Roman Ancient Appian Way and Catacombs
Since the fourth century B.C. this has been Rome's gateway to the East.
It was the largest, widest, fastest road ever, the wonder of its day, called the "Queen of Roads".
Its first section was perfectly straight, eventually this most important of Roman roads stretched 700 kilometers to the port of Brindisi, the most important port in the ancient world of Rome, where boats sailed for Greece and Egypt.
A central strip accomodated animal-powered vehicles and elevated sidewalks served pedestrians. It was built with skill and precision of the best modern engineers, viable with every weather and transport up to this days thanks to an excellent pavement of smooth stones.
As it left Rome, the road was lined with tombs and funerary monuments.
Imagine a funeral procession passing under the pines and cypress and past a long line of pyramids, private mini-temples, altars and tombs.
Hollywood created the famous image of the Appian Way lined with Spartacus and his gang of defeated and crucified slave rebels.
The road starts about three kilometers south of the Colosseum at the massive San Sebastian Gate. You can visit the Museum of the Walls, located at the gate, that offers an interesting look at the Roman defence and a chance to scramble along a stretch of the ramparts.
A kilometer down the road are the two most historic and popular catacombs, those of San Callisto and San Sebastian.
Beyond that the road gets pristine and traffic free, popular for biking and evocative hiking. To reach the Appian Way, take the Metro A to Colli Albani stop, then catch the bus 660 to Via Appia Antica.
The stretch between the third and 11th milestones is the most interesting.
The catacombs are burial place for Christians who died in ancient Roman times. By law, no one was allowed to be buried within the walls of Rome, while pagan Romans were into cremation, 
Chrisians preferred to be buried. The 40 or so known catacombs circle Rome about five kilometers from its center. From the first through the fifth centuries, Christians dug an estimated 600 kilometers of tomb-lined tunnels with networks of galleries as many as five layers deep. The underground tunnels, while empty of bones, are rich in early Christian symbolism wich funcioned as a secret language. The dove sybolized the soul, you'll see it quenching its thirst (worshiping), with an olive branch (at rest), or happily perched (in paradise).
Chrisians preferred to be buried. The 40 or so known catacombs circle Rome about five kilometers from its center. From the first through the fifth centuries, Christians dug an estimated 600 kilometers of tomb-lined tunnels with networks of galleries as many as five layers deep. The underground tunnels, while empty of bones, are rich in early Christian symbolism wich funcioned as a secret language. The dove sybolized the soul, you'll see it quenching its thirst (worshiping), with an olive branch (at rest), or happily perched (in paradise). Catacomb tours are essentially the same, which one you visit is not important. A look to this suggestive and mysterious underground tunnels and a walk on the ancient Appian way worth, however.
Dig this: the catacoms have a website
