Via Valeria
Encyclopedia
The Via Valeria was an ancient Roman road
of Italy
, the continuation north-eastwards of the Via Tiburtina
. It probably owed its origin to Marcus Valerius Messalla, censor
in 154 BC. It ran first up the Anio valley past Varia
, and then, abandoning it at the 36th mile, where the Via Sublacensis
diverged, ascended to Carsoli
, and then again to the lofty pass of Monte Bove, whence it descended again to the valley in Roman times occupied by the Lake Fucino. It is doubtful whether Via Valeria ran farther than the eastern point of the territory of the Marsi
at Cerfennia, to the northeast of Lake Fucino, before the time of Claudius
. Strabo
states that in his day it went as far as Corfinium
, and this important place must have been in some way accessible from Rome, but probably, beyond Cerfennia, only by a track.
The difficult route from Cerfennia to the valley of the Aternus, a drop of nearly 300 m, involving too the crossing of the main ridge of the Apennines
by the modern Forca Caruso was, however, probably not made into a highroad until Claudius' reign: one of his milestones (Corp. Inscr. Lat. IX. 5973) states that in 48-49 AD, he made the Via Claudia Valeria from Cerfennia to the mouth of the Aternus (the site of modern Pescara
). He also constructed a road, the Via Claudia Nova
, connecting the Via Salaria
, which it left at Foruli (modern Civitatomassa, near Amiternum
) with the Via Valeria near the modern Popoli
. This road was continued south (we do not know by whom or when) to Isernia
. From Popoli the road followed the valley of the Aternus to its mouth, and there joined the coast-road at Pescara. The modern railway from Rome to Castellammare Adriatico follows closely the line of the Via Valeria. The lost tomb of Perseus, last king of Macedon
, was discovered by televised excavations in the Via Valeria in 2005.
A second Via Valeria, the Via Valeria of Sicily, connected Messina and Siracusa. Hardly widened or improved until the nineteenth century, it remained the backbone of the Ionian drainage basin of Sicily
, favoring the development of cities along it: Messina, Taormina, Giardini-Naxos, Giarre, Acireale, Catania, Augusta, Siracusa. Today, Route 114 follows it in part.
There are the remains of at least two Roman bridge
s along the road, which are the Ponte San Giorgio and the Ponte Scutonico.
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the continuation north-eastwards of the Via Tiburtina
Via Tiburtina
Via Tiburtina is an ancient road in Italy leading east-northeast from Rome to Tivoli . It was built by the Roman consul Marcus Valerius Maximus around 286 BC and later lengthened to the territories of the Marsi and the Equi, in the Abruzzo, as Via Valeria. Its total length was approximately...
. It probably owed its origin to Marcus Valerius Messalla, censor
Censor (ancient Rome)
The censor was an officer in ancient Rome who was responsible for maintaining the census, supervising public morality, and overseeing certain aspects of the government's finances....
in 154 BC. It ran first up the Anio valley past Varia
Varia
Varia may refer to:* Varia , character on Xena: Warrior Princess* Varia Suit, armor expansion in the Metroid video game series* Vicovaro or Varia, a town in Italy...
, and then, abandoning it at the 36th mile, where the Via Sublacensis
Via Sublacensis
The Via Sublacensis was a Roman road constructed to connect Nero's palace in present-day Subiaco to Rome, splitting off from the Via Valeria near Varia , about 10 km northeast of Tivoli....
diverged, ascended to Carsoli
Carsoli
Carsoli is a town and comune in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo . The ancient Roman city lies 4 km southwest of the modern town.-History:...
, and then again to the lofty pass of Monte Bove, whence it descended again to the valley in Roman times occupied by the Lake Fucino. It is doubtful whether Via Valeria ran farther than the eastern point of the territory of the Marsi
Marsi
Marsi is the Latin exonym for a people of ancient Italy, whose chief centre was Marruvium, on the eastern shore of Lake Fucinus, drained for agricultural land in the late 19th century. The area in which they lived is now called Marsica. During the Roman Republic the people of the region spoke a...
at Cerfennia, to the northeast of Lake Fucino, before the time of Claudius
Claudius
Claudius , was Roman Emperor from 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, he was the son of Drusus and Antonia Minor. He was born at Lugdunum in Gaul and was the first Roman Emperor to be born outside Italy...
. Strabo
Strabo
Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
states that in his day it went as far as Corfinium
Corfinium
Corfinium was a city in Ancient Italy, on the eastern side of the Apennines, due east of Rome. It is now near the modern Corfinio, in the province of L'Aquila .-History:...
, and this important place must have been in some way accessible from Rome, but probably, beyond Cerfennia, only by a track.
The difficult route from Cerfennia to the valley of the Aternus, a drop of nearly 300 m, involving too the crossing of the main ridge of the Apennines
Apennine mountains
The Apennines or Apennine Mountains or Greek oros but just as often used alone as a noun. The ancient Greeks and Romans typically but not always used "mountain" in the singular to mean one or a range; thus, "the Apennine mountain" refers to the entire chain and is translated "the Apennine...
by the modern Forca Caruso was, however, probably not made into a highroad until Claudius' reign: one of his milestones (Corp. Inscr. Lat. IX. 5973) states that in 48-49 AD, he made the Via Claudia Valeria from Cerfennia to the mouth of the Aternus (the site of modern Pescara
Pescara
Pescara is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. As of January 1, 2007 it was the most populated city within Abruzzo at 123,059 residents, 400,000 with the surrounding metropolitan area...
). He also constructed a road, the Via Claudia Nova
Via Claudia Nova
The Via Claudia Nova was ancient Roman road, build in 47 AD by the Roman Emperor Claudius to connect the Via Caecilia with the Via Claudia Valeria in central Italy....
, connecting the Via Salaria
Via Salaria
The Via Salaria was an ancient Roman road in Italy.It eventually ran from Rome to Castrum Truentinum on the Adriatic coast - a distance of 242 km. The road also passed through Reate and Asculum...
, which it left at Foruli (modern Civitatomassa, near Amiternum
Amiternum
Amiternum, a traditional cradle of the Sabines, is an ancient Sabine prefecture in the Abruzzo region of modern Italy at 9 km from L'Aquila. Amiternum was the birthplace of the historian Sallust .It was stormed by the Romans in 293 BC...
) with the Via Valeria near the modern Popoli
Popoli
Popoli is a comune and town in the province of Pescara in the Abruzzo region of Italy.-History:Its Latin name was Castrum Properi , which name was recorded as early as 1016 as the property of Girardo, son of Roccone...
. This road was continued south (we do not know by whom or when) to Isernia
Isernia
Isernia Isernia Isernia (Latin: Aesernia or, in Pliny and later writers, Eserninus, or in the Antonine Itinerary, Serni is a town and comune in the central Italian region of Molise, and the capital of Isernia province.- Geography :...
. From Popoli the road followed the valley of the Aternus to its mouth, and there joined the coast-road at Pescara. The modern railway from Rome to Castellammare Adriatico follows closely the line of the Via Valeria. The lost tomb of Perseus, last king of Macedon
Perseus of Macedon
Perseus was the last king of the Antigonid dynasty, who ruled the successor state in Macedon created upon the death of Alexander the Great...
, was discovered by televised excavations in the Via Valeria in 2005.
A second Via Valeria, the Via Valeria of Sicily, connected Messina and Siracusa. Hardly widened or improved until the nineteenth century, it remained the backbone of the Ionian drainage basin of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, favoring the development of cities along it: Messina, Taormina, Giardini-Naxos, Giarre, Acireale, Catania, Augusta, Siracusa. Today, Route 114 follows it in part.
Roman bridges
- For an overview of the location of Roman bridges, see List of Roman bridges.
There are the remains of at least two Roman bridge
Roman bridge
Roman bridges, built by ancient Romans, were the first large and lasting bridges built. Roman bridges were built with stone and had the arch as its basic structure....
s along the road, which are the Ponte San Giorgio and the Ponte Scutonico.