The Appian Way, built in 312 BC under the direction of the censor Appius Claudius Cecus, owes its name to this magistrate, who also promoted the construction of the Aqua Appia, the first Roman aqueduct. With a length of 365 kilometres, this road was a strategic infrastructure for the expansion and military control of Rome.
Conceived as an alternative to the Via Latina, the Appian Way chose a faster and safer coastal route, away from the war fronts in the hills of Monte Laziali. Its route improved the connection between Rome and southern Italy, facilitating the mobilisation of troops and the control of key ports on the trade routes linking Rome with North Africa, Greece and the East.
Construction of the Appian Way began after Rome's defeat at the Battle of the Caudine Forks in 321 BC during the Second Samnite War. Its main purpose was to improve military logistics to southern Italy, thereby increasing Rome's responsiveness and territorial control. The road was designed with rectilinear layouts to optimise travel, including sections such as the 24 kilometre stretch between Rome and Ariccia, the 59 kilometre stretch between Ariccia and Feronia, and the 30 kilometre stretch between Sinuessa and Capua.
To overcome the geographical challenges, important infrastructure works were carried out, such as the construction of canals in marshy areas and roads along the Lepini, Ausoni and Aurunci mountains. These works made it possible to use the river effectively in different areas, consolidating it as one of the main arteries of the Roman communication system.

In 275 BC, after the Roman victory at the Battle of Benevento against King Pyrrhus of Epirus, the Appian Way was extended to Maleventum (later Benevento), then to Tarentum (Taranto) and finally to the port of Brundisium (Brindisi). This made it an important route for trade and travel in the Mediterranean.
In the 2nd century AD, the Emperor Trajan ordered the construction of a variant, the Via Appia Traiana, which connected Benevento more directly to Brindisi, further reinforcing the strategic and commercial importance of this infrastructure in the Roman Empire.