Photos by @andrea_frazzetta | The Appian Way saw the splendor of Roman times and centuries of journeys, trade, and pilgrimages. Today the monumental complexes raised in surroundings of such rare beauty are a unique historical legacy.
After a long period of neglect, a revitalization is under way with the aim of reestablishing the route and saving the immense archaeological heritage spread along its path.
Seen in this carousel: The Amphitheater of Capua, the second biggest arena, after the Colosseum, and home of the first and most famous gladiator school;
one of the most significant findings made thus far on the Via Appia: a bust that historians refer to as the Philosopher’s head;
Sunday afternoon in Rome's Aqueducts Park, crossroads of the water network of ancient Rome, part of the Appia Antica Regional Park;
the Appian Way lost among wheat fields in the Basilicata region. A nearby necropolis was recently discovered during excavations along the route.
For the full story on this Roman-era "superhighway"—written by @ninastrochlic—visit the link in bio. Follow me @andrea_frazzetta for more images from this project.
#Italy#appianway#Roma#lastrada
At sunset, 4 young friends enjoy the view of the Gravina di Puglia.
Gravina, an ancient cereal and wine center, enters history in the seventh century BC, as evidenced by archaeological findings.
This is the region of the ancient civilizations of the rock, whose carved cities are an immense heritage of this part of Italy.
The Appian Way, which linked Rome to Brindisi, passed through Gravina. The Itineraries place it 20 miles from Venusia, on the branch of the Appian Way which led directly to Tarentum.
From the project “The Appian Way” @natgeo July Issue
#italy#appianway#gravinainpuglia#documentaryphotography#SonyImagingAmbassador#sonyalpha#sonygm#alphauniversebysonyeu
The Appian Way spans 360 miles, four regions, and 100 municipalities. It intersects cities, villages, mountains, and farmland.
The road is often buried by modernity or swallowed by nature like here in Basilicata where the route is lost among fields of wheat.
The original Appian Way undulate in and out of visibility, like the back of a whale swimming in the ocean.
My latest project for National Geographic is online at the link in bio, and in print in the July issue. @natgeo#italy#appianway#lastrada#documentaryphotography#SonyImagingAmbassador#sonyalpha#sonygm#alphauniversebysonyeu
Photos by @andrea_frazzetta | The Appian Way is the most famous Roman road still in existence. At roughly 360 miles (580 kilometers), the route connects Rome to Brindisi. It was one of Europe’s first highway systems and inspired the phrase "All roads lead to Rome."
The Appia has been a feature in daily life for Italians since its construction in 312 B.C. In fact, Italians still refer to the route with reverence as Regina Viarum—the Queen of Roads. But its legacy has been largely neglected, and its stones buried under millennia of history. Now a government project is under way to transform the Appia into a pilgrimage crossing from Rome to the sea on the heel of Italy’s boot: to bring thousands of visitors strolling across the wide, flat basalt stones.
For the full story on this Roman-era "superhighway"—written by @ninastrochlic—visit the link in bio.
Follow me @andrea_frazzetta for more images from this project.
#Italy#appianway#Roma#lastrada
As I wandered through the Appian Regional Park I came across the young players of the Cinecittà soccer team.
The Gerini is a historic soccer field, created 60 years ago, in the popular Quadraro neighborhood a few meters from the arches of the Roman aqueduct Felice.
I was surprised and enchanted by the overlap between daily life and millennia-old archaeology, and once I entered the field, seeing my enthusiasm, the coach began to tell me how the place was an iconography of the city of Rome and that Federico Fellini had even filmed there the first scene of "La Dolce Vita".
That same evening I watched the movie again. And I realized that I had unintentionally used the exact same framework of the opening scene.
The Appia has been a feature in daily life for Italians since its construction in 312 B.C. In fact, Italians still refer to the route with reverence as Regina Viarum—”the queen of roads.”
My latest project for National Geographic is online - link in bio - and in print in the July issue.
@natgeo#italy#roma#appianway#lastrada#documentaryphotography#SonyImagingAmbassador#sonyalpha#sonygm#alphauniversebysonyeu