickets can be purchased here:
More Photos
We hope you enjoyed this guide to Rome’s Appian Way and Catacombs. Feel free to leave comments below or to ask us any questions.
We loved biking the Appian Way & Exploring the Catacombs! Make sure its on your list!
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