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Video by @andrea_frazzetta | The Appian Way is the most famous Roman road still in existence—and Europe’s first major highway. In its roughly 360-mile span across the country, the road takes many forms: a forested dirt path, a town plaza, a busy east-west highway. It’s not always scenic or pleasant, but it’s an immersion into a side of southern Italy few tourists see. To realize this project, I traveled and walked for seven weeks. At the end of my journey, I rediscovered my country as I’d never imagined I would. I was amazed by the beauty and outraged by the ugliness of the road’s current state of disrepair. Protection is now under way, but without visitors, the Appia could be forgotten again. As Riccardo Carnovalini, one of the most prominent Italian hikers, told me when I met with him on the trail: “Walking is the most political act one can do to change the landscape.” Follow me @andrea_frazzetta for more images from this project. #Italy #appianway #Roma #lastrada @natgeotravel